Napoleon: The Decline and Fall of an Empire 1811–1821

Oxford University historian Broers (Napoleon) delivers a granular history of Napoleon’s final decade. In 1811, the French ruler welcomed his first legitimate male heir, solidifying his hopes for establishing a European dynasty. From that high point, Boers meticulously tracks Napoleon’s decline as military missteps, an attempted coup, and deteriorating relationships with powerful allies, including his own father-in-law, Austrian emperor Francis I, sapped his power and influence and led to military defeat, abdication, and exile. Broers’s deep knowledge of the era is evident in his fine-grained recreations of such events as the breach birth of Napoleon II (a terrifying ordeal for the boy’s mother, Empress Marie-Louise), the burning of Moscow after Napoleon’s troops entered the city in 1812, and the Battle of Waterloo, but he makes little accommodation to readers not well versed in these events. Key players are referred to solely by last name, with few biographical or contextual details, and the narrative is dense with obscure military leaders, troop movements, and political intrigues. Still, those with the background and wherewithal to navigate Broers’s staccato prose will find a nuanced and insightful portrait of a once mighty ruler in decline. This impressive scholarly history is best suited for experts. Illus. (July)