Art and Architecture Collection > Napoleonic Era: A Research Guide

Biographical Resources

Napoleon I

Wives and Family

Napoleon I

Gengembre, Gérard. Napoleon: The Immortal Emperor. New York: Vendome Press, 2003. (JFF 03-3292)
A visual survey of Napoleon’s life and career, and the many historical depictions and recreations made from his persona.

Giles, Frank. Napoleon Bonaparte: England’s Prisoner. London: Constable, 2001. (JFE 01-16801)
Surveys Napoleon’s life in exile on St. Helena, 1815-1821.

Hibbert, Christopher. Napoleon: His Wives and Women. New York: W.W. Norton, 2002. (JFE 03-9610)
A social historical evaluation of Napoleon’s complicated and often contradictory relations with women.

Horne, Alistair. The Age of Napoleon. New York: Modern Library, 2004. (JFC 04-1482)
Concise biographical summary of Napoleon’s influence on his times.

Johnson, Paul. Napoleon. New York: Viking, 2002. (JFD 02-14657)
A biographical examination of Napoleon’s political strengths and weaknesses.

Méneval, Claude-François, Baron de. Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, theCcourt of the First Empire. New York: P.F. Collier, 1910. (DGD Méneval)
A translation of Napoleon’s memoirs dictated to his court secretary; gives a sense of Napoleon’s own concern for how posterity should view his accomplishments.

Napoléon Bonaparte. Edited by Raymond and Loretta Obstfeld. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2001. (JFD 02-23187)
A terse summary of Napoleon’s career and influence in its broadest social context.

Ratcliffe, Bertram. Prelude to Fame: An Account of the Early Life of Napoleon up to the Battle of Montenotte. London: Warne, 1981. (JFD 82-3925)
Explores the childhood and youth of the future French emperor.

Wives and Family

DeLorme, Eleanor P. Josephine: Napoleon’s Incomparable Empress. New York: H.N. Abrams, 2002. (JFF 02-5405)
An examination of Josephine’s accomplishments as Empress, her personal influence, and relationship with Napoleon.

Epton, Nina C. Josephine; The Empress and her Children. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1975. (JFD 76-1261)
Biographical portrait with emphasis on her son and daughter by her first marriage, and their significance as Napoleon ’s stepchildren.

Erickson, Carolly. Josephine: A Life of the Empress. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999. (JFE 99-9336)
Focuses on the emotional highs and lows of Josephine’s life, and examines the social and moral conditions for well-born women of  pre- and post-Revolutionary France.

Markham, Felix. The Bonapartes. London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1975. (JFF 76-308)
Social history of the Corsican-born Bonaparte family: Napoleon’s formidable mother, his various siblings and their roles in Napoleon’s empire-building.

Normington, Susan. Napoleon’s Children. Wolfeboro Falls, NH: A. Sutton, 1993. (JFF 93-1816)
Examines the lives of Napoleon’s two stepchildren, his illegitimate children by various mistresses, and his short-lived heir, Napoleon II, known after his father’s fall as the Duke of Reichstadt and raised in the Austrian imperial court.

Palmer, Alan W. Napoleon and Marie Louise. London: Constable, 2000. (JFE 01-3633)
Biographical portrait of Napoleon’s second, political marriage to the young daughter of the Austrian Emperor, and the mother of his legitimate heir.

Seward, Desmond. Napoleon’s Family. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1986. (JFE 86-2223)
All all-embracing view of the Bonaparte family and their role in Napoleon’s development; treats Napoleon’s fierce family loyalty and the roles he wanted his various brothers and sisters to play in his empire.