Napoleon: A Life

I became interested in Napoleon upon watching Ridley Scott's Napoleon (2023). I found it difficult to understand how a single man could spend so much time at war and conquering, yet have done so much to advance Western civilization. I also just didn't know much about Napoleon before watching the movie, and I found it hard to believe he could have lived such a large life and accomplished so much.

I had to know more.

I listened to the audio book version of this, which I checked out from my local library. I listened to it all at 2x speed. So it wasn't a particularly deep read. But it was an excellent way to gain a broad familiarity with the main points of the man's life.

A few items that stood out to me:

• How "cordial" relations were between warring heads of state. Much like today, it seems like geopolitics had a lot more to do with the personal relationships between leaders than other factors...something I find easy to overlook.
• The sheer number of troops involved in the Napoleonic wars. It's just difficult to imagine an army of over 100,000 men and who knows how many horses traipsing around Europe. And then so many of them dying. And then Napoleon being able to recruit tens and tens of thousands new soldiers on relatively short notice.
• Napoleon seems to have been an incredible leader. Somehow, he managed a coup and became emperor and convinced untold thousands of people to fight for his cause. Oh and then got exiled twice, but not executed. Whether good or bad, I can't say, but impressive. In a way, it seems easier today to influence the masses because of the internet. I'm curious about how leaders wielded power over vast swaths of territory in a time when communication was much more limited. Was it word of mouth? Reputation? Admittedly, I'd be more likely to fall in line if I heard tales of a 100k man army that was basically undefeated and that they'd come for my country or village unless we bent the knee.
• I find his political arc quite interesting. He started out in support of the French Revolution (being against the idea of a monarchy). And I must say I find it quite impressive that he managed to survive the revolution with his head still attached to his shoulders. But of course by the peak of his career, he declared himself a monarch. Quite the change of tune. Interesting that he claimed his authority of monarchy came from the people instead of from God.
• A scene where one of Napoleon's close friends (one of his commanders, I believe) was disemboweled by a canon shot and begged Napoleon to put him out of his misery, but Napoleon made a comment about how it's important to endure suffering all the way to the end and left him to die slowly.
• Napoleon's matter of factness. Pragmatism. His disdain for those suffering from what we'd probably call PTSD today.

I have definitely gained an appreciation for the greatness of Napoleon. Figures like him are rare and loom large. They are controversial. But one can't help but be in awe of them.