Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume 01


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(3.2 stars; 29 reviews)

The author and Napoleon become boyhood friends when they are eight years old in Corsica. They separate when Napoleon is transferred from the Military College of Brienne to another college in Paris in 1784. Napoleon has a stern or disdainful personality. He looks down on the French, who have taken over Corsica. At age 16 Napoleon finds fault with the military education, sending his recommendations to the Minister of War. Because of this speaking out, he is speedily graduated and sent to a regiment of artillery. After diplomatic travel, the author again meets Napoleon in Paris at a time when both are in dire financial straits. After witnessing an angry-mob scene, the author goes to Stuttgart as Secretary of Legation while Napoleon returns to Corsica. In 1799 the two return to Paris. The French government wants to send Napoleon to a new location as brigadier-general of infantry. he rejects the offer and is thus struck off the list of general officers. Eventually Napoleon gets command of Paris. In 1796 Napoleon marries Josephine. His attentions to her alternate between violent outrages resulting in infidelity and the other other extreme of repentant gentleness. During the Napoleonic wars Napoleon's troops progress through Europe--first Italy, then Austria. (Summary by Bill Boerst) (3 hr 31 min)

Chapters

Prefaces 31:58 Read by Tom Geller
Author's Introduction 24:29 Read by Christine Lamberton
Chapter 1 33:18 Read by Christine Lamberton
Chapter 2A 23:15 Read by Anna Simon
Chapter 2B 17:24 Read by Katia Bodiou
Chapter 3A 20:47 Read by TinaNygard2
Chapter 3B 24:38 Read by TinaNygard2
Chapter 4A 19:33 Read by bala
Chapter 4B 16:24 Read by bala

Reviews


(0.5 stars)

I was really getting into the book until you brought in another narrator from India. I could not understand a word he said. I think it is nobel that you give everyone a chance to narrate but it kinda defeats the purpose when your audience cannot understand a word from the narrator. The trouble now days is that everyone wants to be politically correct, and afraid that we hurt no one's feelings. As a society we have come to the point where we pass everyone in school whether they deserve it or not afraid that their feelings get hurt if we do the correct thing. The trouble with being politically correct is that some incompetent person who should have never made it to medschool might be allowed to perform perform brain surgery. please I ask you to use common sense when selecting narrators.


(1 stars)

I must agree with Dane. For those of us what are NOT “well traveled” and therefore must NOT be elite’s, the narrator from India was VERY hard to follow. I also have no qualms with using narration from another culture but found his accent to be so thick it was hard to discern.


(4.5 stars)

I am sorry for the long winded negative review given elsewhere about this fine recording. As someone who has traveled the world hearing the kings English butchered so throughly by Americans, I find it amusing to see a comment on the proper way to speak English come from someone no longer part of the realm. smile ... The reading is fine for the well traveled.