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Napoleon Bonaparte: pocket GIANTS
In the space of less than 20 years, Napoleon turned Europe upside down. Rising from obscure origins to supreme power by a mixture of luck, audacity and military genius, he was able to harness the energies released by the French Revolution to resolve the internal problems which it had created, before turning his restless ambition to remodeling the political structure of the whole continent in a series of brilliant military victories. He was never able to finally subdue all his foreign enemies, and in the end they came together to bring him down; but by then it was impossible to restore what he had destroyed, or, in France, to destroy much of what he had created. The memory of his epic exploits, carefully refashioned during his last years in exile, haunted Europe for over a century, while the more distant effects of his career changed the whole destiny of the Americas and of the world.
- GenresHistory
128 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2015
About the author
William Doyle
157 books53 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
William Doyle FBA is a British historian, specialising in 18th-century France, who is most notable for his one-volume Oxford History of the French Revolution (1989).
He is one of the leading revisionist historians of the French Revolution, obtaining his doctorate from the University of Oxford with his thesis The parlementaires of Bordeaux at the end of the eighteenth century, 1775–1790.
He is also professor emeritus of history at Bristol University, a fellow of the British Academy and a trustee of The Society for the Study of French History.
William Doyle FBA is a British historian, specialising in 18th-century France, who is most notable for his one-volume Oxford History of the French Revolution (1989).
He is one of the leading revisionist historians of the French Revolution, obtaining his doctorate from the University of Oxford with his thesis The parlementaires of Bordeaux at the end of the eighteenth century, 1775–1790.
He is also professor emeritus of history at Bristol University, a fellow of the British Academy and a trustee of The Society for the Study of French History.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 26, 2020
“One day in 1816, Napoleon was talking to the Count de Las Cases, his fellow exile on Saint Helena, about Britain’s policies and his marriage with Marie-Louise. Suddenly, without seeming to remember that Las Cases was still there, he fell silent, “resting his head on one of his hands.” After a moment he rose and said, “What a novel my life has been!”
Gueniffey, Patrice. Bonaparte (Kindle Locations 98-102). Harvard University Press. Kindle Edition.
“As a novelist, I declare that no fiction writer would dare create such an improbable figure, because no reader would swallow it. Only the historical fact of his existence makes Napoleon’s story believable.”
Dietrich, William (2015-03-12). Napoleon's Rules: Life and Career Lessons from Bonaparte (Kindle Locations 124-125). Burrows Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Napoleon is the most written about historical figure. It’s estimated that between a quarter and a half a million books have been written about him in the two centuries since he died. The reason of this fascination with him is due to his extraordinary life and very complex personality.
William Doyle, a British Historian specializing in the French Revolution, decided to add to this colossal amount of books, with a very short one (128 pages) destined to those with no prior knowledge of the topic. I have read many biographies of Napoleon both in French and in English, some very short and some in multiple volumes. I have to admit that I wasn’t impressed by this book. First of all, like most British historians, Doyle has an anti-Napoleon bias. Without bothering to put him in his historical context, he presents Napoleon as a tyrant and a warmonger, implying that his enemies were peaceful and enlightened. A less biased author would have made an effort to present the reality of the world Napoleon inhabited. This was not an "Amnesty International friendly" world. This was a time where in the US (despite a very enlightened constitution) a president could be a slave owner, blacks were not considered us citizens (Dred Scott decision 1857) and where in Great Britain the idea of one man one vote was considered an aberration, Catholics were being discriminated against, slavery was still practiced, and a kid could be hanged for stealing an apple. And those were two of the most enlightened countries in the Western World. Russia was an absolute monarchy where 90 % of the people were slaves. Austria and Prussia were far from being models of Enlightenment, and in Spain the Inquisition was still alive.
Another thing that bothered me in the book is that the chronology jumps forwards and backwards which makes it difficult to follow the story. Bizarrely for a book destined for those with no prior knowledge, it requires some prior knowledge to be able to understand the story.
Not everything is bad though, the chapter introducing the French revolution was good. Good also were the author’s remarks on how the French were perceived by those they conquered. There are also some useful observations here and there in the book.
This is not a book I would recommend as an introduction to Napoleon when there’s a much better book catering to the same audience, David Bell’s Napoleon: A Concise Biography. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...)
Gueniffey, Patrice. Bonaparte (Kindle Locations 98-102). Harvard University Press. Kindle Edition.
“As a novelist, I declare that no fiction writer would dare create such an improbable figure, because no reader would swallow it. Only the historical fact of his existence makes Napoleon’s story believable.”
Dietrich, William (2015-03-12). Napoleon's Rules: Life and Career Lessons from Bonaparte (Kindle Locations 124-125). Burrows Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Napoleon is the most written about historical figure. It’s estimated that between a quarter and a half a million books have been written about him in the two centuries since he died. The reason of this fascination with him is due to his extraordinary life and very complex personality.
William Doyle, a British Historian specializing in the French Revolution, decided to add to this colossal amount of books, with a very short one (128 pages) destined to those with no prior knowledge of the topic. I have read many biographies of Napoleon both in French and in English, some very short and some in multiple volumes. I have to admit that I wasn’t impressed by this book. First of all, like most British historians, Doyle has an anti-Napoleon bias. Without bothering to put him in his historical context, he presents Napoleon as a tyrant and a warmonger, implying that his enemies were peaceful and enlightened. A less biased author would have made an effort to present the reality of the world Napoleon inhabited. This was not an "Amnesty International friendly" world. This was a time where in the US (despite a very enlightened constitution) a president could be a slave owner, blacks were not considered us citizens (Dred Scott decision 1857) and where in Great Britain the idea of one man one vote was considered an aberration, Catholics were being discriminated against, slavery was still practiced, and a kid could be hanged for stealing an apple. And those were two of the most enlightened countries in the Western World. Russia was an absolute monarchy where 90 % of the people were slaves. Austria and Prussia were far from being models of Enlightenment, and in Spain the Inquisition was still alive.
Another thing that bothered me in the book is that the chronology jumps forwards and backwards which makes it difficult to follow the story. Bizarrely for a book destined for those with no prior knowledge, it requires some prior knowledge to be able to understand the story.
Not everything is bad though, the chapter introducing the French revolution was good. Good also were the author’s remarks on how the French were perceived by those they conquered. There are also some useful observations here and there in the book.
This is not a book I would recommend as an introduction to Napoleon when there’s a much better book catering to the same audience, David Bell’s Napoleon: A Concise Biography. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...)
September 23, 2024
William Doyle provides a rapid-fire overview of the life and times of Napoleon Bonaparte as well as his influence on the Europe of his day. I found the book lucid and a wonderful primer for anyone interested in learning more about Napoleon and his conquests.
September 26, 2024
Don't like France.
November 30, 2025
Full review on TR.
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June 10, 2026I love to read what other people think about me
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews