Napoleon and his Family: The Story of a Corsican Clan

Book excerpt: First published in 1927, this book represents Volume I in a series of three volumes. It covers the Napoleonic period of 1769 through to 1809: from his beginnings in Corsica to battle in Spain. “It is impossible to understand fully the drama of the life of Napoleon without taking into consideration two factors, practically ignored by historians, which had a decisive bearing upon his career: his physical heritage, and the influence of his family. “The fame of Napoleon has so overshadowed that of his brothers and sisters that their influence on his career has generally been overlooked. Without disregarding the other cause, which was largely beyond his control, it may be said that the downfall of Napoleon was mainly due to the members of his family, whom he had raised so high, who by their shortcomings and their transgressions became the agents of his decline. “We propose to set forth in these pages the part for which the Family was responsible in the events which brought about the crumbling of the highest fortune that the world has ever seen upraised. “In this drama of Napoleon and His Family there are over twenty persons who take the subordinate roles, and occupy the stage beside the principal actor, but the character of Napoleon dominates the entire play. This, then, is not a life of Napoleon: not a history of his campaigns: not a record of his civil administration—it is only the story of the Family, as it influenced his designs, his acts, and his destiny.”