The Murder of Napoleon

by Ben Weider, David Hapgood

The history books say that Napoleon died of natural causes. Napoleon himself, expiring at 51 after a lifetime of robust health, suspected otherwise and ordered a thorough autopsy. His suspicions were well founded. So clever was the crime, however, that until recent developments in forensic science, it was impossible to prove a case of murder, let alone name the killer. Now, the authors of The Murder of Napoleon assert, it has been done-by a brilliant man whose 20-year inquest, a feat of detection, has produced one of history's greatest surprises.

"Sensational...as gripping as a detective novel yet scrupulously observant of historical fact" (Publishers Weekly)

Author Biography: David Hapgood was an editor and writer for The New York Times. He is author or co-author of The Murder of Napoleon, The Screwing of the Average Man, Monte Cassino, and Africa from Independence to Tomorrow. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and lives in New York City.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Historical

266 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Benjamin "Ben" Weider, OC CQ CD, was the co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB) along with brother Joe Weider. He was a Canadian businessman from Montreal, well known in two areas: Bodybuilding and Napoleonic history.

In 1975 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Officer in 2006. In 2000, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. On October 12, 2000, he received the French Legion of Honor, that country's highest honour, which was established by Bonaparte himself. Weider was also a 1984 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, a member of the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame, and a Commander of the Venerable Order of St. John. He also had several honorary doctorate degrees. The Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution at the Florida State University History Department has recently created the Ben Weider Chair in Revolutionary Studies. In total, Ben accumulated over 66 awards and honours during his lifetime. [wikipedia]

Reviews

[Peiman E iran · Rating 5 out of 5]

خیلی جالب بود، به تمام مسائل با دقت و وسواسِ خاصی پرداخته بود، حتی ساعتِ مرگِ «ناپلئون» رو دقیق «پنج و چهل و نه» دقیقۀ بعد از ظهر، و ساعتِ ورودِ پزشکان جهتِ کالبد شکافی به درونِ تالارِ بزرگ رو 2 بعد از ظهرِ فردایِ آن روز و تعدادِ حاضرین در تالار رو 17 نفر ، ذکر میکنه
از آنجایی که «ناپلئون» سفارش کرده بود که پس از مرگش، جسدش رو کالبد شکافی کنن، لذا نویسنده از همان ابتدا به این موضوع پرداخته و روایت رو با توصیفِ اتاقی که «ناپلئون» در آن حضور داشت و خوابیدن بر رویِ تختِ خوابِ سفری و آهنی خودش، آغاز میکنه
ناپلئون دستور داده بود، پس از مرگ و کالبد شکافی جسدش، قلبش برایِ « ماری لوئیز» فرستاده شه، امّا به گفتۀ نویسنده، به دستور فرماندار، قلب رو با جنازه در تابوت گذاشتن
نویسنده دلیلِ مرگ رو از نظرِ اکثرِ پزشکانِ و بخصوص انگلیسی ها ، « سرطان» اعلام میکنه، ولی در پایان به سالم بودنِ جسدِ «ناپلئون» پس از گذشتِ 19 سال اشاره میکنه، و بیان کرده که عاملی که باعثِ مرگِ «ناپلئون » شده، مسمویت با « ارسنیک» بوده، چراکه « ارسنیک» مانعِ فساد و پوسیدگیِ جسد میشه، و بدنی که در زمانِ حیات در معرضِ مسمومیتِ مزمن با « ارسنیک» قرار گرفته باشه خیلی کند و با تأنی متلاشی میشه... پس احتمالِ مسموم کردن و به قتل رسوندنِ «ناپلئون » همانطور که « فورشوفود» سوئدی هم گفته بود، قوی تر از احتمالِ مرگ توسطِ سرطان هستش
در کل کتابِ بسیار بسیار خوب و جذابی بود، مهمترین نکته این بود که نویسنده به قدری هنرمندانه وقایعِ رخ داده شده رو نوشته بود که با خواندنِ کتاب به راحتی اشخاص، اتاق ها، اماکن و عناصرِ داستان رو میتونستم تصور کنم، به عنوانِ مثال، به نحوی کالبد شکافی و حضورِ پزشکان و مقامات در تالار رو توصیف کرده بود که احساس میکردم خودم در کنار تخت ایستادم و شاهدِ کالبد شکافیِ «ناپلئون » هستم

پیروز باشید و ایرانی

[Peiman E iran · Rating 5 out of 5]

