Napoleon: An Intimate Biography torrent

Napoleon: An Intimate Biography - Vincent Cronin [epub]

The author's stated reason for writing this biography of one of history's most compelling figures is his dissatisfaction with other biographies' exploration of Napoleon as a man, husband, father, and friend. While relying heavily on the memoirs of people who knew Napoleon personally, the author certainly manages to close this alleged gap in the historical analysis of Napoleon's life. The biography focuses on who Napoleon was, and discusses what he did only as a means of creating a better understanding of who he was as a person. In some cases this leads to completely ignoring certain events which are arguably highly important historical moments on the world stage.

Notably missing from the American perspective is any mention at all of the Louisiana purchase, and in fact America is mentioned only in passing a handful of times, despite the long standing French presence in North America. However, I find the personal focus to be a positive element of the book rather than a negative, because the events of Napoleon's life which can be easily learned through many other sources are best understood by first understanding the heart and mind of the man making the decisions that led to those events.

That understanding is a goal that the author accomplishes with an enjoyable, easily readable style that is both informative and impressive on its own literary merits. The tone of the biography is far from objective in an absolute sense, but while the reader can easily conclude that the author is an admirer of Napoleon, the man's faults and mistakes are examined along with his triumphs and virtues