Pack of 3 books.
Book 1: 'The Song Of Departure'
On 15 May 1779, the pale and aloof son of a prominent but poor Corsican family arrives at the gates of a military school in eastern France. Barely able to speak French, and fiercely proud of his Genoese heritage, it will nevertheless take Napoleon Buonaparte just twenty years to become absolute ruler of the country he once saw as his oppressor, and the dominant military force in Europe.
In this masterful blend of history and imagination, Max Gallo brilliantly describes Napoleon's early life, his struggles and his glorious victories. Starting with Napoleon's early five years in military school, its cold and alien atmosphere exacerbated by his schoolmates' constant bullying and his total isolation from his family, this novel shows the first faltering steps of the man who would become the Little Emperor.
A huge best-seller in France, 'Napoleon: The Song Of Departure' is the first in Max Gallo's spellbinding and passionate quartet of novels. Napoleon's desire, his courage and his determination are all brought exhilaratingly to life, together with his overwhelming passion for Josephine.
Set against the backdrop of the murderous unpredictability of Revolutionary politics, and the battlefields of Italy, Egypt and France, this is a compelling, convincing and exciting journey into the heart of one of the most intriguing men in history.
Book 2: 'The Sun Of Austerlitz'
What a novel my life would make! Napoleon used to exclaim.
Napoleon is thirty years old in November 1799. He has played and won. Brumaire and the Consulate have put paid to the Directory. In five years at Notre Dame, the First Consul will be crowned Emperor of France. One year after that, in the sun of Austerlitz, he will be declaring, 'Soldiers, I am happy with you!' The legendary journey has begun. Conspiracies are rife. All - or almost all - the nations want to destroy him. He must be victorious, otherwise everything will collapse. 'Conquest has made me what I am. Conquest alone can preserve me.' But for how long?
Max Gallo follows Napoleon's every step, intimately revealing him in all his extraordinary intelligence and genius. Thousands of books have been written about this mythical figure, undoubtedly one of the most illustrious in the world's history. But none like this, since Max Gallo, as both historian and novelist, is able at every moment to put himself on the most intimate of footings with Napoleon and to attune his account to the very pulse of his fabulous existence.
Book 3: 'Emperor Of Kings'
It is 1806 and Napoleon is master of an empire covering half of Europe. He subdues kings, conquers women and defies the Pope himself over the Continental Blockade.
In this dazzling mix of history and creativity, Max Gallo brilliantly recreates the most pivotal and turbulent years of the Little Corporal's reign, ending with his 500,000 strong army's march into Russia in 1812.
Shifting between the battlefield and the bedroom, this book follows every step of Napoleon's relentless pursuit of power.
