Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume I-V

As Napoleon did everyone the courtesy of leaving behind a rich and complicated wake, Scott was able in this volume to forgo his usual tendency of shoehorning some hapless everyman into European history, and instead adhere to the story of the Emperor himself. Free from any obligation to narrative invention, Scott delivers a whirlwind, no-frills account that avoids, when possible, condoning or condemning Bonaparte. As a historical fetishist, Scott doesn't hesitate to throw around the names of...