The San Francisco call., 1896-11-22
The Historians Work, While Scholarv Is
Lacking in Warmth and Color
NEW ESTIMATE OF THE FaMous LITTLE coRsIc4N
paPoeons Professed Love for France Regarded assumed
Devoted TO His People He Was Willing to Sacrifice
Them to His Ambition

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BoNAPARTE-By Pro-
lessor William M. sloane. The Century Com
four volumes. Price per volume, clio b. ST: half
morocco SO. For sale by subscription only.
This elaborate and beautiful work is of
special interest because its author, who is
professor of history in Princeton University,
has worked from new sources of information
which have not been delved into by other
writers. He has carefully studied papers in
the archives of the French Foreign Office in
Florence and in the British Museum, which
throw new light on the ever-interesting story
OF the dazzling adven turer.
The history has already appeared in the
Century Magazine, but in book form is made
more attractive by splendid Illustrations.
There are $50 fine, full-page pictures in the
first volume, which has just been issued.
Many of these are BEAUTIFULLY colored type
gravures, done by secret method known
only to Boussed, Velladon & Co. of
Paris. The colored pictures represent
famous originals in the great muse
ums of Europe. There are four in each
volume which show the exact coloring of
paintings OF especial fame. The finest in the
volume now out is from the grand canvas in
the Louvre, by Antoine-Jean Gros, of Bona
parte at Arcole, showing the stern, animated
face of the young soldier as he heroically
plants the standard on the bridge with his
own hands. The printing is in large, clear
handsome type, which will not weary the eyes
when they turn from the pleasure OF the
pictures to the pleasure of the words. In
every way the work is got up with a thorough
ness which tells that the expenditure was law
ish to make this standard life CT Napoleon
Bonaparte.
1t is claimed that the reproductions of the
mas terpieces of the European galleries bear a
closer likeness to the originals than any ever
before put in a book. Moreover, there are a
great number made in color expressly for Pro-
fessor Sloane's history, and not seen in any
other form.
In order to perfect the completeness of his
equipment for the immense task he mad on
hand the professor travelled over all the
ground made famous by the great command
er's battles and thus acquired familiarity
with the scenes which adds to the accuracy of
his descriptions.
In his preface the author points out that the
history of Napoleon covers period in the pro-
cess of civilization full of turmoil and far
reaching consequences-dramatfc and inter
esting to an extent teyond all others-teach-
ing. as in great flashlight, knowledge for all
succeeding generations, easy TO see and never
to be forgotten. Added to this interest is the
gigantic personality of the greatest history
maker of modern times Surely, these are rea-
sons to make eager readers.
The first volume extends from a sketch of
the Bonauarte family in Corsica TO the fall OF
Venice, when the triumphant general writes
to Josephine, 81 care for victory because it
gratif1es you," in a letter wherein jealousy can
be plainly read between the lines. The first
chapter gives an account of the nobility of the
family of the imperial demoerat-a nobility