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The Wars Against Napoleon

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My friends Michel Franceschi and Ben Weider have written an important new book that corrects the record on much of Napoleonic history. Click on the image to buy it on Amazon.com.

Here is an excellent review of the book:

Michel Franceschi & Ben Weider. The Wars Against Napoleon: Debunking the Myth of the Napoleonic Wars. Published by Savas Beatie, distributed by Casemate, Jan. 2008.

c. 248p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-1932714-37-1. $32.95.


According to these authors, it is a myth of the Napoleonic wars that Napoléon was a megalomaniacal conqueror who bled Europe dry in order to satisfy his insatiable love for war. Certainly, such is the most widely printed and accepted description of Napoleon's motive. After all, history is written by the victors. In this book, however, retired French general Franceschi and Weider (coauthor with Sten Forshufvud, Assassination at St. Helena Revisited) present a compelling revisionist portrait of Napoléon as fundamentally pacifist. They base this on three sound themes: first, that the European monarchies were thoroughly opposed to the continuance of revolutionary France; second, that Napoléon made constant determined efforts to avoid the inevitable conflicts; and third, that Napoléon never declared war, as he himself stated in exile on St. Helena. In each of these areas the authors argue strongly, persuasively, and intellectually for what is, essentially, the other side of the usual story.

They will surely provoke debate within the historical community wherever there is interest in this period. Recommended for all libraries adding to their Napoleonic collections.


David Lee Poremba, Keiser Univ., Orlando, FL

School Library Journal

Breaking news! Napoleon for Dummies is soon to be published in Russian! It is due out in April. Watch this space for further details!

The Consortium on the Revolutionary Era held its annual meeting 1-3 March 2007 in Arlington, Virginia (near Washington, DC). The Consortium brings together some of the world's top scholars who specialize in that era of history and is not to be missed. I have been an active member since 1994 and chaired a session this year. This year we will meet in Huntsville, Alabama. For further information, please click on the link below.

Podcasts

Napoleon 101 (http://napoleon.thepodcastnetwork.com/) Join Cameron Reilly and me as we explore Napoleon’s life, his accomplishments and his legacy. Each episode runs a bit over an hour. We’ll be doing one each month or so far into the future.

Napoleon on the Nile (http://www.daheshmuseum.org/education/podcast.html) Here I talk about Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt and the Holy Land, tying my remarks to the exhibition at the Dahesh Museum of Art.

Napoleon and the Unification of Europe for my Napoleon for Dummies book on the Wiley website. (http://www.dummies.com/podcast/dummiespodcasts/16DummiesPodcasts.mp3 )

David's Dahesh Lecture The New Alexander: Napoleon in Egypt and the Holy Land

On Thursday, 21 December, 2006, I gave an illustrated lecture at the Dahesh Museum to compliment their exhibition on Napoleon's campaign in Egypt and the Holy land. Fifty people turned out to hear my hour talk, which I illustrated with 57 PowerPoint slides. I'm told that my talk was well-received, and I was certainly grateful for such a nice turnout just a few days before Christmas. My thanks to the Dahesh for giving me the opportunity.

David and his four boxes in the Dahesh exhibition. Click here to go to the Dahesh Museum of Art Webpage.

The Dahesh Museum of Art on Manhattan had a super exhibition entitled Napoleon on the Nile: Soldiers, Artists, and the Rediscovery of Egypt, from June through December, 2006. I was honored to contribute four snuffboxes to the exhibition. The exhibit mainly featured an amazing assortment of engravings that showed scenes of the campaign. Of special note were the large number of engravings from the Description of Egypt volumes that were produced by the artists Napoleon took with him. It was an honor to have the opportunity to make my small contribution to this great exhibit. If you've never been to the Dahesh, you must pay them a visit. It is a real gem of a museum!

John Welsh as General Rochambeau
Click here for more information on the
Fort Lewis Military Museum

The Friends of the Fort Lewis Museum was addressed on Sunday, 28 January, 2007 by Le Général Comte de Rochambeau, Commander of the French expeditionary Force sent to assist the American Revolutionaries in 1780.

Napoleonic Historical Society Executive Vice-President John Welsh has studied Rochambeau's life and experiences in America and has portrayed the General in numerous official commemorative events. His uniform is an exact copy down to the smallest detail, and includes several period parts. His presentation receives rave reviews wherever he goes.

For further information on the Fort Lewis Military Museum, please click on the photo.