The past few days I have been choosing a number of illustrations for my book
The Real Napoleon: The Untold Story which will be published by The History Press later this year. There are a vast number of images associated with Napoleon but most have been seen many times before. Often, the same couple of dozen are repeatedly used by publishers. I think I have managed to find some that are rarely seen in British publications and a few that might not have been seen before in books this side of The Channel. The Meissonier below is not one I have included but it is still a lovely image.
As a confirmation of the enduring fascination that Napoleon excites throughout the world, here is a recent story from June 11th 2012 in
The Daily Telegraph in England:
SOLD, NAPOLEON'S ENGLISH HOMEWORK
"A rare letter in English by Napoleon has been sold at auction for £262,000, five times its estimate. The document went under the hammer in Fontainebleau and sold after a bidding war.
It was a homework exercise Napoleon sent to an English teacher for correction in 1816, while he was a prisoner on St Helena, and was sealed with the Imperial eagle wax stamp. The Osenat auction house said it was one of only three letters in English by Napoleon known to exist."
So, despite being beaten by Britain and the Prussians at Waterloo, and despite being an extremely reluctant prisoner on Saint Helena ( he had hoped for asylum in England's green and pleasant land ), the Emperor had the humility and common sense to want to learn the language of his jailers!
Here is another commonly used painting - but what a painting!
C. John Tarttelin 2012
A SOULADREAM PRODUCTION
