#felix markham

[empirearchives]

“Historians of Napoleon are apt either to be fascinated into adulation by his personality or repelled by the spectacle of the millions of lives sacrificed to his ambition. Fortunately it is not the duty of historians to usurp the function of the Deity and to pass judgment on a man's life (though they are often tempted to do so), but to tell the truth. The Greeks would have understood Napoleon's story as a simple case of Hubris followed by Nemesis; and perhaps it is better to leave it at that. As a man, Napoleon was not particularly cruel, wicked or vindictive; his sins were on the heroic scale—the sins of pride. Even his enemies admitted that he waged war according to the accepted standards of his age.”

— Felix Markham, Napoléon and the awakening of Europe

[empirearchives]

“His genius was unbelievable. It is the most astonishing career that has been witnessed for the last thousand years. He was certainly the most extraordinary man I ever saw, and in my opinion the most extraordinary man that has lived for many centuries.”

— Talleyrand reflecting on the life of Napoleon after he died

Source: Napoléon and the awakening of Europe, by Felix Markham

[empirearchives]

Talleyrand quote about Napoleon after he died:

“His genius was unbelievable. It is the most astonishing career that has been witnessed for the last thousand years. He was certainly the most extraordinary man I ever saw, and in my opinion the most extraordinary man that has lived for many centuries."

Source: Napoleon and the Awakening of Europe by Felix Markham, published 1965

[empirearchives]

“In Germany, as in France, Italy and Spain, people long for equality and liberalism. The benefits of the Code Napoléon, legal procedure in open court, the jury, these are the points by which your monarchy must be distinguished. Your people must enjoy liberty, an equality unknown in the rest of Germany.”

— Napoleon to his brother, Jerome, who he made King of Westphalia

Source: Napoléon and the awakening of Europe, by Felix Markham

[empirearchives]

“Europe thus divided into nationalities freely formed and free internally, peace between States would have become easier: the United States of Europe would become a possibility.”

—Napoleon Bonaparte

[k-cha]

I just finished reading this book on Napoleon, written by Felix Markham in 1960.  In film school, when I learned that Stanley Kubrick had attempted to create a film based on the life of Napoleon and that he had read 500 books about his life, I was intrigued by this level of dedication.  When I decided to read this book, I was less interested in learning about Napoleon than trying to understand why Kubrick was so fascinated by him.  Sure people are familiar with Napoleon, but how much do they really know about his life and how he changed the world.  Kubrick ultimately was unable to produce his film for a variety of reasons which this article explains in detail, but it appears the script will be produced soon for T.V.  Personally, I was very impressed and saddened by how much I learned from this book, proving that other than a name, I knew very little about such an interesting and important man.  The book does leave some to be desired in that it is written for people that are already familiar with a great deal of Napoleon's life and simply attempts to discuss materials that had recently been discovered during that time.  Despite this, there is a great deal of information detailing his life, and considering how short the book is, if you are weary about dedicating yourself to 1000 pages then this more abridged version should give you an idea of what to expect from other texts available.  I certainly will be looking for a more detailed book about his life and recommend to anyone that has an interest in Stanley Kubrick or history in general, seek out this or any other book about the emperor.