Eugenie and Napoleon III

by David Duff

Fine/Near Fine. First Edition. Some light rubbing on the DJ.

Genres: France, History

308 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Sisi]

Good, easy reading but the story was kind of terrible. The plot progressed too quickly, as well.

[Daniel Swanger]

1852 to 1870--Eighteen years of romantic delirium! "How quickly had that Imperial star faded!" commented one contemporary--others would say, "the poor Empress!" as she fled the soon-burning Tuileries and went into exile, avoiding the fate of her alter-ego Marie-Antoinette. Napoleon was not exactly a parvenue, as he called himself to the new National Assembly, in explaining his planned marriage to a Spanish countess instead of a European royal--but that same assembly had been put into a penitentiary like his own first coup d'Etat lesson to pay for his last and successful one--making him, among aristocrats especially, a non-legitimist monarch as illegal one, noted in Henry James' 'The American' among those who might prefer "clever Bonapartes to stupid Bourbons." This dual biography, the best of its kind, is yet written romantically like its subject with chapter headings such as The Bride's Story and ignoring the adventurer and the cultural aspects so important in this empire and its era--this sovereign government made possible French supremacy in fashion so popular in the United States along with French fine art to make France now the world's top cultural tourism destination--kultur, like Bismarck's ironic trap for Louis Napoleon in 1870 to 1871, without whom the French Second Empire would still be with us.

[Ian Chapman]

A detailed yet accessible double biography. The humane nature of the emperor is shown particularly. For example, on being shown new british agricultural methods he asked where the birds would go without hedgerows. Empress Eugenie is shown sympathetically in old age, going outside to watch ww1 zeppelin raids, a modern and active old lady in exile in England helping with wartime nursing.

From an historical perspective it may gloss over their failings, but the quite positive style makes for an enjoyable read.

[Alexandra]

Reread it after 30 years and enjoyed as much second time around. It's really more Eugénie's story than Napoleon III, but informative and very well referenced. Extensive bibliography makes for interesting reading list in the near future :-)