Napoleon's Library: The Emperor, His Books and Their Influence on the Napoleonic Era

Napoleon Bonaparte held absolute political power in France and his influence stretched across Europe and beyond.Yet he remained - between leading his armies and ruling over a vast empire - an indefatigable reader who even carried libraries into battle. Bonaparte’s love of the written word, birthed in childhood and nurtured as an adolescent and young adult, never left him.He was a lover of literature for its own sake - often swooning over melodramatic love stories - but he also understood the value of books as instruments of power.Before his campaigns, he poured over dozens of texts relating to the relevant theatres’ geography, population, trade, and history.When contemplating grave decisions, such as his divorce to Empress Josephine, he consulted the historical record for useful precedents to justify and inform his actions.To bolster his troop’s morale during challenging times, he constantly referenced history in his proclamations, making his contemporaries feel as if they were activel