The Man Archives - Page 6 of 12 - Margaret Rodenberg

Big Data Shows Napoleon Bonaparte is History’s 2nd Biggest Figure

May 21, 2014

One hundred ninety-three years after his death, Napoleon Bonaparte still matters. According to a scientifically rigorous study, published by the Cambridge University Press, Napoleon ranks second to Jesus Christ as the most influential person in history. William Shakespeare comes in third. Study authors, Steven Skiena of State University of New York at Stony Brook and […]

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The 193rd Anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte’s death

May 7, 2014

Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on remote St Helena Island on May 5, 1821. His body was laid to rest in this modest site in the island’s Valley of Geraniums. The British government, fearing his influence even from the grave, kept the location carefully guarded. In 1840, Queen Victoria allowed the French to return their

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What’s with Napoleon putting his hand in his coat?

March 26, 2014

Napoleon Statue, Musée de l'Armée, Paris

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

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Finding Napoleon in Washington, DC

February 4, 2014

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

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Family Legends about Napoleon

January 2, 2014

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

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Dying Gaul, Once a Guest of Napoleon Bonaparte

December 22, 2013

Dying Gaul, from 100 AD, seen at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

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

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How tall (short) was Napoleon Bonaparte?

October 24, 2013

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

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Poem about Napoleon’s general, Marshal Michel Ney

October 2, 2013

Michel Ney, Marshal of the French Empire, by François Gérard

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

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Napoleonic Historical Society 2013 Conference

September 16, 2013

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

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Dove Named After Napoleon Bonaparte’s Niece

August 31, 2013

Joseph's daughters, painted by Jacques Louis David

Charles Lucien Bonaparte, a prominent ornithologist, was married to his cousin, Zénaïde, Joseph Bonaparte’s daughter. Charles named the dove the Zenaida.

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