Napoleon

The Man Behind the Myth

By: Adam Zamoyski

Narrated by: Leighton Pugh

Length: 27 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

A landmark new biography that presents the man behind the many myths. The first writer in English to go back to the original European sources, Adam Zamoyski’s portrait of Napoleon is historical biography at its finest.

Napoleon inspires passionately held and often conflicting visions. Was he a godlike genius, a romantic avatar, a megalomaniac monster, a compulsive warmonger or just a nasty little dictator?

Whilst he displayed elements of these traits at certain times, Napoleon was none of these things. He was a man and, as Adam Zamoyski presents him in this landmark biography, a rather ordinary one at that. He exhibited some extraordinary qualities during some phases of his life, but it is hard to credit genius to a general who presided over the worst (and self-inflicted) disaster in military history and who single-handedly destroyed the great enterprise he and others had toiled so hard to construct. A brilliant tactician, he was no strategist.

But nor was Napoleon an evil monster. He could be selfish and violent, but there is no evidence of him wishing to inflict suffering gratuitously. His motives were mostly praiseworthy and his ambition no greater than that of contemporaries such as Alexander I of Russia, Wellington, Nelson, Metternich, Blucher, Bernadotte and many more. What made his ambition exceptional was the scope it was accorded by circumstance.

Adam Zamoyski strips away the lacquer of prejudice and places Napoleon the man within the context of his times. In the 1790s, a young Napoleon entered a world at war, a bitter struggle for supremacy and survival with leaders motivated by a quest for power and by self-interest. He did not start this war but dominated his life and continued, with one brief interruption, until his final defeat in 1815.

Based on primary sources in many European languages, this magnificent audiobook examines how Napoleone Buonaparte, the boy from Corsica, became ‘Napoleon’, how he achieved what he did and how it came about that he undid it. It does not justify or condemn but seeks instead to understand Napoleon’s extraordinary trajectory.

©2018 Adam Zamoyski (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic Reviews

"Always elegant in style and original in analysis. Zamoyski, a master of the sources and of the culture and politics that created his subject, produces a fresh, nuanced, beautifully written, gripping, and outstanding biography of Napoleon that reveals him to be a triumph of luck and accident as much as the invincible genius of the legend." (Simon Sebag-Montefiore, author of The Romanovs and Jerusalem: the Biography)

"Napoleon is an out and out masterpiece and a joy to read." (Sir Antony Beevor, author of Stalingrad)

"A lifetime’s diligent research and profound thinking about Napoleon and his times has gone into this hugely readable, highly enjoyable and well-balanced biography. Zamoyski is at the top of his game as a biographer." (Andrew Roberts, Visiting Professor, Department of War Studies, King’s College, London) 

Better than Game of Thrones

Throughout this book I kept thinking it would make a brilliant series (although inevitably ruined by "dramatization"). Zamoyski fulfills his subtitle promise of making Napoleon human, as well as everyone around him. It's the best kind of informative well-written nonfiction - while raising the bar for the best kind of character-rich cohesive-plot fiction.

Iconoclasm gone too far

Zamoyski's stated intention is to expose the man behind the myth - but he merely does a demolition job on both. Dwelling in great detail on Napoleon's weaknesses and failures - but skating over his triumphs (Marengo, Austerlitz, Champaubert) and the code Napoleon - Zamoyski demeans his profession. This is a hatchet job - thinly disguised as history. To be avoided.

Impressive biography

I really enjoyed this most impressive biography, but would have enjoyed further detail on the ill-fated 1812 Russian campaign and Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.

A straight forward & detailed biography.

A roughly chronological account of Napoleon's life from late adolesence to the end of his career.

As the subtitle suggests, there is plenty of character detail based on accounts of his contemporaries and the man's own writing. A good addition to any collection of histories concerning European history.

As with his other readings, Leighton Pugh's naration is clear & generally excellent, if a little soporific in tone at times.

Worthwhile read

More battle focus would of been nice, but considering the book is so long, it's focus as a humanizing portrait of Napoleon is effective and helps paint a clear picture of the man throughout the highs and lows of his eventful life and as a general, ruler, and mortal.

A More Critical Biography

If you want a idolatry biography of Napoleon do not come here. This is a book that gives you new critical balanced information about Napoleons life, politics and military ambitions, without detracting from Napoleons colossal achievements.

A humanising account of a flawed but great man.

This is an excellent work on Bonaparte that seeks to avoid the mythologising tendencies of other authors. Nonetheless this warts-and-all account of his life and personality doesn’t not hide the greatness of his, albeit inconsistent, military, administrative, and political genius. This humanised version of his life makes me admire him more and his greatness and failings are contextualised carefully.

Well researched, written, and narrated and it is a compellingly-told story of the life of a man.

Excellent performance, compelling narrative

The author makes mention of Andrew Robert’s take on Napoleon’s life, however I found this book to have a more nuanced description of the early years in particular. The account of the Italian and Egyptian campaigns is detailed and yet contextualised. It does still portray very clearly the changes in character and personality over the transition to Empire.

Very good writing but perhaps not enough detail to cover adjacent characters that were of extreme importance to Napoleon in his later years.

The detail expected from Zamoyski

Anybody who has read Adam Zamoyski's works, expects a certain level of detail and easy accessibly, you will not be disappointed here.

Such an amazing listen 👍🏽

This was the longest Audiobook I had tackled, it was such a joy, well written and perfectly spoken. A very educational experience Thank you.

Fast Paced But Not Comprehensive

Count Zamoyski is an excellent writer and in my opinion has written the best book in popular history on the Napoleonic Wars - 1812. This book is good and provides an overview of the controversial upstart emperor, however there are details missing. Take count that this is 11 hours shorter than Andrew Roberts' biography. However, these can be supplemented with other books even by Zamoyski himself. The strangest thing is there is no conclusion or analysis, Napoleon dies and the book ends. What's the overall message from the author around the man himself? Something which is debated and constantly under contention even today. This is better than 'Napoleon the Great', Zamoyski although still a fan is more realistic and clearly not trying to sell a tagline. The magic cleary left Napoleon after 1810 and mistake after blunder cost him everything. In summary, to me the subject is fascinating and I have tried to devour every book on the subject on my path and clearly I recommend this book!!