Margaret’s Blog
What’s with Napoleon putting his hand in his coat?
If you want to mimic Napoleon Bonaparte, just stand straight and hide one hand in your jacket. It’s an immediately recognizable pose and unique to Napoleon, right? Like so many Napoleonic myths, there’s more here than meets the eye. In fact, the one-hand-concealed stance can be traced back to the days of Roman togas and […]
Finding Napoleon in Washington, DC
On this, the three-year anniversary of this website, I decided to do a post about Finding Napoleon in my own hometown. Thankfully, last weekend, we had a break in the nasty winter weather. I headed downtown to “our nation’s front lawn,” the National Mall, to catch a few sightings of Napoleon Bonaparte. Of course, the […]
Family Legends about Napoleon
The most frequent communication I get from readers of this blog goes something like this: “I grew up being told that my great-great-great-(grandfather/uncle, etc) was a (close friend/servant/doctor/personal guard) of Napoleon. Have you come across our family name in your research?” I’m always happy to respond. Sometimes I can point the questioner to a website […]
Dying Gaul, Once a Guest of Napoleon Bonaparte
Yesterday when I saw this beautiful, life-sized statue at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, I was surprised to learn of its history with Napoleon Bonaparte. Originally crafted about 100 AD, it was rediscovered in 1623 during construction of a Roman villa. Its fame swiftly spread throughout Europe. King Philip IV of Spain […]
How tall (short) was Napoleon Bonaparte?
Recently, a friend of mine said, “The one thing we all know about Napoleon Bonaparte is that he was short.” Thus two-hundred-year-old British propaganda still overrules established fact. The truth? Napoleon Bonaparte was between 168 and 170 centimeters, or 5’6” – 5’7” in height. While that’s not imposing—all but five US presidents have been taller—it […]
Poem about Napoleon’s general, Marshal Michel Ney
Napoleon’s general, and later Marshal of the Empire, Michel Ney was born the son of a cooper (a wooden-barrel maker). Originally a non-commissioned officer, Ney rose through the ranks due to his courageous leadership in battle. Tradition holds that he was the last Frenchman to leave Russian soil during the disastrous retreat from Moscow in […]
Napoleonic Historical Society 2013 Conference
I just attended the Napoleonic Historical Society’s annual conference, held this year in Alexandria, Virginia, not far from where I live. The schedule was packed with interesting, informative talks on battles, personalities, and culture of Napoleonic times. Even I gave a brief presentation about my voyage to St Helena. The highlight for me was our […]
Dove Named After Napoleon Bonaparte’s Niece
Charles Lucien Bonaparte, a prominent ornithologist, was married to his cousin, Zénaïde, Joseph Bonaparte’s daughter. Charles named the dove the Zenaida.
Finding Napoleon in Alaska? Yes!
As my friend and noted Napoleonic scholar, J. David Markham, likes to say, “Napoleon Bonaparte is everywhere.” You are so right, David! Sure enough, while I was vacationing in Alaska, I came across this species of seagull, commonly called “Bonaparte’s Gull.” It’s not, however, named after Napoleon. It’s named after his nephew, Charles. Charles Lucien […]
Finding Napoleon in Alaska?
Finding Napoleon Bonaparte in Alaska? Unlikely. Nonetheless that’s where I am. I’ll be back thinking about Napoleon again sometime late next week.