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A review by dale_kooyenga
Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts
4.0
I enjoyed this book since I have a professional and personal interest in military and political history. It's a must read for a military officer or history buff. Napoleon's story has all the drama to satisfy the fiction fan, but the books focus on military engagement details and numerous characters makes it more difficult to follow than the new genre of history books that read like a good novel. Keeping track of all the battles is tough, keeping track of all his mistresses even more difficult!
My sense is Napoleon is generally looked upon honorably by most individuals that have a general sense of history. At least when compared to Hitler or Stalin, Napoleon is perceived as being more righteous in his pursuits. Napoleon had some positive attributes, for example the Napoleonic code, but generally his conquest were about his own destiny and not in the interest of liberty, freedom or even France. He was a military genius, but also a butcher. He knew how to inspire men, but that inspiration also led to the death of hundreds of thousands in the most miserable of circumstances.
What killed Napoleon? The Russian Winter, England's Navy or his relentless focus to be greater than Julius Caesar? The book is an excellent portrait of a complicated man who has shaped world history. BTW Napoleon - thank you for the Louisiana Purchase!
My sense is Napoleon is generally looked upon honorably by most individuals that have a general sense of history. At least when compared to Hitler or Stalin, Napoleon is perceived as being more righteous in his pursuits. Napoleon had some positive attributes, for example the Napoleonic code, but generally his conquest were about his own destiny and not in the interest of liberty, freedom or even France. He was a military genius, but also a butcher. He knew how to inspire men, but that inspiration also led to the death of hundreds of thousands in the most miserable of circumstances.
What killed Napoleon? The Russian Winter, England's Navy or his relentless focus to be greater than Julius Caesar? The book is an excellent portrait of a complicated man who has shaped world history. BTW Napoleon - thank you for the Louisiana Purchase!