The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-07-13
sovs o Bo0kS
Ross i-ife ~ Nsssiesa

The r'n-t i"'"r~-iins ant the most i'm
rnrtn' ~r'ui-hu'i'n - hs-torioal utrra-
tuf- thh' has .-su mai" tn r~"ni wars r.
TAs if' ~ Nfpots1H ! hN JOIN HOLLAND
RpsE tNt'uIlanH II" Jt-iihceti"n Tor
a new treatment 90 IN" suhj~ct u 20 10
found "a Tie discovery OF r'ul1atioh OF nov
material "" Traditional -'orV ~ Nii"-
leon. career l. her" r~vtNF~t ~ Ne night ~
facts si'h0~l ir'm "a" Brush af,h'vcs
and th~ objections ~ doc7ir'.'s dl" 20
~" laio-s II no" 'Noct"t" dHStor~ Ton
t-mporaiEe, the ''en"ra4 stan 81 ~"
French Army and u many iHdIVidusI N
vesttgstors " was during a STUDY ~ The
NaIolronin period for an earlier work that
tie author a~Vrtained TN" great valu" 81
a." British records for 10" y''ar- i'sS-l>iS'
Ihe diplomats agents 81 'r~at br'ain
thsn had the kna'k OF stftlhs Al STATE
secrets IA most foreign capitA+-' even When
tier "uIntry Wa Al war WIN ueu several
goNernments lac War oricH and the
Admiralty records al-o have yielded soine
r-mafkable 'hnds. Mr.. Rose tells Va
that he has SEARCHED all the important
parts OF the Foreign Once archives Tor the
Year, in question, a. well A. for parts ofthe
-. Helena period, and he has striven 20
embody the results 81 Lis explorations In
tts two olumee before Us. The outcome
OF his researches Is that. II Ne accept the
connivance OF certain British officials in
the CadoudA plot 20 a~ssassinate Napoleon
the policy ~ Great Britain seems morn
creditabie the more ully II IA known
Feeble and Nacllstins II often was p
oislly under the Addinston Ministry bus
II finally attained To trmnes- and dignity
and the cycle Of war was closed with acts
OF m-agnanimiiy toward the French peo-
pie which are s~tudlously ignored by those
who bid Us shed tears over the martyrdom
Of 81 Helena. On the whole, however
u seems a miracle tina the British Empire
survived a life strusgle against a man OF
superhnman genius who was determined
TO ehe't us overthrow
Although the Two volumes before va
comprise some nine hindred pages, MI
hose has found It necessary TO conden-e
the account OF Napoleon NE. for TINS
reason he has chosen 10 treat with com
paratiNe breNity ur" years lSs-ll' winch
from some points OF view must be re-
sarded at the acme OF his career IN order
20 leave more space for the decisive events
that follow. Even In the less eventiui
years. however, he has tined TO show how
mlghtS economic iorce~ 'hs' wrought iof
Napoleons DOWNFALL 40 mat aitef the
dtbdof OF isi'' what was witnessed wass
struss OF Napoleon ana France against
the world II Is further 10 be noted hat
while not neglecting the personal details
81 the great mans lie. our author has
dwelt mainly on his public career. In
= prefac" the TACT IL pointed out hat
sAn4Tf from hla hTllanf R0nNaraRftan
Nspoieons private life had Few features of
abiding interest, perhaps because he eArIy
ure- OF Ia" shaIlo~ness OF Josephine and
the Corslcan anSu4Arity OF his brothers and
sisters But the cause also lay In his own
disposition. He once said 20 NJ. Gsllois'
'Je aai-s pas eedsooup lee smms NJ 70 ,es-
sr1r, risn - ssss tosi d fau IN ttrs poht9rs
In dealing with him AZ a warrior and states
man, and in -paring nv readers details a.
20 his holtins his feed, sleeping at con
certs. and indulsinS IN Amours where for
him there WAS no glamour 81 omanc
j am laying stress on what Interested him
mo~t-in q word, ! am taking him AZ his
be~t. We b~lieve that most readers Of
this book will regard as warranted the
authors claim that. alike In what he has
set down. and In what he has pess~d over
- uhnAkiAHNohNs " uD hF'd INV bN'
history
II i not Al unkindly view % the young
Napoleon's character that IL taken by the
author Of these volumes II 10 pointed
out that the records % his early life bear
witness to the existence Of q strain % true
sentiment and affection. In him Mature
cArved out a character ~ roCk-like firm
hes, hut she adorned IL with flowers -
human sympathy and tendrils Of family
love. Al his first parting from his brother
Joseph at Autun. when the elder brother
was weeping pa-sionately. the little Napo-
Ieon dropped a tear. hut that. said the
tutor. meant a. much a. the hooi - tear
from Joseph Love Of hIs relative. vas
a potent factor Of his policy IN later life.
ard Islander has never Teen able wholly
70 hlacken the character % a man who
loved and honored his mother. who asserted
that her advice had often bern OF the hiskes;
service 20 him. and that hsr. Justice and
drmne-- 81 spirit marked her out A. n nat
ural ruler of men. But. when these adj
missions are fr-aly granted u still re-
- - 81 - H. IL