I write historical fiction and blog about all things Napoleonic.

Why Napoleon? Read on to discover how this unlikely man—who’s both revered and reviled—defined an era. But you won’t learn much about battles here. I’m interested in Napoleon himself, in the people around him, and in the culture of his era. St. Helena Island in the remote South Atlantic, where Napoleon spent the last five years of his life in exile (and which I visited in 2011), is a particular fascination of mine.

Margaret Rodenberg, author of the historical novel, FINDING NAPOLEON
Finding Napoleon: A Novel is winning awards
 

My novel, FINDING NAPOLEON­­—with its adaptation of Napoleon Bonaparte’s real attempt to write a novel—offers a fresh take on Europe’s most powerful man after he’s lost everything. A forgotten woman of history, the audacious Albine de Montholon, narrates their tale of intrigue, love, and betrayal.

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Finding Napoleon in Historical Fiction

Beyond the Ghetto Gates by Michelle Cameron

Beyond the Ghetto Gates by Michelle Cameron In the first of a series on fiction that sheds light on Napoleon Bonaparte, I’m featuring Beyond the Ghetto Gates. This historical novel takes place in 1796, as twenty-seven-year-old Bonaparte, general in chief of the “Army of France in Italy,” sweeps through the northern Italian kingdoms, conquering all

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Finding Napoleon at Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral burning on April 15, 2019

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

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Finding Napoleon’s “Ashes” in Paris 179 Years Ago

The Retour des Cendres of Napoleon I on December 15, 1840 in Paris, by Jacques Guiaud (1811-1876), from Chateau de Versailles

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

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Finding Napoleon in Montreal

At the Napoleonic Historical Society 2019 conference, Chris Franke who honors Louis Anselm Briquet

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

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Join the Napoleonic Historical Society

Image from the Napoleonic Historical Society website

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.

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FINDING NAPOLEON ON MAY 5

Napoleon Bonaparte on deathbed, by Denzil Ibbetson from his sketches made at Longwood House, St Helena, May 6, 1821, on loan from Conte Walewski to Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

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,

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FINDING NAPOLEON’S SON AND HEIR

Napoleon's son, the King of RomePhoto by Margaret Rodenberg

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

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