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Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Volume 01

by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne (1769–1834)

  • Free to read
  • 2 hours to read
  • 6 chapters
  • Reading level: 10th to 12th grade

"Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Volume 01" by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne is a historical account likely written in the early 19th century. The book serves as a personal recounting of the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, particularly from the perspective of Bourrienne, who was the Emperor's private secretary and confidant during a crucial period of his rise to power. The memoirs provide insights into Napoleon's early life, his education, and the formative experiences that shaped his remarkable career. At the start of the memoirs, Bourrienne reveals intimate details about Napoleon's childhood, his struggles at the Military College of Brienne, and the friendships he formed there. The opening chapters illustrate Napoleon's unique character traits, such as his ambition and determination, while also providing context about his family background and early influences. Bourrienne emphasizes Napoleon's exceptional ability in mathematics, as well as his fierce loyalty to his homeland of Corsica, highlighting the complexities of his youth that foreshadowed his future greatness in military and political arenas. The narrative unfolds in a reflective manner, combining personal anecdotes with crucial historical events, setting the stage for the later triumphs and controversies in Napoleon's life.

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  • Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821
  • Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 · Contemporaries
  • Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 · Relations with private secretaries
  • Bourrienne, Louis Antoine Fauvelet de, 1769-1834
  • Private secretaries · France · Biography

Read the opening

Chapter 1: 1769-1783

Authentic date of Bonaparte's birth—His family rained by the
Jesuits— His taste for military amusements—Sham siege at the
College of Brienne—The porter's wife and Napoleon—My intimacy with
Bonaparte at college—His love for the mathematics, and his dislike
of Latin—He defends Paoli and blames his father—He is ridiculed by
his comrades—Ignorance of the monks—Distribution of prizes at
Brienne—Madame de Montesson and the Duke of Orleans—Report of M.
Keralio on Bonaparte—He leaves Brienne.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE was born at Ajaccio, in Corsica, on the 15th of August 1769; the original orthography of his name was Buonaparte, but he suppressed the during his first campaign in Italy. His motives for so doing were merely to render the spelling conformable with the pronunciation, and to abridge his signature. He signed Buonaparte even after the famous 13th Vendemiaire.

It has been affirmed that he was born in 1768, and that he represented himself to be a year younger than he really was. This is untrue. He always told me the 9th of August was his birthday, and, as I was born on the 9th of July 1769, our proximity of age served to strengthen our union and friendship when we were both at the Military College of Brienne.

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Contents

  1. Front Matter
  2. Preface
  3. Chapter 1: 1769-1783
  4. Chapter II: 1784-1794
  5. Chapter III: 1794-1795
  6. Chapter IV: 1795-1797

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About this edition

This free edition of Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Volume 01 by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #3551, released 2002-12-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Biographies, History - European, History - Modern (1750+), History - Royalty.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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