Beyond the Ghetto Gates by Michelle Cameron In the first of a series on fiction that sheds light on Napoleon Bonaparte, I’m featuring Beyond the Ghetto Gates. This historical novel takes place in 1796, as twenty-seven-year-old Bonaparte, general in chief of the “Army of France in Italy,” sweeps through the northern Italian kingdoms, conquering all …
Here we are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, and too many of our leaders twist suffering and science into propaganda. Look back 220 years. You’ll find the same thing. For example, this painting of “Napoleon Bonaparte Visiting the Plague-Stricken in Jaffa,” by Antoine-Jean Gros (1771 – 1835), makes propaganda from a plague. In …
Under FINDING NAPOLEON, the latest about my historical novel; Under ABOUT, a bit about me and a photo gallery of my travels; Under PARIS, CORSICA, and ST HELENA, info about Napoleon in those locations; Under MARGARET’S BLOG, posts on Napoleonic topics, also accessible under Categories in the sidebar or in chronological order below. Enjoy!
This past December, headlines screamed “First Christmas Without Mass in Notre Dame Cathedral in Two Hundred Years.” What happened two hundred years ago both to interrupt and to reinstate that structure’s sacred use? The French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte. Tragically, the photo above explains why there wasn’t a mass in 2019. On April 15, the …
France After Napoleon’s Death: Even after Napoleon Bonaparte died in 1821, he still threatened the kings of Europe. By declaring himself an emperor, Napoleon had undermined the hereditary “divine right of kings.” Worse, he installed liberal, secular constitutions throughout Europe. And everywhere, Napoleon spread the French Revolution’s concept of “merit over birthright.” So Louis XVIII …
Finding Napoleon’s “Ashes” in Paris 179 Years Ago Read More »
In September, I spent three days in Montreal immersing myself in Napoleon Bonaparte with the Napoleonic Historical Society. As usual, the society’s annual conference was informative and entertaining. This year, the speakers covered a broad range of topics from war to art to political marriage to dueling etiquette. They examined Napoleon’s influence beyond France and …
Napoleonic Conference, Montréal, September 13 – 15, 2019 What Is the Napoleonic Historical Society? The Napoleonic Historical Society’s mission is “to study, share and stimulate interest in the history of the Age of Napoleon.” Members are a diverse group of people. Some are battle reenactors who can argue over every maneuver that won or lost a conflict. …
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Death Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on St Helena Island on May 5, 1821. The next day, Denzil Ibbetson (1775-1857) came to Longwood House to sketch the Emperor as his body awaited autopsy. Based on his drawings, Ibbetson painted the strikingly modern painting shown above. He gave the painting to Napoleon’s last rival, …
Commemorating the birthday of the Eaglet, Napoleon’s only legitimate son As reported on March 21, 1811, in the Paris journal Le Monitor, Napoleon Bonaparte’s son, the King of Rome (nicknamed the Eaglet), was born on March 20, 1811: “Today, 20 March, at twenty minutes past nine in the morning, the hopes of France were realized: Her …
Napoleon in Cuba at the Museo Napoleonica, Vibert’s painting of Napoleon Planning his coronation, correction to Finding Napoleon in Cuba Part 3
