The Rose of Martinique: A Life of Napoleon's Josephine

Luminous skin, dark blue eyes, heavy chestnut hair, harmonious features, Josephine was a charming young lady even when her mouth was too small and one of her teeth was stained from eating too much sugar as a child. Married to the Viscount of Beauharnais, a relative of hers, the young "creole" had to endure her husband's infidelities and humiliations. Just when she thought she was finally getting some stability in her life, the "Terror" takes place and she nearly lost her head. Indeed, unlike other Aristocrats of her time, the little "creole" proved to have an amazing sense of adaptability and cleverness which allowed her to survive the most hostile situations. Unlike Carolly Erickson, Andrea Stuart has done a lot of serious research on the days of the Ancient Regime and the Revolution. This research enables us to understand Josephine and the reasons behind her actions. For example, Stuart reveals that Josephine was most likely faking when "she fainted" upon hearing about Napoleon's wishes for divorce. The Empress was a product of XVIII Century theatrics but she always managed to make the best of each situation. She even charmed Napoleon's enemy, Tzar Alexander of Russia in order to secure the protection of her children. A woman of true style and beauty, she helped define European fashion during the early XIX Century. This didn't keep her from becoming an accomplished biologist, conducting valuable research on the nature of many exotic animals and plants. This book brings light to the life of a remarkable woman whom perhaps died too young...

Even after visiting the birthplace and burial site of 'Josephine', I realized I knew next to nothing about her that was favorable. Most biographies focus on Napoleon. This biography offered some more insite into the world she lived in and how it shaped her. I found one superficial innacuracy of the decscription of Martinique and the book did not really mention much about the re-institution of slavery in the French colonies after the Revolution message of 'egalitie', which is usually blamed on the Creole Josephine. All in all, this is a superb piece of history and I am glad to add it to my library.

This is the best biography in english of Napoleon's first wife.It brings light to her origins in a rich sugar plantation in Martinique. Coming from a noble family, Josephine moved to France before the Revolution to marry Beauharnais, A French aristocrat who ignored her and cheated on her several times. Josephine was strong enough to fight for her life and the life of her children during the Revolution, when she suffered many tragedies. She was a fighter and a surviver. Refined beauty, she was essential in the Napoleon's rise to power.Her intelligence, her passion for music,her noble origins, her art and her passion for botanics made of her a very important diplomatic tool for Napoleon. A woman filled with passion for life, whose existence seems taken out from a fairy tale.

Andrea Stuart's telling of the life of the Empress Josephine is wonderfully entertaining and very telling. I have been fascinated by the story of Napoleon and Josephine since I was 13 years old am always looking for new information on the subjects and their lives. As a history major at UK I very much appreciated the research that Ms. Stuart obviously did on the times and circumstances in which Josephine lived. Especially in regards to the issue of slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries. She obviously cares deeply for the memory of the Empress and has done Her Majesty a superb honor with this work.

Andrea Stuart's new biography on the life of Napoleon's most famous mistress, Josephine, is a complete and captivating story of one of France most powerful women at a time of social and political upheaval as France sought to reestablish its identity at the heart of Europe and the New World. It is a rich biography, expanding to discuss in depth the political and social reality of the time and the nature and actions of those personages that influenced Josephine the greatest.The story commences with the birth of Marie-Josephe-Rose de Tascher de La Pagerie on the island of Martinque, After delving into her childhood, Rose's life truly commenced with her enagagement and subsequent marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais - often pointed to as the galant, de Valmont, of Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses. After a rocky marriage as her overly florid and highly unsuited to marriage husband took a multitude of lovers, charmed his way through Parisien society and ended up accusing the innocent Rose of adultery whilst he on a trip back to Martinque and she in Paris, Rose found herself with two children, separated and in a the convent of Panthemont. It was to prove a turning point as, just before the French Revolution ignited she returned from new new home at Fontainbleu to Martinque. Whilst there she did not escape the violence of it as Martinque was one of the first colonies to follow the mainland and she was forced to flee the island of her birth forever.She returned to a Paris where republicanism was the new `word' . In the meantime her husband, Alexandre, had risen to prominence amongst the new wave of political power and was actually President of the National Assembly the month Rose returned. As a result of her husband's fame, so Rose grew in recognition by association. As Alexandre presided over the capture of the fleeing King the event polarized the camps into the Feuillant party against the Girondists and Jacobins and Alexandre, for a time became the de facto ruler of France.It was a fortunate time for Rose as her husband's position enabled her to make friendships with France's new elite and to find time for amorous pursuits. However, come Louis XVI's execution and England's declaration of war, Alexandre's ineptitude in his new position as commander of the Rhine armies and his libertine nature led to his downfall under the Law of Suspects and Rose's subsequent arrest. After several months of imprisonment at Les Carmes Alexandre died at the guillotine days before Robespierre and days after Rose was released.By 1795 she had come to meet the man who would eclipse her - Napoleon.At his point Stuart digresses onto a quick recount of Napoleon's life and career before Rose engaged on her relationship. Napoleon was smitted and proposed, Rose only accepting after realising Hoche was no longer available to her. It was at this point Napoleon renamed her Josephine. What follows is a period as Napoleon swept all before him in Italy whilst all the time writing letter