For my U.S. and Canadian readers, the ebook version of FINDING NAPOLEON: A NOVEL is widely available for a limited time at just 99 cents! Here’s a U.S. link to Barnes & Noble for the Nook version and one to Amazon for the Kindle. I don’t know if it will ever be available at this …
In September, I spent three days in Montreal immersing myself in Napoleon Bonaparte with the Napoleonic Historical Society. As usual, the society’s annual conference was informative and entertaining. This year, the speakers covered a broad range of topics from war to art to political marriage to dueling etiquette. They examined Napoleon’s influence beyond France and …
Napoleonic Conference, Montréal, September 13 – 15, 2019 What Is the Napoleonic Historical Society? The Napoleonic Historical Society’s mission is “to study, share and stimulate interest in the history of the Age of Napoleon.” Members are a diverse group of people. Some are battle reenactors who can argue over every maneuver that won or lost a conflict. …
Commemorating the birthday of the Eaglet, Napoleon’s only legitimate son As reported on March 21, 1811, in the Paris journal Le Monitor, Napoleon Bonaparte’s son, the King of Rome (nicknamed the Eaglet), was born on March 20, 1811: “Today, 20 March, at twenty minutes past nine in the morning, the hopes of France were realized: Her …
Napoleon in Cuba at the Museo Napoleonica, Vibert’s painting of Napoleon Planning his coronation, correction to Finding Napoleon in Cuba Part 3
Napoleonic Historical Society Conference At the end of September, the Napoleonic Historical Society held its annual conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. Imagine a weekend discussing Napoleon Bonaparte with other enthusiasts (and critics)! In addition to social events, there were interesting presentations on cultural and military topics, ranging from women in Napoleonic art to guerrilla warfare in …
Okay, not the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, but how about his American great-nephew? In 1908, U.S. Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte (1851 – 1921), founded the first corps of federal government investigators. Those thirty-four Special Agents became the Bureau of Investigation, later called the Federal Bureau of Investigation. With the FBI dominating today’s headlines, I thought I’d …
In Cuba’s Museo Napoleónico, my favorite item is Napoleon Bonaparte’s pocket watch (featured in my last post). My second favorite is Jean-Georges Vibert’s painting, Planning for the Coronation. In it, the Consul-for-Life Napoleon Bonaparte is rearranging dolls on a floor plan of Notre Dame Cathedral. If you know Jacques-Louis David’s monumental painting, Le Sacré (The Coronation), …
