Napoleon and Marie Louise: The Emperor's Second Wife

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Veteran British historian Alan Palmer offers another agreeable book blending biography and history in his account of the union between the upstart ruler of post-Revolutionary France and the daughter of Hapsburg Emperor Francis. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) married Archduchess Marie Louise (1791-1847) to obtain an heir and to cement an alliance with the Austrian dynasty he had been at war with since she was a child.

At 16, Louise (as her family called her) wrote letters referring to Bonaparte as an "ogre," and when she realized in 1810 that she might be a candidate for the newly divorced Napoleon's hand, she wrote to her father, begging to be spared. But a Hapsburg princess was raised to believe that "a child's first duty is to obey its parents," and when Francis delegated Foreign Minister Metternich to explain why this marriage was essential to Austria's security, Marie Louise complied.

Indeed, the lonely young woman was quite beguiled by her husband-to-be's shrewd and charming first letter, and she seems to have learned to love Napoleon, at least through the birth of their son in 1811 and until 1814, when he peremptorily ordered her to join him in exile on Elba. Then she turned against him and soon took up with a dashing Austrian officer, Count von Neipperg, with whom she had three children, though they could only marry (in secret) after Napoleon's death.

In Palmer's frank but sympathetic assessment, sensual, self-centered Louise did her best to honor the obligations laid on her by diplomatic and dynastic necessity. Her life provides an instructive case study in the crisis of European royalty during the swings between revolution and reaction that shaped the turbulent 19th century. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

"Archduchesses have always been disastrous for France," Napoleon once remarked. Yet in 1810 he married Archduchess Marie Louise, the eighteen-year-old daughter of his lifelong enemy, the Emperor of Austria.On January 5, 1810, she had read in the newspapers of the act of separation between Napoleon and his wife and wrote to her father, "I must admit, dear Papa, that I am very disturbed by this news."And to her friend Victoria de Poutet she wrote the next day, "I pity the unfortunate woman on whom his choice falls; that will certainly put an end to her fine days."Though their union was politically expedient, Napoleon lived happily and proudly with "my good Louise" until defeat sent him to Elba and she returned to Vienna, eventually becoming the sovereign of an Italian duchy.Alan Palmer gives the first detailed portrait of this extraordinary episode in Europe's history.He traces the changing fortunes of France and Austria through the years of Napoleonic ascendancy and eclipse.By using extracts from Louise's letters and travel diaries, he throws light on the conflicting worlds and torn loyalties which perplexed France's young, and often courageous, Empress.Personal touches are many and amusing, as in Louise's letters to her mother telling of their travels through sleet and rain and miles and miles of muddy roads.Overnight stops were made at wayside taverns ill-suited for families of distinction - one evening there was an insect hunt in an infested bedroom, with Louise claming that she had swatted the largest bug of all, whom she dubbed "Napoleon."Alan Palmer also examines the controversial years in which their son was raised to manhood in Vienna while Louise, with her secret second family, reigned in Parma as a benevolent Duchess, whose cultural legacy has survived into the 21st century.AUTHORBIO: Alan Palmer is an acclaimed historian, the author of several books including Napoleon in Russia, An Encyclopaedia of Napoleon's Europe, Twilight of the Habsburgs, Victory 1918, and biographies of Metternich, Tsar Alexander I and Bernadotte.

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly lucid book about Austrian Napoleonic politics.......2001-09-14

I have to agree with the earlier two reviews that this book isn't really about Marie-Louise. It rather focuses on the personalities and events surrounding Austrian dealings with Napoleonic France. Napoleon of course comes out as the dominant personality of the age. However, Count Metternich and Emperor Francis I are also brilliantly sketched in, the latter especially in his dealings with his daughter. Surprisingly, I found this coverage to be the main strength of the book as the writer clearly has an excellent grasp of the flow of events and writes with a clear narrative style.
Thankfully, the writer minimises the overly sentimental quotes from Marie-Louise's diaries and also the unnecessary gossips about her amorous affairs.
Marie-Louise is really a walk-on character, to pivot the story and to give the book an interesting title. She could not have been better presented.

