"Examination of predominantly primary sources focuses on discourses of women and women's issues in light of the prevailing view of the relationship between the physical and the moral in feminine bodies and minds. Burton discusses France's first national system of midwifery education, women's medicine and surgery, and medical law"--Provided by publisher.

Researched from genuine primary sources, this is the first book to explain and illustrate the organization, activities and personal stories of the female 'support staff' who played a major role in the day-to-day life of Napoleon's armies. The cantinières who accompanied Napoleon's armies to war have an iconic status in the history of the Grande Armée. Sutler-women and laundresses were officially sanctioned members of the regiment performing a vital support role. In a period when the supply and pay services were haphazard, their canteen wagons and tents were a vital source of sustenance and served as the social hubs of the regiment. Although officially non-combatants, many of these women followed their regiments into battle, serving brandy to soldiers in the firing line, braving enemy fire. This book is a timely piece of social history, as well as a colourful new guide for modellers and re-enactors. Through meticulous research of unprecedented depth and accuracy, Terry Crowdy dispels the inaccurate portrayals that Napoleon's Women Camp Followers have suffered over the years to offer a fascinating look at these forgotten heroines.

As a soldier and an emperor, Napoleon was ruthless and determined; as a lover, he showed the same single-minded ferocity.

Two vital works on Napoleon's sex life and relationships with women It can be no surprise that some two hundred years after the Napoleonic era there remains an abiding fascination with the man and everything he did. Even among the great there are few who can boast that their name has been given to an historical period. Napoleon rose from Corsican obscurity to become a general, First Consul of France and Emperor of the First Empire of France. He instigated what was probably the first 'world' war and was a military and administrative genius on a grand scale-the victor of dozens of battles and campaigns and the creator of systems which exist to the present day. Yet, inevitably, for all that he was a mortal man, and despite his soaring ambition, Napoleon was shackled, as most men are, to his physical impulses. Women were always central to Napoleon's life. He had a formidable mother and sisters. He took many lovers-from opera singers to Polish aristocrats-fathering children with some them. He courted and married the redoubtable Josephine Beauharnais and then, having divorced her, married the royal Marie Louise. This unique Leonaur volume brings together two noted works on the most intimate aspects of Napoleon Bonaparte's personality: his platonic, passionate, torrid, familial and enduringly loving relationships with the many women of his turbulent and varied life. Essential reading for all those seeking a fuller understanding of one of the most remarkable men ever to live. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

Researched from genuine primary sources, this is the first book to explain and illustrate the organization, activities and personal stories of the female 'support staff' who played a major role in the day-to-day life of Napoleon's armies. The cantinières who accompanied Napoleon's armies to war have an iconic status in the history of the Grande Armée. Sutler-women and laundresses were officially sanctioned members of the regiment performing a vital support role. In a period when the supply and pay services were haphazard, their canteen wagons and tents were a vital source of sustenance and served as the social hubs of the regiment. Although officially non-combatants, many of these women followed their regiments into battle, serving brandy to soldiers in the firing line, braving enemy fire. This book is a timely piece of social history, as well as a colourful new guide for modellers and re-enactors. Through meticulous research of unprecedented depth and accuracy, Terry Crowdy dispels the inaccurate portrayals that Napoleon's Women Camp Followers have suffered over the years to offer a fascinating look at these forgotten heroines.

A sweeping novel about the extraordinary woman who captured Napoleon’s heart, created a dynasty, and changed the course of history—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Traitor's Wife, The Accidental Empress, and Sisi “I absolutely loved The Queen’s Fortune, the fascinating, little-known story of Desiree Clary—the woman Napoleon left for Josephine—who ultimately triumphed and became queen of Sweden.”—Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls As the French revolution ravages the country, Desiree Clary is faced with the life-altering truth that the world she has known and loved is gone and it’s fallen on her to save her family from the guillotine. A chance encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte, the ambitious and charismatic young military prodigy, provides her answer. When her beloved sister Julie marries his brother Joseph, Desiree and Napoleon’s futures become irrevocably linked. Quickly entering into their own passionate, dizzying courtship that leads to a secret engagement, they vow to meet in the capital once his career has been secured. But her newly laid plans with Napoleon turn to sudden heartbreak, thanks to the rising star of Parisian society, Josephine de Beauharnais. Once again, Desiree’s life is turned on its head. Swept to the glittering halls of the French capital, Desiree is plunged into the inner circle of the new ruling class, becoming further entangled with Napoleon, his family, and the new Empress. But her fortunes shift once again when she meets Napoleon's confidant and star general, the indomitable Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. As the two men in Desiree’s life become political rivals and military foes, the question that arises is: must she choose between the love of her new husband and the love of her nation and its Emperor? From the lavish estates of the French Riviera to the raucous streets of Paris and Stockholm, Desiree finds herself at the epicenter of the rise and fall of an empire, navigating a constellation of political giants and dangerous, shifting alliances. Emerging from an impressionable girl into a fierce young woman, she discovers that to survive in this world she must learn to rely upon her instincts and her heart. Allison Pataki’s meticulously researched and brilliantly imagined novel sweeps readers into the unbelievable life of a woman almost lost to history—a woman who, despite the swells of a stunning life and a tumultuous time, not only adapts and survives but, ultimately, reigns at the helm of a dynasty that outlasts an empire.

Profiles the women who were the lovers of Napoleon and whose lives reflected the political and social upheavals of post-Revolutionary France.

An anecdotal, illustrated biography of Napoleon Bonaparte's exotic empress discusses Napoleon's dependence on her sense of style to set the tone of his empire, her patrongage of the arts, and significant events in her life.

This vintage book comprises a fascinating collection of Bonaparte's letters; selected, translated, and edited by J. M. Thompson. This anthology forms one of the most truthful and interesting collections of historical documents pertaining to the famous French military and political leader - Napoleon Bonaparte. It offers the reader an interesting and unparalleled insight into his mind and personal life in 292 letters. The letters contained herein include: 'The Brothers', 'His Father's Death', 'The Corsican's Patriot', 'History of Corsica', 'Brothers Louis', 'The Young Jacobin', 'Paris in Revolution', 'Heroics', 'Brother's Joseph', 'Paris Life', 'Fatalism', 'Whiff of Grape-Shot', 'First Night', 'Separation', etcetera. Many antiquarian books such as this are becoming increasingly hard-to-come-by and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this text now in an affordable, modern edition - complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.