
THE HISTORY OF NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE - BY - JOHN GIBSON LOCKHART - LONDON & TORONTO J.M. DENT & SONS LTD. NEW YORK E.P. DUTTON & CO
INTRODUCTION - [Lockhart, 1794-1854]
LIFE OF NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE
CHAPTER I - Birth and Parentage of Napoleon Buonaparte—His Education at Brienne and at Paris—His Character at this Period—His Political Predilections—He enters the Army as Second Lieutenant of Artillery—His First Military Service in Corsica in 1793.
CHAPTER II - Buonaparte commands the Artillery at Toulon—Fall of Toulon—The Representatives of the People—Junot.
CHAPTER III - Buonaparte Chief of Battalion at Nice—Fall of Robespierre—He is superseded—Buonaparte at Paris in 1795—The day of the Sections—Commands the Army of the Interior—Marries Josephine de Beauharnois—Appointed to the command of the Army of Italy.
CHAPTER IV - The Army of Italy—Tactics of Buonaparte—Battle of Monte Notte—Battle of Millesimo—Battle of Mondovi—Armistice of Cherasco—Close of the Campaign of Piedmont—Peace granted to Sardinia.
CHAPTER V - The French cross the Po at Placenza—The Battle of Fombio—The Bridge of Lodi—Napoleon occupies Milan—Resigns, and resumes his command—Insurrection of Pavia—Military Executions—The French pass the Mincio at Borghetto—Beaulieu retreats behind the Adige—Mantua besieged—Peace with the King of the Two Sicilies—The Pope buys a Respite.
CHAPTER VI - Wurmser supersedes Beaulieu—Jourdan and Moreau march into Germany, and are forced to retreat again—The Austrians advance from the Tyrol—Battle of Lonato—Escape of Napoleon—Battle near Castiglione—Wurmser retreats on Trent, and is recruited—Battle of Roveredo—Battle of Primolano—Battle of Bassano—Battle of St. George—Wurmser shut up in Mantua.
CHAPTER VII - Affairs of Corsica—Alvinzi assumes the Command of the Austrians on the Italian frontier—The three Battles of Arcola—Retreat of Alvinzi—Battle of Rivoli—Battle of La Favorita—Surrender of Mantua—Victor marches on Ancona—Despair of the Pope—Treaty of Tollentino.
A vivid portrait of the man who reshaped Europe, this biography blends contemporary observation with careful scholarship. Drawing on early‑twentieth‑century sources, the author follows Napoleon’s meteoric rise from a restless Corsican officer to the ruler who crowned himself emperor, capturing the energy and ambition that made him both feared and admired. The narrative stays grounded in the political and military realities of the era, offering listeners a clear sense of the forces that propelled his ascent.
Beyond the battlefield, the work explores the personality behind the legend—his relentless drive, moments of introspection, and the contradictions that defined his rule. Written from a British viewpoint, it balances admiration with critical distance, providing context for the myths that later writers would amplify. Listeners will come away with a nuanced understanding of Napoleon’s early triumphs and the complex legacy that continues to fascinate historians today.
Language
en
Duration
~19 hours (1145K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Taavi Kalju and the Online Distributed Proofreaders Europe at http://dp.rastko.net.
Release date
2006-01-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1794–1854
Best known for writing one of the great biographies in English, this sharp-minded Scottish critic, novelist, and editor helped shape 19th-century literary culture. His life was closely tied to Sir Walter Scott, whose story he told in a celebrated seven-volume memoir.
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