author
Roustam
d. 1845
Kidnapped as a child and later brought into Napoleon Bonaparte’s service, this unlikely memoirist offers a rare close-up view of life inside the imperial court. His recollections stand out for their mix of adventure, loyalty, and firsthand detail from one of Europe’s most dramatic eras.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Tbilisi in 1783 to Armenian parents, Roustam Raza was taken from his home as a boy, sold into slavery, and eventually brought to Egypt. In 1798, he entered the service of Napoleon Bonaparte and became the emperor’s mamluk bodyguard and secondary valet, a role that kept him close to Napoleon for many years.
Because he was present during military campaigns and daily life at court, Roustam left behind a vivid eyewitness account of the Napoleonic world. His memoirs, published after his death, are valued less as polished literature than as intimate testimony from someone who saw major events from just a few steps away.
He died in Dourdan on December 7, 1845. Today, he is remembered both for his extraordinary life story and for preserving a personal, human view of Napoleon’s empire.