Memoirs of the Life, Exile, and Conversations of the Emperor Napoleon (Vol.

Emmanuel-Augustin-Dieudonné-Joseph, comte de Las CasesProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.0
Word count
859K words
Chapters
86

Tags

English Originals World HistoryHistorical Figures Historical ReappraisalMilitary StrategyPortrait GalleryPower GameAntiheroYears of ExileMemoirNapoleonic Era

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Memoirs of the life, exile, and conversations of the Emperor Napoleon. (Vol. Author: Las Cases, Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné, comte de, 1766-1842, Language: English, Class: DC: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: France, Andorra, Monaco, Release Date: Jan 16, 2017

Editor's review

This volume is one part of Count Las Cases's memoirs recording Napoleon's words and deeds during his exile on Saint Helena, and ranks among the most influential intimate sources for Napoleonic studies. Las Cases accompanied Napoleon into exile and recorded his dictations; the book contains both Napoleon's retrospectives on his campaigns, politics, and personnel and a wealth of everyday conversation and domestic detail, shaping many later perceptions of Napoleon. Its value lies in its close-up presentation of Napoleon's self-narration and self-justification, allowing readers to observe how he explained defeat, judged rivals, and arranged his historical memory. At the same time, readers must recognize that the record was filtered and shaped by the recorder and carries a clear defensive stance; it should not be taken directly as objective testimony. It suits scholars of Napoleonic history, readers of modern French history, and those interested in oral sources and the politics of memory. The English translation gives general history enthusiasts easy access, but given the scale of the volumes, thematic reading is advisable, checked against other accounts.

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Reading tips

  1. First grasp the basic facts of Napoleon's exile on Saint Helena, then enter the book's conversational records.
  2. Read thematically—e.g., campaign retrospectives, political commentary, daily life—rather than page by page throughout.
  3. While reading, note Las Cases's editorial hand and distinguish Napoleon's words from the narrative frame.
  4. Compare with other contemporary memoirs or later scholarship to test the record's bias.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

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FAQ

Was this book written by Napoleon himself? No. It was recorded and compiled by Count Las Cases, who accompanied Napoleon into exile; the content derives largely from Napoleon's dictation and daily conversations, then edited by Las Cases. It therefore carries the recorder's filtering and defensive stance and should be used as an intimate source rather than an autobiography.
Can reading only this volume give the complete content? This book is one volume of the memoirs, and the materials do not state the total number of volumes or each volume's scope. Reading it alone yields partial records but makes the whole hard to grasp. It is advisable first to confirm the volume number and content scope, then decide whether other volumes are needed.
Can the accounts in the book be quoted directly as historical fact? They should not be taken directly as objective historical fact. Napoleon's dictation carries self-justification and image-making intent, and Las Cases's editing may involve additions or omissions. Researchers should treat it as a text reflecting stance and memory and judge it after comparison with other sources.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Emmanuel-Augustin-Dieudonné-Joseph, comte de Las Cases Author · French · 1766–1842

Las Cases, Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné, comte de (1), whose full name was Emmanuel-Augustin-Dieudonné-Joseph, comte de Las Cases, was a French nobleman and historian. Born in Languedoc in 1766, he died in 1842. He is best remembered for accompanying Napoleon into exile on Saint Helena and serving as his secretary; from their conversations he compiled the Memoirs of the life, exile, and conversations of the Emperor Napoleon, published in 1823. Written as a first-hand record of the exile years, the work helped shape the enduring legend of Napoleon and secured its author a place in historical writing. The library holds four of his works, all centred on Napoleon's life, exile and conversations, combining memoir and oral history. He was later elected a member of the Chamber of Deputies. Public information is limited, so further biographical details are omitted.