Napoleon. In the privacy of a reign (D. Casali)

Historock alliant Histoire et rock), nous offre un nouvel ouvrage dans la collection « Les documents de l'Histoire » chez Larousse. Dimitri Casali, historian, specializing in popular history (former teacher and creator of the concept PTA Historock blending history and rock), offers us a new book in the series "Documents of History" at Larousse. Browse this book synthetic wonderfully realized, marvel at the abundance of illustrations, in your hands copies of genuine documents of the period (letters, engravings, bulletins of the Grand Army ...) and immerse yourself in the Napoleonic era where engineering model of a man impregnates France and sustainable Europe. From page to page, animations documents, discover or made ​​fun way to discover the epic of the Eagle.

Individual topics conventionally

The subject, Napoleon , is treated fairly standard. That is to say, a chronological presentation (birth in Corsica to his death at St. Helena) interspersed with thematic files are also all classics: the relationship to work, compared to women, conspiracies against his person, relationship with his siblings ... In short familiar themes by fans of the First Empire, but a coherent plan as part of a popular book such as this one. We do not have a thesis or a book on a specialized aspect of imperial history, but a general book on Napoleon intended to present the largest number that character. Besides the writing style is simple enough that anyone can easily plunge into it from the college. It passes easily from the pen of the author to numerous excerpts from the memoirs of contemporaries, or the writings of Victor Hugo .

A model masterful

If the treatment the subject is the classic presentation is her most original, entertaining and educational. Much attention is paid to the aesthetics of the work, with among others a magnetic flap to close the book such as shoeing the red ribbon drawn on it. But once the open book we can only note the care taken in the background pages always varied and adapted to the topic. The textures and participate in the immersion of the player in the world of Napoleon engravings, floor, brick wall, cloudy sky, smoke of battle, wallpaper apartments, cards, paper texture, table ... The book presentation helps it itself to awaken the reader's senses. There is also a multitude of illustrations, over 350 in 123 pages! This means that the reader always visualize what he reads, drawings of Job to Big or paintings of David while going through a multitude of lithographs, caricatures ... And of cards! For it very difficult to understand the Napoleonic campaigns without cards. However it is regrettable that the battle maps are systematically creationists, offering only one situation at a T-without actually making all the maneuvers. These maps are presented in small flaps to open, besides the book is full of these little animations. These are usually images that once raised or unfolded provide additional information or testimony on a subject discussed in this page: this may be the Mounted Rifles, the Mamluks, dress or of Napoleon's last words Lannes example. To these are added many flyers inserts with themes as varied relationship between Bonaparte and Letizia Marbeuf to the label of the imperial court. Finally there are about a hundred of these animations that can deconstruct (apparently) the book to make it more attractive because not presented as a "pad" but as a series of very short frame around a very synthetic .

We therefore hands a book simple, clear, accessible, beautifully illustrated and layout that will appeal to the novice but also inevitably perhaps the amateur of the First Empire, which, if not anything new , will always be happy to manipulate the facsimiles! It would not surprise me either that some of these facsimiles eventually framed over a collection of toy soldiers or next to a library full of books Tulard Pigeard, Lentz, Boudon ...

The Golden Legend of Napoleon?

The need to synthesize this kind of work, to dead ends, it is obvious. We can not say everything in 123 pages while including more than 300 illustrations. Besides the general public neophyte, most affected by this kind of book, surely grow tired quickly whether to read a detailed presentation of Napoleon. There are other books for that.

Nevertheless it sometimes seems to be a certain bias in the treatment subjects and in the choice of subjects through the cracks. And military campaigns are quickly packed, often around the description of a battle (eg Lodi for the first Italian campaign). It shows a great sense of speed of operations, each campaign is almost summarizing "I came, I saw, I conquered." Moreover we note that on the battle of Austerlitz is not taken into account work of Oleg Sokolov who showed that the battle plan was changed at the last moment and therefore the speech the day before that announcement while the workflow was rewritten after the victory. Speaking of victory we also note that those of Jena and Auerstadt qu'évoquées are part of the "lightning campaign" without a word of Napoleon's Marshal Davoust, who was in fact the winner of this final battle. With regard to the battles we also note that the defeat of St. John of Acre is not mentioned either (except in a line, but not on the expedition to Egypt, but the relationship Napoleon with his comrade Phélippeaux to military school in Paris). Indeed it is the whole Syrian campaign that is not treated, which allows not to mention the controversial subject of the massacres of Jaffa. We do not speak of reception of Napoleon's departure from Egypt by his soldiers and generals ... Similarly, if we talk about conspiracies, that of Cadoudal Moreau and Pichegru goes unnoticed. That which does not mention the direct result of this plot: the assassination of the Duc d'Enghien ...

There are many examples of this kind, on subjects too partially treated, including the Spanish Civil War. This war is too synthesized and so perhaps a little biased because if the Spanish guerrillas is presented not one word is said about the guerrilla against the French and its share of atrocities. Besides the context of the Spanish Civil War, why the French presence, is not really explained. The Spanish Civil War is presented as a victorious campaign of Napoleon whose profits were lost by his marshals incompetent after his absence.

The image of Napoleon is never really tested, even in his first relationship with Marie Waleska, presented as the most peaceful, which is what the sources do not necessarily agree ...

We believe

"Napoleon. In the intimacy of a kingdom "is a beautiful book that is certainly the pride of the golden legend of the Eagle but

Presention its spirit and its synthesis is a good tool to make it known to everyone, from college, this character

vital and charismatic of the History of France. And it's not in vain because this kind of work will have to replace the national education today conchie one who established high schools in 1802, Napoleon was no longer an optional character, treated only if the teacher wishes ... But Napoleon did not finished delivering his last battle, even if the

minimizes the government in education and memorial ceremonies (although we're right in the bicentennial of the Empire) it remains a popular subject of history , the novel, the comic , film, video games ...

Casali Dimitri, Napoleon. In the privacy of a reign , Larousse Editions Collection "Documents of History", in October 2011.