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 …
I’m thrilled to welcome FINDING NAPOLEON: A Novel into the world. Click here to learn more about it.
Under FINDING NAPOLEON, the latest about my historical novel; Under ABOUT, a bit about me and a photo gallery of my travels; Under PARIS, CORSICA, and ST HELENA, info about Napoleon in those locations; Under MARGARET’S BLOG, posts on Napoleonic topics, also accessible under Categories in the sidebar or in chronological order below. Enjoy!
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 …
Who knew one of the world’s great Napoleonic museums is in Cuba? Surprisingly, Havana’s Museo Napoleónico contains the Western Hemisphere’s largest collection of artifacts associated with Napoleon Bonaparte. Thanks to the Napoleonic Historical Society, I got to visit it. The collection belonged to Julio Lobo (1898 – 1983), Cuba’s richest sugar cane magnate. Lobo, who …
Of course that’s not Barak Obama on Napoleon’s horse in the artist Kehinde Wiley’s imitation of Jacques-Louis David’s Bonaparte Crossing the Alps. An anonymous black man has taken General Bonaparte’s place. So why bring up Barak Obama? Well, our (deeply missed) ex-president has chosen Wiley to paint his official portrait for the Smithsonian’s Portrait Gallery. …
The Portland Art Museum was one of those rare museums where I couldn’t find a work representing Napoleon Bonaparte or any aspect of his reign. An internet search through their collection, however, revealed this piece. It’s a photograph called Le Retraite de Napoléon (Napoleon’s Retreat). The artist Jim Riswold must have a dark sense of …
I actually was in Oregon because of Napoleon Bonaparte. You see, that’s where the Historical Novel Society held this year’s conference. It’s a historical novelist’s dream: a hotel full of five hundred people, all fascinated with previous eras. It’s a joyous celebration of camaraderie, craft and commerce. It’s a chance for would-be authors to pitch …