Marie Louise remains superficial.......2001-09-08

Reading this history, I had hoped to gain a broader insight into the character of Marie Louise. But the author only reinforced my first impressions of her as a shallow, frivolous woman whose only claim to fame was her marriage to Napoleon.
Palmer wastes the first third of the book in rehashing the political situation in Europe and detailing Napoleon's rise to power. These things could have been skimmed over with more focus on the imperial marriage as the title suggests. I have read numerous histories on Napoleon and Palmer leaves out details about this second marriage that would have been interesting to the uninformed reader.
Her depth of love for Napoleon during their marriage was a pleasant surprise but only reemphasized the shame of her desertion when he fell from glory.
Louise was influenced by the men around her and seldom acted on her own initiative. Palmer excuses her indiscretions with the fact of her youth. There have been younger women in history who demonstrated far more courage and intelligence in times of crises. Louise did what the men close to her wanted her to do. Her father insisted she never see Napoleon again after his defeat and she placidly obeyed. As Duchess of Parma she was happy to leave governing to her lover. She found such things 'tedious'.
It's impossible to feel sympathy for this young woman who, Palmer emphasizes, made a political sacrifice in 1810 by marrying Napoleon, a man who elevated her to Empress, indulged and loved her, and gave her a status she didn't deserve.
Only interested in musical evenings and surrounding herself with attentive men, Marie Louse remained superficial to the end.

Revised title: Napoleon and Leopold.......2001-07-04

As I had feared, its a bit dry. I wish that these historians who decide towrite a biography of a female political consort wouldnt rant on about how the woman and her great qualities were "Ignored By History" and then spend most of the book doing an in-depth analysis of the subjects husband, father, brothers and male friends with little mention of their subject, except a few token passage about what she was wearing at some important historical moment. It really is a most insulting irony. I mean, the main market out there is educated affluent women, buying these biographies because they want to read about the role of their gender in History, and hopefully relate to an historical tradition of female strength. The dust jacket will have solitary portraits of the woman herself, littered with phrases like: "finally X is restored to her former stature!" Then you buy the sodding book and its a roll call of every man who passed through a woman's life and what impressions they recorded.

I did NOT buy this book to read exclusively about Napoleon and Leopold of Austria. I took Western Civ for that years ago. I bought this book to read about a French Empress that my Western Civ text devoted a mere two lines to, only to discover that Palmer had done very little more than that, preferring to witter on about the complexity of Napoleons character and the military significance of the towns where Marie-Louise incidentally bought a frock.

The worst part about it is that Palmer is a very good historian, with an eye to detail. Its frustrating to realize that if he had really been interested in writing a book about Napoleons second wife, he could have done an excellent job. It is both well written and informative.

Book Description

Ray Eliot spent 18 years as head coach of the Fighting Illini. Eliot led Illinois to three Big Ten titles and two Rose Bowl championships in eight years. He was voted National Coach of the Year by the Los Angeles Times in 1951. Eliot's devotion to young men and old-fashioned loyalty to the University of Illinois set him apart and created the legendary mystique of "Mr. Illini."

Customer Reviews:

Most inspirational coach ever: Ray Eliot.......2000-10-02

I cannot think of wanting to do anything more than watching a University of Illinois f-ball game at Memorial Stadium. Ever since I was young I have never missed a game if it were possible for me to go. My Junior year in high school I picked up this book on Ray Eliot. The book instantly caught my attention because I love the illini and the forward was written by Ray Nitchzke (former u of i and packer great). In Nitchzke's message he said how Ray Eliot was very compassionate, caring and inspirational. He talked about how he believed Ray was the most inspirational coach he had experienced (this coming from the man who was coached by the great Vince Lombardi). I now play college football and I can truthfully say I wish I too could be inspired by Coach Eliot. This book does that and I constantly look to it for guidance. I believe this is the best book I have ever read (despite the Bible). It teaches its readers about more important aspects in football: sportsmanship, desire, courage, love, etc. These values that Ray Eliot instilled in his players were more important than championships. In his 18 years, Eliot's Illini teams won three big ten titles and two Rose Bowls. They also upset the #1 team in america 3 years in a row at one time in the early 1940s. I'll leave this review with a quote from the first page of his book. --"The boy is more important than the game."-- --Ray Eliot--

