He is the epitome of France, yet he didn’t speak French until he was nine. The second son of minor, impoverished Corsican nobility, he attended military school on the French king’s sou. By age thirty, he had supplanted that monarch as France’s ruler. He faced battle fearlessly but could be petulant over a slight head cold. Although he knowingly played the fool for an unfaithful wife, he never gave up on romance. Famous for ruthlessness, no ruler forgave betrayal so easily. Remembered for his empire’s splendor, he always ate plain food and watered down his wine. In the midst of revolutionary chaos, he imposed stability. Out of stability came power, devastation and loss.
Napoleon the man (and the people called him “l’homme”) is a mass of contradictions. How did he become the intricate personality he was?
Interesting portraits.
Wonderful to see more writers delving into the age! Keep us posted and good luck with all the research and writing!
Thanks, Michael, I’m glad you’re interested. I’ll check out your short stories when I get home from this trip.
Well thank you! And please keep us posted as to how your work is progressing. It’ll be exciting to see what your research reveals.
hey-
This is Scott, Sarah’s friend from college. This is a fascinating blog. What time period are you setting the story? (A book encompassing the entire Napoleonic era would be, well, as long as War and Peace.)
Hi, Scott–I haven’t had a good cucumber sandwich since our visit back years ago in Chicago! Glad you’re enjoying my blog. My novel covers the beginning and the end of Napoleon’s life, looking back from his exile on St Helena (1815 – 1821) to his early life before 1800. That’s why in May we’re off to St Helena, one of the remotest spots in your future homeland of the United Kingdom.
Quite right! Sarah has told me about that adventure you all are taking- it all sounds wonderful.
(I am fascinated by Napoleon’s rise from Corsica, although I must admit, my favorite part of the Napoleonic wars involved Admiral Nelson.)
As for cucumber sandwiches, well, here is my recipe that I will be using as my upcoming boxing day celebration this Sunday:
slice and peel the cucumbers, of course, and slice your bread into triangle slices, and be prepared to make them into a triple decker formation, as they say!
Garnish with a mixture of dill and plain, whipped cream cheese. Dill is quite strong, so be careful with it’s use.
Have a great celebration! I’ll try out your recipe.
Thank you, for sharing this Margaret. It’s on my fav list. 🙂 I am going to enjoy reading your posts and following your travels.
Thanks, Mike. I’ll try to keep the blog updated in May as we travel to St Helena.