The Age of Napoleon (UNIVERSAL HISTORY) - Softcover

a short but vibrant account... a cultured, enjoyable introduction to the man and the mark he left on France. Horne sports his research lightly, the pigments of his narrative and illustration are vivid, the vignettes swiftly and confidently drawn (BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE)

Alistair Horne's The Age of Napoleon is a race through Napoleon's career, not such much as military leader as the maker of modern France. Horne gets the essentials of Napoleon right. (THE SPECTATOR)

A delightful book, brimming over with contagious enthusiasm for its subject... Horne writes with all the authority of one who knows his subject inside out, and his mastery of telling detail is admirable. (ADAM ZAMOYSKI SUNDAY TIMES)

Even those of us who think we know something about the period will find many delightful surprises... In short, it is the perfect read for someone who asks the question: apart from being a great general, what did Napoleon stand for? (MARK URBAN THE GUARDIAN)

Erudite, expert and unfussy, it tells you all you need to know about the modern world's first great dictator and places him in illuminating social and cultural context. (HAM AND HIGH)

Horne's consistently fascinating snapshot of this momentous time and place is compelling from start to finish. (EVERYTHING FRANCE)

excellent... deals with every aspect of the tyrant's career other than the brutal wars he imposed on his neighbours and indeed on his own people. (CLAUS VON BULOW CATHOLIC HERALD)

Accessible and an interesting read. (HERALD)

The lives of everyday citizens and important court figures from the tumultuous reign of Napoleon (HISTORY TODAY)

Alistair Horne begins his absorbing account by examining Napoleon¿s rise to prominence against the background of the French Revolution. He describes Napoleon¿s brilliance as a general and strategist, culminating in the Battle of Austerlitz, one of the greatest military campaigns of all times. He goes on to discuss the cultural achievements of the Napoleonic era both in France and abroad before charting Napoleon¿s downfall and his bitter defeat at Waterloo in 1815. The book ends with a discussion of Napoleon¿s legacy and the myths that have sprung up around this most controversial of French leaders. Horne¿s book is popular history at its very best ¿ a gripping narrative, enriched by fascinating anecdotes, told by one of the world¿s leading authorities on the subject.