RAY ELIOT, The Spirit and Legend of Mr. Illini, SIGNED By the Author

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RAY ELIOT, The Spirit and Legend of Mr. Illini, SIGNED By the Author
Doug, Foreword By Ray Nitschke Cartland
Manufacturer: Sagamore Publ.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VBIWVW

Customer Reviews:

A Photograph legacy of a big show.......2004-06-29

I'm spanish and I watched the program only in reviews so this book is a good way to know how it really was. A lot of fantastic photographs are the stars of this volume. We can see the evolution of the host and the scenography and, of course, part of the artist who performed in the program. I recommend specially for the photos, very attractive!

A Really Big Show A Visual History of the Ed Sullivan Show

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A Really Big Show A Visual History of the Ed Sullivan Show
Claudia Falkemburg, Andrew Solt Leonard John
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDM596

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303 More Tricky Chess Puzzles
Fred Wilson , and Bruce Alberston
Manufacturer: Cardoza
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1580421822

Book Description

A carefully selected entertaining and instructive collection of tactical chess puzzles. The authors-both veteran professional chess instructors-have collected or created 303 additional game situations, to go with the situations featured in the original 303 Tricky Chess Puzzles. Finding the right answer will bring about a forced checkmate or a winning material superiority. Divided into three chapters, each filled with 101 large, clear diagrams, the entire gamut of necessary tactical knowledge is challenged, tested, and with the result that the reader becomes a stronger player and has lots of fun in the process. 303 More Tricky Chess Puzzles is a perfect workbook for adults (or children) who want to sharpen their budding chess expertise.

Book Description

Over the past decade, resumes have undergone dramatic changes in how they are submitted to recruiters. Technology advances have redefined the recruiting industry. It started with electronic resumes that had to be “scannable” using OCR software. Then resumes began their frenzied dart across the Internet, where, to assure safe arrival, they came dressed in the pedestrian garb of plain text (ASCII) embodied within e-mail. But now, change is upon us once again. The handsome resume made portable has made its return, and there is an emergence of online screening quizzes that determine whether your resume is accepted by recruiters and employers or buried at the bottom of the pile.

The fourth edition of Resumes For Dummies is for anyone who needs to discover what works and what doesn’t work when representing their work history with a resume. No matter what your experience, set of circumstances, or familiarity with resume writing, this clearly written, up-to-date guide will help you to

Create a resume that takes advantage of today’s technology
Increase your chances of getting that dream job
Craft a “stand out” resume that’ll get your foot in the door
Understand all the changes in the world of resumes
Discover the right way and right places to send your resume

This new edition has loads of advice that will make your resume stand out from the online crowd. Resumes For Dummies, 4th Edition, also covers the following topics and more:

Getting your resume out there
Writing a resume that fits your specific needs
Choosing the right format for your resume
Selecting stand out words that can bring good news
Submitting your resume online
Recognizing resume problems and applying solutions

In the pages of Resumes For Dummies, 4th Edition, you get a sampling of stand out resumes and special needs resumes. You also get updated technical information (gathered from a wide variety of recruiting professionals) paired with classic strategies and smooth moves from the author’s three decades of career reporting. With all of this in hand, you'll be able to develop and distribute a state-of-the-art resume that says you’re too superior to ignore.

Customer Reviews:

A big help!.......2007-07-24

I wasn't sure where to really begin with writing a resume and this book was a big help! I recommend it to anyone who is a beginner with resumes.

AMAZING!.......2007-05-04

I love the book!! It's an insider's look at the ever-changing world of job hunting--Joyce Layne Kennedy really knows her stuff. She takes you step-by-step through the process you should go through to write a perfect resume. And of course it reads with a witty edge that entertains you while you learn!

I love the core resume to the spin-off concept!.......2007-01-06

Hi Joyce, In Chapter 1, you introduce a very easy Core Resume to Spin-off Resume style! This is great! So easy to focus, target and only rewrite about one-third of page ONE! And you are so right, the only way to write and post a resume in this job market is COMPLETELY TARGETED to the job.

