Napoleon
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The Path to Power
Philip Dwyer
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Format: PaperPrice: $30.00
A major biography of the young Napoleon Bonaparte and his improbable rise to power
“A satisfying, psychologically convincing account of Napoleon’s early years. . . . Even-handed and authoritative.”—Adam Zamoyski, Sunday Times (London)
At just thirty years of age, Napoleon Bonaparte ruled the most powerful country in Europe. But the journey that led him there was neither inevitable nor smooth. This authoritative biography focuses on the evolution of Napoleon as a leader and debunks many of the myths that are often repeated about him—sensational myths often propagated by Napoleon himself. Here, Philip Dwyer sheds new light on Napoleon’s inner life—especially his darker side and his passions—to reveal a ruthless, manipulative, driven man whose character has been disguised by the public image he carefully fashioned to suit the purposes of his ambition.
Dwyer focuses acutely on Napoleon’s formative years, from his Corsican origins to his French education, from his melancholy youth to his flirtation with radicals of the French Revolution, from his first military campaigns in Italy and Egypt to the political-military coup that brought him to power in 1799. One of the first truly modern politicians, Napoleon was a master of “spin,” using the media to project an idealized image of himself. Dwyer’s biography of the young Napoleon provides a fascinating new perspective on one of the great figures of modern history.
Philip Dwyer is senior lecturer at The University of Newcastle in Australia. He is author or editor of numerous publications on Napoleonic Europe, and is currently writing a biography of Napoleon’s later years.
A candidate for the History Book Club
“. . . more than just a canter across familiar terrain…an attractive addition to the literature on one of the most controversial figures in modern European history”—Thomas Munch-Petersen, BBC History Magazine
“Remarkable . . . a satisfying, psychologically convincing account of Napoleon’s early years and ascent to power. Even-handed and authoritative, this fascinating and highly enjoyable book will be an eye opener even to those who think they know the subject well”—Adam Zamoyski, Sunday Times of London
"This is a marvelous book and undoubtedly the best biography of Napoleon for over a generation. Dwyer gives a freshness to familiar incidents and brings Napoleon and those around him to life as flesh and blood human beings. Truly excellent."—Adrian Goldsworthy, author of Caesar: Life of a Colossus
Publication Date: March 10, 2009
64 b/w illus. + 4 maps
