The Age of Napoleon

Foolishly, I persevered & wasted time finishing Bryan Burrough's God-awful "Vendetta." I then immediately needed something to purge the disreputable American Express executives & the idiosyncratic & tragic Edmund Safra from my memory. I grabbed Age Of Napoleon, the hard-cover edition - which I had read for the first time just prior to the Vendetta odyssey, & read it again. It worked. And on this second reading, I realized that Herold is the ("unherolded" & presumably, forgotten) equal of the historians William Manchester, Robert Massie, David McCullough, & Alan Schom. These are the books that my mother brought home from work that I unconditionally fell in love with as a small boy. Their publishers had standards (as opposed to today, when too many of them are recklessly driving in the express lane of their demise). And the art work is as spectacular as the writing is superb. Post Note: Years later, having forgotten the title but crisply remembering the author's name, I jumped like a terrier at an airborne bone when I saw the title for sale. I now own two copies of AON - the 2nd, the "Mariner Books" edition - a paperback with unfamiliar & poorly reproduced black & white illustrations, which might be copies of the beautiful, full-color originals. Go with the hardcover edition!

Herold approaches Napoleon in a very different manner, if compared to other authors. While it is true he does not concentrate on military strategy or on the battles per se, he gives us a very clear view of what was going on around in Napoleonic times. This history book concentrates more on ideas than on anything else. You're given a picture of what was happening all around the world, at least from an ideological perspective. I also find it quite usefull that he dedicates separate chapters to the different empires (Prussia, Russia, Spain, Britain....), so the book is not simply a chronological set of events. He is not afraid to go back in time to let us understand a particular subject, and then in the next chapter go back in time again, but concentrating on a different matter. The book can't be considered too easy to read, but then again, it's not a novel, it's a pretty complete history of Napoleonic Europe. As a matter of fact it's probably the best one I have gotten my hands on. The book is very well documented, and it goes into a bit of detail when explaining the sources so you come out with a basic knowledge not only of who wrote what about Napoleon, but much more importantly WHY. The last part is a summary of what happened after Napoleon, in the times of Napoleon II and Napoleon III, which I also found useful. It helps you situate Napoleon within the history of France. Overall, it's an excellent book and I would recommend it for people who want a good insight into the age of Napoleon.

I am truly in love with this book. It is excellently written and immaculate in design and execution. This will give you the general picture of Napoleon and who he was.

This is a dated but still effective general survey of the period and the man. Contrary to what is claimed in some of the reviews, it is not particularly anti-Napoleon, especially compared to some more recent works, such as the big biography by Schom, which virtually boils over with hatred for Napoleon. Herold wants to admire Napoleon, but can't quite forgive him for his faults. The result is pretty balanced. Also,unless you've got a 4th grade reading level, this isn't that hard to read -- my students prefer it to the well-known Markham biography. Highly recommended as an introduction to the Napoleonic Age. The illustrated Horizon version might be even better as an intro because of the visuals. Herold also compiled The Mind of Napoleon -- a collection of Nap's words and writings for those who really want to get a feel for what made the Emperor tick.

This is not a perfect book. That the author doesn't think Napoleon should be deified, however, is no reason to malign it--online or anywhere else. In fact, Herold presents a convincing picture of "Napoleonic" Europe. Besides characterizing Napoleon, his adversaries, and a whole supporting cast, the author portrays the economy, politics, and culture of the times. There is some oversimplification in Herold's book, and some of his conclusions may be open to debate. All good historians take some risks. But this book is a thoroughly researched and well written introduction to an important era in Western history. It certainly deserves to be read.