Napoleon

October 27, 2003
The central question of any study of Napoleon is whether he saved the French Revolution or buried it. Fighting through the tangle of two centuries of interpretation, Englund, who has taught courses on French history at UCLA and elsewhere, defends the French emperor where others criticize him and skewers him where other praise. He draws sufficient comparisons to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great to please Bonaparte himself, but underplays his talent and skill at his early signature victories and questions whether the Directory needed a savior in 1799 when the young general arrived seeking that role. Napoleon emerges from this study not as a great leader but as a lucky one. If he was not a great tactician, then he was simply the right man for his time: decisive, flexible, inspiring; idealistic yet pragmatic; equipped to be the modern leader with the education of the aristocrat but the spirit of the common man. Readers who are not already steeped in the Napoleonic era may struggle to follow the narrative of events. Englund (The Inquisition in Hollywood
, etc.) slips forward and back chronologically and often uses terms and names before he has introduced them or neglects to identify them at all. When he is interested in a particular event or interpretation, he offers a strong reading, as in examinations of Napoleon's popularity with soldiers and the distinctions between Napoleon as first consul and as emperor. Elsewhere, the writing becomes uneven, plagued by shifting tenses, elaborate phrasing and occasional awkward wordplay. Multiple epigrams in each chapter, ranging from the very familiar to the strikingly tangential, become an almost comical commentary on the complexity of reactions to Napoleon and the difficulty of providing a definitive interpretation.

Starred review from November 15, 2003
This is a remarkable work of prodigious research and erudition. In a very thorough manner, Englund (Inquisition in Hollywood) examines the creation and short life of the Napoleonic state. Englund exudes a fascination with the nearly omnipotent power of Napoleon's personality and how it became entwined with the fate of over 43 million citizens of France. Through the genius of Napoleon, a strife-ridden country became a unified nation that strove to become an empire. According to Englund, the Napoleonic state was neither some hackneyed imitation of a European monarchy nor a Hitlerian progenitor. Instead, it was an expression of the Enlightenment's vision of a state based on the secular power of reason. Despite his obvious admiration for the Corsican, Englund is quick to point out that the inherent flaws of Napoleon's egomania doomed his vision for a unified Europe. In true scholarly fashion, Englund pays homage to scholars who do not cast an admiring eye on Napoleon Bonaparte and the turmoil he caused. The reader would do well to take Englund's advice and read Paul Schroeder's Transformation of European Politics 1763-1848 for a decidedly countervailing view. Englund has produced a definitive work that belongs in every European history collection.-Jim Doyle, Sara Hightower Regional Lib., Rome, GA

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2003
Napoleon is most frequently lionized for his military genius; however, he always placed his military talents at the service of his larger political and personal goals. Historian Englund's biography focuses on Bonaparte's political goals, achievements, and methods. Some recent scholarship has emphasized Napoleon's Corsican origins and his supposed lifelong resentment of French arrogance, but Englund asserts that Napoleon was deeply committed to the ideals of the French Revolution, which allowed outsiders like him to rise as far as their talents could take them. Despite his later efforts to create a family dynasty based upon considerable political repression, Napoleon, Englund insists, remained devoted to many liberal, republican ideals. Englund is an excellent writer whose vivid prose brings the man and his times to life. Although his admiration for his subject seems to lead him to de-emphasize Napoleon's egotism and cynicism, this is still a valuable addition to our knowledge of one of the most compelling personalities in history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)