The Corsican: A Diary of Napoleon's Life in His Own Words

The text (with the exception of a few bracketed passages) is derived entirely from Napoleon's own words, written and spoken. What truth this book conveys is not to be sought according to those rules for the treatment of historical documents which it avowedly contravenes, but in such psychological illumination of a great career and character as the method employed has rendered possible. For objectively Napoleon rarely, if ever, speaks the truth; yet subjectively how can he speak otherwise?