THE REAL NAPOLEON - THE UNTOLD STORY

AVAILABLE NOW!

I am delighted to announce that my book The Real Napoleon - The Untold Story has just been released as a PAPERBACK and as a new second edition KINDLE version. Both incorporate a totally new Appendix of 6,000 words making 80,000 words in both cases.

 For details of the paperback version please go to:-

https://www.createspace.com/4131957

The front cover of the book (and the same cover is used in the Kindle version) shows a young Napoleon in Egypt in a painting by Gerome at the the dawn of his amazing career. I added the starburst using Gimp to signify the Enlightenment and Napoleon's love of knowledge.

On the back cover is a portion of Earnest Croft's superb The Evening at Waterloo (1879). Here the redoubtable Old Guard try to stem the tide after the arrival of the Prussians and the retreat of the Middle Guard repelled by Wellington's men who had been able to consolidate their forces after those 45,000 Prussians came to their aid. Once more I have Gimped in a starburst - in this case it serves both as a shellburst and as a symbol of sunset as Napoleon's fabulous Empire drew to a close.

CONTENTS

Preface

1.   THE REAL NAPOLEON

2.   NAPOLEON'S ACTS OF GENEROSITY AND KINDNESS

3.   ENGLAND'S WARS AGAINST NAPOLEON

4.   ENGLAND'S UNLIKELY HERO - NAPOLEON

5.   COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART ONE

6.   COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART TWO

7.   COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART THREE

8.   COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART FOUR

9.   COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART FIVE

10. NAPOLEON AND RUSSIA

11. MARCH OR DIE: THE RETREAT OF 1812

12. ASHES TO ASHE: VOLCANOES AND NAPOLEON

13. NAPOLEON AND THE ENGLISH PRESS GANG

14. THIS SEPTIC ISLE: BRITAIN IN THE EARLY C19TH

15. NAPOLEON THE TAMBORA ERUPTION AND WATERLOO

16. HAIRSAY AND HERESY: THE MURDER OF NAPOLEON

APPENDIX

IMPORTANT NAMES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The book is dedicated to the memory of Ben Weider

the founder of the International Napoleonic Society

(1923-2008)

C.  January 2013 John Tarttelin 

FINS (Legion of Merit)

THE REAL NAPOLEON - ON SMASHWORDS

THE REAL NAPOLEON - THE UNTOLD STORY

 

THE REAL NAPOLEON is now available on Smashwords, all 74,000 words for only $4-99.

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CONTENTS

                            PREFACE                                                                                                    

CH 1                  THE REAL NAPOLEON                                                                               

CH 2                  NAPOLEON’S ACTS OF GENEROSITY AND KINDNESS                       

CH 3                  ENGLAND’S WARS AGAINST NAPOLEON                                              

CH 4                  ENGLAND’S UNLIKELY HERO – NAPOLEON                                         

CH 5                  COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART ONE                                                  

                           A WRETCHED BEGINNING

CH 6                  COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART TWO                                                 

                            A BAND OF BROTHERS

CH 7                  COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART THREE                                             

                           STARING DEATH IN THE FACE

CH 8                  COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART FOUR                                               

                           FIRE AND ICE IN RUSSIA

CH 9                  COIGNET OF THE GUARD: PART FIVE                                                

                           WATERLOO

 

CH 10               NAPOLEON AND RUSSIA                                                                         

CH 11               MARCH OR DIE: THE RETREAT OF 1812                                            

CH 12               ASHES TO ASHES: VOLCANOES AND NAPOLEON                            

CH 13               NAPOLEON AND THE ENGLISH PRESS GANG                                   

CH 14               THIS SEPTIC ISLE: BRITAIN IN THE EARLY C19TH                        

CH 15               NAPOLEON THE TAMBORA ERUPTION AND WATERLOO           

CH 16               HAIRSAY AND HERESY – THE MURDER OF NAPOLEON               

                          IMPORTANT NAMES                                                                                  

                             BIBLIOGRAPHY        

Smashwords ISBN:9781465953025

C. 2012 John Tarttelin

A SOULADREAM PRODUCTION

                                                                                    

VIVE L'EMPEREUR No 4

THE BEST NAPOLEONIC MAGAZINE

I am delighted to announce the publication of the fourth edition of this superb magazine edited and mostly written by my esteemed colleague Pascal Cazottes. It includes a very comprehensive article on the First Italian Campaign with superb maps and illustrations, many unusual ones from Pascal's own fantastic collection; an article on Jean Amans Biron, 'forgotten by history'; an article comparing and contrasting Napoleon with Caesar and Alexander; Heine's great poem The Two Grenadiers; an account of the Battle of Saalfeld, October 10th 1806; an article on Antoine Fourcoy (1755-1809) and medicine during the time of the First Empire; book reviews and much more!

There are 100 pages in this beautifully illustrated magazine and it is the best yet from a stable of unrivalled Napoleonic writers.

C. 2012 John Tarttelin

 A SOULADREAM PRODUCTION

THE REAL NAPOLEON - THE UNTOLD STORY

THE REAL NAPOLEON

I very much regret to say that my book will  not now be published by The History Press here in England and I shall explain why. Last December I sent them the text and illustrations. They agreed to publish the book in January 2012 within the year. I then heard absolutely nothing for five months. When they got in touch they had 'lost' most of the illustrations I had sent them previously and I had to send them yet again. I sensed then that something was not quite right with them.

But what really surprised me was when they added an Appendix to my book without my permission and without even consulting me about it. They accepted my book for publication on its own merits and then started claiming that it would be better if an Appendix from another of their publications was stuck on the end claiming that Napoleon died of cancer because some Swiss doctor claimed he could tell this by measuring how baggy Napoleon's trousers were that he wore on Saint Helena.

