Life Of Napoleon — Vol. I.

The life of Napoleon is etched still across the history of Europe, in the wars he waged, the dynasties that he toppled, and the laws he enacted. Even in an epoch rich in social change, from the bottom up he remains a fascinating figure; biographers face the challenge of doing justice to such a multi-faceted character. Few can have been said to have access to the Emperor as much as the generals that served under him throughout his many campaigns; General Jomini spent many year serving the Emperor and many more in the company of some of his enemies putting him in an excellent position to write his biography. Written as if by Napoleon himself, Jomini traces Napoleon’s political and military successes and failures, weaving them into a seamless narrative that makes his work one of the few rounded biographies of Napoleon.
This first volume covers Napoleon’s early years from birth in Ajaccio in Corsica to his ascent to the Consulship and the peace of Amiens in 1802.
Of the Author — General Jomini saw much service during the Napoleonic Wars, initially working in staff positions for Marshal Ney prior to being attached to the Emperor’s own headquarters during the 1806 and 1807 campaigns. He was pushed out of the Grande Armée into the arms of the Russian service in 1813, becoming aide-de-camp to the Tzar. He was famous for his copious output of works on the military theory and strategy employed during the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and even those of Frederick the Great. He is often remembered for his chef d’œuvre, the “Art of War”, and has been dubbed the “founder of modern strategy” by historian John Shy.
Author — General Baron Antoine Henri de Jomini (1779-1869)
Translator — General H. W. Halleck (1815-1872