The Life of Napoleon's Josephine

The acclaimed biography of Josephine Bonaparte, the Caribbean-born Creole who became the first wife of Napoleon and Empress of France, is a captivating account of one of the most remarkable women of the modern era. Born Rose de Tasher on her family's sugar plantation in Martinique, Josephine embodied all the characteristics of a true Creole—sensuality, vivacity, and willfulness.

Rescued from near starvation, she grew to epitomize the wild decadence of post-revolutionary Paris, where she first caught the eye of Napoleon Bonaparte. A true partner to Napoleon, Josephine was equal parts political adviser, hostess par excellence, confidante, and passionate lover. She managed to be in the forefront of every important episode of her era's turbulent history, from the rise of the West Indian slave plantations that bankrolled Europe's rapid economic development, to the decaying of the ancien régime, to the French Revolution itself, from which she barely escaped the guillotine.

Using diaries and letters, Andrea Stuart's comprehensive and truly empathetic biography brings Josephine so utterly to life that we finally understand why Napoleon's last word before dying was the name he had given her: Josephine. As a scholar raised in the Caribbean, Stuart combines a scholarly distance with a genuine attempt to understand her heroine, creating a biography that is both informative and deeply engaging.

The Caribbean-born Creole who became the first wife of Napoleon and Empress of France, Josephine Bonaparte was a truly remarkable woman whose story is brought to life in this acclaimed biography. From her early life on a sugar plantation in Martinique to her rise to power and influence in post-revolutionary Paris, Josephine's life was marked by a unique blend of sensuality, vivacity, and willfulness that defined the Creole experience. As a true partner to Napoleon, Josephine played a crucial role in the political and social upheaval of her era, navigating the treacherous waters of the French Revolution and the rise of the Napoleonic Empire.

Through the use of diaries and letters, Andrea Stuart's biography offers a comprehensive and empathetic portrayal of Josephine, capturing the complexities of her life and the turbulent history she witnessed. As a scholar raised in the Caribbean, Stuart brings a unique perspective to her subject, combining a scholarly distance with a genuine attempt to understand the woman at the heart of this story. The result is a biography that not only illuminates the life of Josephine Bonaparte, but also provides a deeper understanding of the social, political, and economic forces that shaped the world in which she lived.

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