The Bonapartes

This biography offers not just the story of Napoleon Bonaparte himself, but the history of his entire family during their time of rule. Although Napoleon I began life in an impoverished noble family, through his astonishing military career he was crowned Emperor of France. Three of his brothers became kings of French satellite territories, and Napoleon himself tried to earn the acceptance of other monarchs of Europe by marrying Marie-Louise, the daughter of the Austrian emperor. Although his only son, Napoleon II, died young and in exile, the dynasty sprang back to power under his nephew, Louis Napoleon, who became Napoleon III. His son, the Prince Imperial, was killed in the Zulu War. The Bonapartes shows the importance of the entire Napoleonic dynasty in French history and traces the often difficult relationships between the members of the family.