This was an ridiculous out-of-date theory that Jean-Claude Damamme reduced to tatters on the INS website back in 2008. My book was written to honour the memory of Ben Weider who spent 50 years proving that Napoleon had been poisoned. Despite having accepted my book The History Press then told me that none of their team believed that Napoleon had been poisoned. It was thus very obvious that they had an agenda of their own. When I said I was very unhappy with their 'Appendix' they told me they wanted me to wrote a reply to it! In other words, many hours of work without a penny being offered for my trouble. As it is I wasn't due to get a cent from them before March 31st 2013!

Their arrogance and lack of common courtesy beggered belief. They were clearly in breach of contract as 'The Work' stipulated in the contract was my 74,000 book - without their risible and unscholarly Appendix. I also discovered when they finally sent me the Proofs - after eight months - that they had cut over 3,000 words from my book, again without consultation and certainly without my permission. Their butchering of my text saw whole sentences and paragraphs in favour of Napoleon eviscerated or expunged - completely changing the character of my book, a book that was written in favour of the Emperor in reply to dozens that told lies or made pathetically one-sided and negative assertions against him.

I told them I would not allow them to publish their version of MY book and demanded that they reinstate whole chunks of text they had so cavalierly 'removed'. After over six weeks (promptness is certainly not a virtue that The History Press subscribe to) I finally received today a terse reply wishing me luck with another publisher. Good riddance to bad rubbish I say. I stopped selling The Real Napoleon on Amazon Kindle for several months in the expectation they would publish my book so I have actually lost money due to the overmighty self-opinion of their editorial team.

It would have been a dishonour to Ben Weider's  memory to allow tripe to be added to my work even as an 'Appendix'. Naturally, it is a very big disappointment and I feel completely duped and grievously let down by The History Press who presumed I would agree to anything being published as if I was bent on a personal ego-trip of my own. There is such a thing as honour  - something they know nothing about.

THE REAL NAPOLEON will soon be back on sale on Amazon Kindle. It is already available - the whole work that The History Press tried to censor - on Smashwords. I shall also put it on Scribd.com and YouScribe as soon as possible.

I am very sorry to disappoint the dozens of people who have so kindly told me they were looking forward to buying a copy of my book. Naturally, I shall try with a more reputable publisher in the near future.

BUST UP AT THE BOWES MUSEUM

BUST UP AT THE BOWES

The Bowes Museum not only has some excellent Napoleonic paintings, there are also a series of interesting busts of both 'sides' in the post-Revolutionary struggle for power in France. But I make no apologies for beginning with a full frontal image of the Bowes itself:) I have included postal and location details for I would strongly recommend a personal visit to this exquisite museum. For tourists and travellers to the North of England this venue is a must. There is the added attraction of nearby Barnard castle itself and Hadrian's Wall is within comparatively easy reach.

In the bust by Chaudet, the Emperor is around 40 years of age. His hair was beginning to thin but he pepped up his physique by taking up dancing with his new bride Marie Louise of Austria and liberally doused himself in cologne to add to his unique magnetic charisma. He was now growing somewhat plump, far different from the skeletal figure that first saw fame when he kicked the British navy out of Toulon. Coignet said that Napoleon had the hands and feet of a model, they were of such perfection, even as he piled on the pounds elsewhere.

Louis Napoleon became King of Holland in 1806 and was rather too independent for his famous brother's liking, thus he abdicated in 1810. He was the fifth surviving child and fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. He died in 1846 and his son later became Napoleon III.

Pauline was the most loyal of Napoleon's brothers and sisters and was the only one who visited him when he was on Elba. She was, in South Yorkshire patois "A warm 'un" and it has been said that had he taken her to Russia in 1812 she could have worn out the whole Russian Army all by herself. Her weapons were not of the martial kind but they could be even more effective. Here above are her busts...

NOW FROM THE DARK SIDE

Louis XVIII was no matinee idol from central casting. He weighed so much that no horse could carry him. A servant once took off his socks and found part of his toes coming off with them. However, he still considered Napoleon beneath him - good job he wasn't, he would have been crushed to a pulp - regarding himself as King by divine right.

If Louis fancied himself, his younger brother d'Artois thought HE was the bee's knees. He was enraged by the fact that Napoleon became the ruler of France and did everything in his power to remove him from power. D'Artois was behind a string of assassination attempts upon Napoleon's life while he idled away his time in exile in Britain at the expense of his hosts. English gold also paid for his murderous machinations on the Continent. He finally had Napoleon murdered on Saint Helena. When he became King Charles X he proved to be a lousy ruler himself.

MORE IMAGES OF THE MAN WHO MURDERED NAPOLEON

The face that launched a thousand shits...

Well, assassins anyway. Despite the repeated attempts upon his life, Napoleon would not lower himself to respond in kind. It isn't as if Louis XVIII was a small target...

The Bowes Museum has recently been reorganized and is the best it has ever been. There are hundreds of paintings, the above busts and more, and many other fascinating aspects of English and French history. You should get to see them at least once in your life.

Copyright 2012

JOHN TARTTELIN

A SOULADREAM PRODUCTION

VIVE L'EMPEREUR! No.3

I am very pleased to announce the publication of the third edition of VIVE L'EMPEREUR! magazine. It is another tour de force by its editor Pascal Cazottes. It includes a fascinating article on Napoleon's last days on the island of Saint Helena and his murder by Montholon as well as articles on Oudinot, Napoleon's ill-fated son and Napoleon's own early military exploits between 1793 and 1795. The magazine has many rare and beautiful illustrations many from Pascal's own vast collection.

Pascal Cazottes Editor and Member of the SNI (Legion of Merit)

C. John Tarttelin 2012

A SOULADREAM PRODUCTION

THE REAL NAPOLEON: The Untold Story - ILLUSTRATIONS

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