Napoleon Bonaparte’s long career gave rise, over the past quarter century, to a long series of bicentennials. It started in 1996-97 with commemorations of his Italian campaign of 1796-97, and ended in 2021 with books, exhibitions and ceremonies marking his death. Along the way, there appeared at least three dozen biographies in French, English, and other languages. There was also a great deal of controversy about the legacy of a man who did as much as anyone to create modern France, but who reestablished slavery in French colonies, ruled as a dictator, and sacrificed millions of people in his wars. By the time the final bicentennial exhibitions closed in 2021, everyone seemed a bit exhausted by him.
Thanks for this read. I look forward to watching Ridley Scott’s film, and to reading your review.
I’ve just borrowed Tim Clayton’s “This Dark Business” (2018) from the local library. I haven’t started it yet, but gather it’s a revisionist view of the popular image of Bonaparte the usurper and aggressor. There seems to be at least the suggestion that a large part of this image was created by British spin doctors (before the term was coined) when the powers that be were terrified the revolutionary bug may spread across the channel.
An unrelated aside: The ’heroine’ of my wannabe novel The Wicked Shore (< Not sure why this link appears not to work) was the lover and supposed murderess of the then Duc de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, who never overcame the loss of his son, the Duc d’Enghien. Was d’Enghien really such a threat to Bonaparte? I’ve always understood he was living a blame-free life across the border in Ettenheim, from where he was kidnapped, smuggled back to France, and summarily executed at the Château de Vincennes, probably as a warning to others.
So looking forward to your review of this film, Professor Bell!
In some publicity I thought I read or saw--but now can't retrieve--there was something along the lines that Boney came from "nothing" to take "everything," which is a bit much given that he was hardly a street urchin but the son of a Corsican notable. Will be curious how much this American film overplays a "rags to riches" narrative arc.
But I guess he came from comparatively and provincially "nothing" by the standards of Ancien Regime France.
In any event, I'm still partial to Rod Steiger's protrayal in Waterloo, but I suppose you are now going to point out that the brilliant filmic depiction of his confrontation with Ney after his escape from Elba is another example of mythos run rampant...
Thanks for this read. I look forward to watching Ridley Scott’s film, and to reading your review.
I’ve just borrowed Tim Clayton’s “This Dark Business” (2018) from the local library. I haven’t started it yet, but gather it’s a revisionist view of the popular image of Bonaparte the usurper and aggressor. There seems to be at least the suggestion that a large part of this image was created by British spin doctors (before the term was coined) when the powers that be were terrified the revolutionary bug may spread across the channel.
An unrelated aside: The ’heroine’ of my wannabe novel The Wicked Shore (< Not sure why this link appears not to work) was the lover and supposed murderess of the then Duc de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, who never overcame the loss of his son, the Duc d’Enghien. Was d’Enghien really such a threat to Bonaparte? I’ve always understood he was living a blame-free life across the border in Ettenheim, from where he was kidnapped, smuggled back to France, and summarily executed at the Château de Vincennes, probably as a warning to others.
So looking forward to your review of this film, Professor Bell!
In some publicity I thought I read or saw--but now can't retrieve--there was something along the lines that Boney came from "nothing" to take "everything," which is a bit much given that he was hardly a street urchin but the son of a Corsican notable. Will be curious how much this American film overplays a "rags to riches" narrative arc.
But I guess he came from comparatively and provincially "nothing" by the standards of Ancien Regime France.
In any event, I'm still partial to Rod Steiger's protrayal in Waterloo, but I suppose you are now going to point out that the brilliant filmic depiction of his confrontation with Ney after his escape from Elba is another example of mythos run rampant...
More historiographical buzzkill I suppose!