In Napoleon's Shadow: The Memoirs of Louis-Joseph Marchand, Valet and Friend of the Emperor, 1811-1821

by Louis-Joseph Marchand

Overview

In 1811, twelve young men were chosen among the families in the Emperors personal service to serve as ushers in his apartments. My mother, attached to the household of the King of Rome as first nurse to the prince, requested this favour for me from the grand chamberlain, the Count de Montesquiou, and it was granted.Louis-Joseph Marchands intimate memoir of his time as Napoleons valet is the last of the significant Napoleonic manuscripts to be translated into English and a unique and precious insight into the last days of Napoleons Imperial project.Serving alongside the Emperor from the apex of his reign and through his eventual demise, Marchand depicts, in remarkable detail, the Russian campaign, the campaigns of Germany and France, Napoleons exile to Elba and subsequent escape, his defeat at Waterloo.Friend and confidante to the leader, Marchand was beside him at the Tuileries during the Hundred Days, and he was present to hear Napoleons last words, France my son the army on the island of St Helena.This sincere and authentic testimony from a man with nothing to hide, nothing to apologise for is both a meticulous historical record and a fresh personal perspective on Napoleon.In this work, Tulard remarks in his preface, the Emperor speaks freely. Listen..Marchand presents the somewhat familiar history of the Emperor's decline as completely new territory through conversations, fond stories and personal encounters'.'Marchand's memoirs, republished in English for the first time in two decades, represent a truly irreplaceable contribution to Napoleonic scholarship. Beyond the Emperor as commander and conqueror, Marchand, from his privileged vantage point, illuminates Napoleon the man in rich and absorbing detail.' - John H Gill

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784382902
Publisher:	Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal, Limited
Publication date:	01/24/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	832
File size:	21 MB
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About the Author

Louis-Joseph Marchand was born in Paris in 1791 and served as first valet to Napoleon from 1811 until the Emperor's death in 1821. He compiled notes throughout his service and his memoir remained in private hands until 1952 when it was published in French.
Jean Tulard is an eminent French historian and editor, specialising in the history of cinema, the French Consulate and the Napoleonic era. He is a Professor at the Sorbonne and a member of the Institute of France. In 2010 he became Commander of the Légion d’honneur.