خیلی جالب بود، به تمام مسائل با دقت و وسواسِ خاصی پرداخته بود، حتی ساعتِ مرگِ «ناپلئون» رو دقیق «پنج و چهل و نه» دقیقۀ بعد از ظهر، و ساعتِ ورودِ پزشکان جهتِ کالبد شکافی به درونِ تالارِ بزرگ رو 2 بعد از ظهرِ فردایِ آن روز و تعدادِ حاضرین در تالار رو 17 نفر ، ذکر میکنه
از آنجایی که «ناپلئون» سفارش کرده بود که پس از مرگش، جسدش رو کالبد شکافی کنن، لذا نویسنده از همان ابتدا به این موضوع پرداخته و روایت رو با توصیفِ اتاقی که «ناپلئون» در آن حضور داشت و خوابیدن بر رویِ تختِ خوابِ سفری و آهنی خودش، آغاز میکنه
ناپلئون دستور داده بود، پس از مرگ و کالبد شکافی جسدش، قلبش برایِ « ماری لوئیز» فرستاده شه، امّا به گفتۀ نویسنده، به دستور فرماندار، قلب رو با جنازه در تابوت گذاشتن
نویسنده دلیلِ مرگ رو از نظرِ اکثرِ پزشکانِ و بخصوص انگلیسی ها ، « سرطان» اعلام میکنه، ولی در پایان به سالم بودنِ جسدِ «ناپلئون» پس از گذشتِ 19 سال اشاره میکنه، و بیان کرده که عاملی که باعثِ مرگِ «ناپلئون » شده، مسمویت با « ارسنیک» بوده، چراکه « ارسنیک» مانعِ فساد و پوسیدگیِ جسد میشه، و بدنی که در زمانِ حیات در معرضِ مسمومیتِ مزمن با « ارسنیک» قرار گرفته باشه خیلی کند و با تأنی متلاشی میشه... پس احتمالِ مسموم کردن و به قتل رسوندنِ «ناپلئون » همانطور که « فورشوفود» سوئدی هم گفته بود، قوی تر از احتمالِ مرگ توسطِ سرطان هستش
در کل کتابِ بسیار بسیار خوب و جذابی بود، مهمترین نکته این بود که نویسنده به قدری هنرمندانه وقایعِ رخ داده شده رو نوشته بود که با خواندنِ کتاب به راحتی اشخاص، اتاق ها، اماکن و عناصرِ داستان رو میتونستم تصور کنم، به عنوانِ مثال، به نحوی کالبد شکافی و حضورِ پزشکان و مقامات در تالار رو توصیف کرده بود که احساس میکردم خودم در کنار تخت ایستادم و شاهدِ کالبد شکافیِ «ناپلئون » هستم

پیروز باشید و ایرانی

[Lode Goukens · Rating 4 out of 5]

read it in de 80s
made sense, entertaining and well documented (now proved to be wrong)

[Gauthier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I was a kid, I was told that Napoleon died of illness but that he could also have been poisoned. We never knew for sure and we probably never will. I first discovered the story of this book a few years ago and was very interested. After checking the details of the theory, I found it pretty compelling but there was something that bothered me: no serious academic biography ever raised it as serious. And after some research, it has been determined that there were a number of "holes" in the theory that prevented it from being THE explanation. So, if you are looking to determine what killed Napoelon, you must know that this book provides you with a possible theory. A very compelling and credible one but a theory nonetheless.

Knowing that, I had great pleasure reading the book while the theory is explained in a very readable way. It is presented like a novel and thus the reader is quickly taken in the story as it reads like a historical investigation novel. The book alternates chapters between Napoleon at St Helena from his first days to his death and between the Swedish enthusiast who undertook in the 1950s and 1960s to prove the theory. Please, do not ask me to write his name, it is beyond my power.

We learn a great deal about Napoleon's last years, how he had hope for freedom, how he found ways to resist British rule, and how he was accompanied. It is hard not to get attached and I suspect that anyone who has a low opinion of the Emperor will have a difficult time not feeling sympathetic toward him either after reading this book or, perhaps, after reading the numerous memoirs about his stay at St Helena. The chapter before the last is especially touching with the last days of the Emperor recounted in details using the journal entries of his companions.

Overall, if this book does not provide you with the answer you are looking/hoping for, it does offer a credible theory, a compelling story, and a feeling of proximity to Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French. And that alone, my friends, makes it worth your time.

[Neil Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I first read this book about twenty years ago and remembered having enjoyed it so I pulled it off the shelf to read again. Even better this time. Weider and Hapgood do a great job telling the true story of a Swedish sleuth who not only discovered the existence of one of the most impactful crimes in history but actually solved it too.

