#nicolas mietton

[sollannaart]

Some books about Napoleonic era...

... and not only it

And now, my dear friends, let me share with you a little bit about the books about Napoleonic era I read recently (and long ago as well ;) Because, you know, thanks to you I discovered a lot of interesting books and articles, so I feel obliged to do something for you in return.

And though almost all I read is in Polish, I was able to collect a set of books which are available in English (or French).

So, let’s go!

1. The book I would like to start with is “Napoleon and the women” written by  Frédéric Masson. Frankly speaking, I read this one long long ago, just - as far as I remember - after watching “Napoleon and Josephine” TV series. And now, having stumbled upon another Masson’s book (see below) I suddenly recalled this one. (And decided to start with it, because it was in kinda first one of the publications which introduced me into that epoch ))).

2. The second book (the very same I have finished reading just this month) of Masson I would like to recommend you is Napoleon at home. Really interesting book, with a lot of details about the emperor’s usual life, thanks to which I was able to look at him and see not only as a military commander and the head of the state, but a human being also.

3. Continuing the topic of Napoleon’s private life - there is a book from Guy Breton’s series Histoires d'amour de l'histoire de France, devoted to it (in fact, there are even two books there, the second one is called Napoleon and Marie-Louise).

Btw, I read all the books from the series and, frankly speaking, some of them looked rather like collections of anecdotes. But, nevertheless, it was kinda fun to read them.

4. Daily life in France under Napoleon by Jean Robiquet. Just one of the books I read recently. But it was about our favorite epoch (and it was in English), so... 

5. La Victoire de la Grande Armée (the English title approximately should sound like “The victory of the Grand Army”, but I am not sure whether it was translated to it, I read it in Polish) by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Well, this will be the only fiction in this list of mine. And the only book about which I can’t much good, but... Yes, there are a lot of historical discrepancies there (like Poniatowski and Grouchy being marshals already in 1812, and prince Józef’s second name as Aleksander instead of Antoni), and the protagonist ( a general named François Beille) is a complete Marty-Stew, but... But to have a “universe” where Napoleon wins in 1812 and Poniatowski isn’t killed, even it is fiction - this meant a lot to me.

6. From Napoleon let’s move to Talleyrand. The latest biography of him I read was Talleyrand. The Art of Survival by Jean Orieux. And, frankly speaking, it was the best from all I read about prince of Benevento. Some of the rest book about him, however, were in English, so for those who are interested, I am giving below their titles:

Joseph McCabe, Talleyrand: A biographical Study

David Lawday, Napoleon's Master, A Life of Prince Talleyrand

Duff Cooper, Talleyrand

7.  And from one of the famous diplomats of the French history let’s move to the history of diplomacy itself. A couple of years ago I read (in Polish) the book written by Nicolas Mietton on the topic of “Erotic history of the French diplomacy”. Not that there was much about Napoleon (though there was a chapter devoted to Talleyrand), but some facts about Louis the XVI were kinda revelation for me.

8. From the books about France let’s move to ones about Poland. This one, on the topic of The Duchy of Warsaw, written by professor Jarosław Czubaty, was initially published, as you might have guessed, in Polish. But it later was translate to English, and that is why I am able now to sincerely recommend it to you. (@historyman101 , might it be of your interest?)

9. And the last but not the least is the book about the Polish history in whole. Its name is God’s Playground (”Boże igrzysko” in Polish), and it is also available in English, because Norman Davies, its author, is British (and a great polonophile ;))

PS. O, how could I forget this?

10. Prince Józef Poniatowski, Pepi’s biography written by Szymon Askenazy, one of the famous Polish historians of Napoleonic era, was also translated to French, English and even German.