Excerpt from Napoleon and the Marshals of the Empire, Vol. 1 The view which a commercial and industrial age takes of war is, perhaps, as far removed from perma nent truth, as that which a military society entertains respecting trade and mechanics. To one who gets beyond the feelings and theories of a particular age and country, and looks upon the history of the world, from an abstract and positive point of view, war must present itself as one of the great and regular agents of providential operation, and one of the established and permanent conditions of human society. Upon this subject, we must keep the distinction which the Author of all truth has taught us to make, between the qualities of his conduct, by whom events come, and the character of those events, as appointed and indis pensable parts of God's benignant providence to men. The same act may be a crime in him who does it, and a blessing to all who partake of it: the same occur rence may be a millstone upon the conscience of its author, and a life-giving source of goodness, and strength, and happiness, to all who come within its influences. The wickedness of him by whom war comes, is no stain upon the glory of the war when it has come, nor upon the virtues of those who are com. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from And His Marshals, Vol. 1 Of the ten sketches contained in this volume, embracing Napoleon and nine of his Marshals, two have appeared before. Their reception, as originally published in the American Review, (with one or two others, to be inserted in a second volume, ) determined the completion of the series. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Napoleon and His Marshals, Vol. 2 A third class is composed of the few men left of a chivalric age. They have an innate love of glory from their youth, and live more by imagination in the days of knighthood, than amid the practical scenes that surround them. Longing for the field where great deeds are to be done, they cannot be forced into the severe and steady mental labor necessary to success in ordinary times. To them life is worthless, destitute of brilliant achievements, and there is nothing brilliant that is not outwardly so. In peace such men simply do nothing, and dream away half their life, While the other half is made up Of blunders, and good and bad impulses. But in turbulent scenes they are your decided characters. The doubts and Opposing rea sons that distract others have no influence over them. Fol lowing their impulses, they move to a higher feeling than the mere calculator of good and evil. At the head of this stands, as a patriot, the lazy Patrick Henry, and as a war rior, the chivalric Murat. The latter, however, was an ac tive rather than a passive dreamer ursuing, rather than contemplating, a fancied good, and e acquired the name of the preux Chevalier. Joachim Murat was born March 25, 1767, in Bastide, a little village twelve miles from Cahors. His father was the landlord of a little tavern in the place. He was honest and industrious, with a large family of children, none Of which exhibited any striking qualities with the exception of Joachim, who was regarded the most reckless, daring boy in the village. He rode a horse like a young Bedouin, and it was around his father's stable he first acquired that firm and easy seat in the saddle that afterwards made him the most remarkable horseman of his time. The high and fiery spirit Of the boy marked him out, at an early age, as a child Of promise, and he became the Benjamin of his parents. The father had once been a steward in the Talley rand family, and through its influence young Murat was re ceived, when nine years Old, into the college of Cahors, and entered on a course of studies, preparatory to the Church. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The masterful saga of Bonaparte's twenty-six military Marshals by Napoleonic authority Delderfield is set against the dramatic backdrop of the French Revolution, Napoleon's rise and his conquests, and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchs.

Excerpt from Memoirs of the History of France During the Reign of Napoleon, Vol. 1 About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.