Napoleon Biography

Author: (English) Frank McLynn
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-21
Features: This is a "biographical" work that thoroughly exposes the duality of Napoleon as both a historical figure and a personality. While fully and positively acknowledging Napoleon's great historical status, his extraordinary genius, and his achievements, the author also "dissects him from every angle," viewing him with a detached perspective, stripping away the various halos surrounding Napoleon and restoring him to a non-fictional, real-life great figure. The book is filled with profound comments and sharp analyses, often proving both entertaining and thought-provoking to read. Napoleon is one of the most familiar Western historical figures to Chinese readers. More than half a century ago, Mao Zedong ranked Napoleon alongside George Washington as a "hero of Western bourgeoisie," and the legendary life of such a hero has always attracted interest and reverence. The book devotes extensive to vividly describing the major battles Napoleon fought throughout his life and his brilliant military accomplishments. It also contains kaleidoscopic private anecdotes, which are far from a cheap, meticulous portrayal in words. From the perspective of historical biography, these trivial matters and everyday details are often scattered historical traces, valuable evidence, and indicators, through which one can glimpse the inner mysteries of the subject, trace the psychological trajectory of this extraordinary personality from its formation to its dissolution, and explore the faint clues of Napoleon and his empire's tragic fate.