[Hana · Rating 2 out of 5]

توقفت عن قراءة الكتاب عند صفحة ٨٩ بسبب الترجمة غير الواضحة ولكن سأعاود قرائته ، اعجبني الكتاب لانه اثار فضولي حولي الثورة الفرنسية ونابليون بونابرت

[Chantal E. R. H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up randomly on Bookmooch. It's a non-fiction medical mystery about how Napoleon really died on St. Helena. An eccentric dentist comes across the memoirs of Napoleon's faithful servant Marchand, and becomes convinced that Napoleon died not only from arsenic poisoning, but that he was murdered by one of his small, faithful entourage who had followed him into exile. The book tracks the dentist's steps to try to prove his theories and Napoleon's last years alive on the dismal island of St. Helena. I'm a little over half way done with the book and am thoroughly enjoying it. It's a very quick read and has rekindled my past interest in Napoleon. It's a very fun whodunit. I have not reached the part yet where the dentist unveils whodunit, but I think I can guess. While the book might be a bit obvious and the writing rather elementary, if you like historical non-fiction mysteries and/or Napoleon, I definitely recommend it.

ETA: Finished 3/18/12. My opinion pretty much remains the same.

[Micaylah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a riveting book. It took me a while as I was in pain and unable to concentrate.

The double time shift was fascinating and kept one in sync with the timeline. Almost scary in it's accuracy. Although there is confirmed evidence of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer as the cause of death, I do wonder about the conclusions found of wavering amounts of arsenic.

Understandably there was probably arsenic to be found in everybody in this era but I suspect it would be mostly a fairly even finding should other people be autopsied in the fashion that Napoleon was.

I would like to see the citations of evidence of high arsenic when he was a child. How did they come across this finding in current findings? I believe th yes he probably dies of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer as the cause of death; but I believe that there may have been other work at play here.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting history. What we had always thought of Napoleon dying of natural causes in his imprisonment under the British actually turned out to be poisoning from one of his own staff. The funny thing about this discovery is that it was uncovered by a gym manager in Canada and a Doctor in Sweden (or something). They were just huge history buffs and read a lot about Napoleon and started communicating with each other about details of the man's history that didn't add up.

[Rob Markley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly convincing conspiracy story... nevertheless the evidence is a slanted and the verdict is still uncertain. In any case there is little relevance unless like Weider you are an avowed Napoleon worshiper

[Nancy Noble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for my book group - I learned a lot! I wasn't very engaged with the book, although it did remind me of an Agatha Christie "who done it"

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know that some do not agree with the facts stated in this book, but to me it shows complete proof that Napoleon was poisoned on orders from the French government. There is just too much evidence showing the murder. The facts have been suppressed by the French because it would be an embarrassment, especially because it was done by someone who was one of the staff of Napoleon who was there with him. The English, too, do not wants the facts known - he was their prisoner. Many years ago, before this book came out (along with "The Assassination of Napoleon"), I wondered how Napoleon, who was still young and healthy, would suddenly become ill and die. His symptoms were not those of cancer, the official cause of death. This is a very interesting book, a must for history buffs. It goes back and forth between the discovery by Sten Forshufvud of the poisoning in the late 20th century and the life of Napoleon on St Helena. The end of Napoleon is very sad, sick and dying with only a few followers....

[Cleopatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book alternates between historical fiction then modern day investigation then back to historical fiction, etc. It was absorbing as to the theories as to Napoleon's death, and is a riveting read. Highly recommended if you can get a copy.

[Alexander Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an entertaining book! It's a murder mystery about the death of one of the most famous people in history. While I'm not certain I buy all of the authors' conclusions, I thought the writing style was excellent.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, not buying the murder theory.

It's such a comforting idea, though, to us Napoleon buffs. A man as powerful and larger-than-life as Napoleon surely could not have died of natural causes! He must have been murdered, right?

Well... no. He died of stomach cancer, just like his father and one of his sisters. The levels of arsenic in his hair were not unusual for the nineteenth century, as things like medication and wallpaper had arsenic in them.

I read this book and enjoyed it, but I ultimately reject the authors' theory. Certainly read the book, but do your research and form your own conclusions.

[J.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find these type of conspirational books fascinating, and truth be told, I think Ben Weider (yes, the Ben Weider of all those Muscle magazines, and the same Ben Weider who unleashed Arnold Schwarzenegger on the rest of us), made a very convincing argument that Napoleon Bonaparte was poisoned.

[Heribert Feilitzsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best popular history I have ever read! This book moves back and forth between the times of Napoleon and the forensic historian trying to uncover the cause of his death. The book is short yet amazingly well researched and brilliantly written. What are you waiting for?

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became interested in this book and its theories after hearing about it from the Napoleon podcast. Even if later investigation casts doubt on the murder theory, the book details Napoleon's last years very well. Worth reading for the history alone.

[norman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is an easy read, and an interesting investigation. My problem with the book was the lack of citations, I did not know what was the author's reconstruction and what was true.

[Michael Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The murder conspiracy aside Weider presents a stunning and vivid portrait of Napoleon in exile.

[Bart Everson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's pretty good, but the author repeats himself needlessly.

[Margaret Fast · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Intriguing story. Made me look up some more history of that era and of Napoleon.
Penultimate chapter was a drag.