NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA

by Paul Fleuriot- Ed. de Langle ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 24, 1952

Never published before, this diary of General Henri Gratien Bertrand, Grand Marshall of the Palace on St. Helena, and for five years one of Napoleon's closest aides, is a rather graphic account of the last five months, January to May, 1821, of the Emperor's life. Very down to earth in his reporting, General Bertrand records pretty well a lot of Napoleon's regret and remorse over lost battles, political mistakes, unsatisfactory personal relationships, writing a lot of it down as it was actually spoken- his style uncovered by conventionalism. Much of the diary is concerned with Napoleon's last few days, his awful suffering and ignominious death from cancer. The description here is often minutely clear of the Emperor's hourly physical changes and the interwoven mental attitudes- a treat for the psychology student or the lover of the lurid. de Langle has done a good job of editing and translating this fortunate addition to the annals of Napoleon- which will probably reach more than the historically minded because of its mild dose of gore.

Pub Date: April 24, 1952

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1952

Categories: NONFICTION