author
Henry Houssaye
1848–1911
A lively French historian and man of letters, best remembered for bringing the drama of Napoleon’s era to a wide audience. His books mixed careful research with a vivid narrative style that helped make military history popular beyond academic circles.
1 Audiobook
Cleopatra: A Study
by Henry Houssaye
About the author
Born in Paris in 1848, Henry Houssaye was the son of the writer Arsène Houssaye. He first wrote about the ancient world and Greek history, then served with distinction in the Franco-Prussian War before building a literary and journalistic career.
He later became known above all for his studies of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period, especially works on 1814, 1815, and Waterloo. Alongside his historical writing, he worked with major French literary journals and was elected to the Académie française in 1894.
Houssaye died in 1911, but his books remained widely read for years afterward. Readers still return to him for history that feels energetic and story-driven while staying grounded in serious scholarship.