Based on an interview with book blogger Deborah Kalb How did you first learn about Napoleon’s effort to write a novel, and at what point did you decide to write Finding Napoleon? Years ago, I came across a mention that young Napoleon Bonaparte had tried to write a romantic novel of love, war, and betrayal. When I …
FINDING NAPOLEON: 200 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH Napoleon died on St. Helena Island on May 5, 1821, two hundred years ago today. Ceremonies were held in Paris and on St. Helena. His legacy—both revered and reviled—is as divisive as it ever was. Roger Cohen’s article in today’s New York Times does a better job than I …
I’m thrilled to welcome FINDING NAPOLEON: A Novel into the world. Click here to learn more about it.
This past December, headlines screamed “First Christmas Without Mass in Notre Dame Cathedral in Two Hundred Years.” What happened two hundred years ago both to interrupt and to reinstate that structure’s sacred use? The French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte. Tragically, the photo above explains why there wasn’t a mass in 2019. On April 15, the …
France After Napoleon’s Death: Even after Napoleon Bonaparte died in 1821, he still threatened the kings of Europe. By declaring himself an emperor, Napoleon had undermined the hereditary “divine right of kings.” Worse, he installed liberal, secular constitutions throughout Europe. And everywhere, Napoleon spread the French Revolution’s concept of “merit over birthright.” So Louis XVIII …
Finding Napoleon’s “Ashes” in Paris 179 Years Ago Read More »
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 …
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Death Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on St Helena Island on May 5, 1821. The next day, Denzil Ibbetson (1775-1857) came to Longwood House to sketch the Emperor as his body awaited autopsy. Based on his drawings, Ibbetson painted the strikingly modern painting shown above. He gave the painting to Napoleon’s last rival, …
Napoleonic Links from St Helena to Cuba As I posted in June 2011, Napoleon Bonaparte isn’t the only thing interesting about St Helena Island. After all, Napoleon’s exile, which ran from 1815 to 1821, only accounts for a moment in the island’s 500-year history. So this past year, when I wrote an article about links …
Napoleon: The Imperial Household Exhibit at the VMFA A fabulous exhibit of art and artifacts from Napoleon Bonaparte’s various households has been visiting the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It’s moving on to Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (October 19, 2018 – March 3, 2019) and then to the Chateau de Fontainbleau (April 3, …