5 Top Target Skills !! All of the samples in the book - 48 of them - written and produced by Kathryn Troutman's The Resume Place, Inc., team - are great. The targeting style with the box at the top, targeting text in the resume, are very helpful for resume writers.

Thanks Joyce for an all new, targeted resume book. Everyone needs to STAND OUT IN THEIR EXACT AREA OF EXPERTISE.

Resume for Dummies, Fourth Edition.......2006-03-15

I highly recommend that every job seeker, no matter what your status, read this book. No others will hold a candle to it. I would not be able to describe how much I would be struggling, if it were not for this book. Just take the time to relax, put your feet up and read it from cover to cover. Building my resume came next (I had never done one due to years of service at my previous employer) and I used so many tips in that book while writing it. It actually does a wonderful job of preparing you for all aspects of your job search.

Excellent Book for Writing Resumes.......2005-10-30

This was very helpful in writing my resume. The book is well written and very easy to follow. It brought to my attention things I had not thought to put in my resume so now I feel I covered all my bases. Recommend to anyone who wants to update their resume or anyone going out into the job market.

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The Human Side of Kelly Johnson

Read it for general background, but see Rich's book for more on Skunk Works methods

Excellent summary of Kelly Johnson's life & accomplishments

Kelly: More Than My Share of It All
Clarence L. Johnson
Manufacturer: Smithsonian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0874744911

Customer Reviews:

The Human Side of Kelly Johnson .......2006-11-26

The prior reviewers are right, the book is short on details of the of that flood of technical innovation ( beyond the leading edge of what was thought possible ) that characterized Kelly's work. One only has to walk through the Smithsonian to understand his impact. Not just the advanced design of the SR-71, now older than most of the visitors, but the hushed awe its black hulk imposes of visitors from those in kneepants to gray haired veterans.

Kelly, the book, offers perhaps a more important gift to those who follow. Looking at his technical achievements is like driving down the highway at 120 staring out the side window at the double yellow line. You get the sensation but no useful guidance.

The gift of the book is that it sets forth in simple terms the vision and principles that led to these incredible achievements. Kelly focused on simplicity - simplicity in mission statement, simplicity in concept, simplicity in leadership and simplicity in execution. Of course brilliant engineering was also the order of the day.

We live in a business world increasingly dominated by individuals holding advanced degrees in business management. I was part of the process, spending a number of years as adjunct faculty in a leading MBA program. The challenge in business, and politics, is not the lack of sophistication in our analytical techniques, but rather in our leadership, ethics, vision and communication. Kelly not only had these virtues, but left a priceless journal of his voyage through some of the greatest achievements of the 20'th Century.

For those with little interest in aircraft or technology, the book offers insights on how to overcome complex challenges in remarkably short periods of time and at a fraction of the accepted cost levels. For that alone the book is a gift to future generations if they are willing to consider the wisdom. In one page Kelly sets out his "rules" of project management which should be read by every student of science, engineering, business or politics.

The message of the book is both timeless history and the secrets of the ethical achievement of that which 99.9% of the experts deemed impossible. Now is a good time to locate a few used copies in hardcover for future generations.

Highly recommended.

UPDATE - After writing this review I checked the availability of used hardcover editions - around $500 which says something about the value of the book.

Read it for general background, but see Rich's book for more on Skunk Works methods.......2006-06-08

The other reviewer is correct that the main problem with Johnson' autobiography is simply that there aren't enough details. It doesn't really give as much insight into the Skunk Works philosophy and methods as one would hope.

For that, see Ben Rich's Skunk Works. And you might want to also check out my blog AeroGo, where I wrote recently about Johnson and the Skunk Works approach to advanced technology development.

Excellent summary of Kelly Johnson's life & accomplishments.......1998-09-05

If you want the definitive account of Kelly Johnson's life - this is the book. If you're looking for detailed technical information on the various aircraft he designed, look elsewhere. In my opinion this is the only real problem with this book - there are not enough details. Too many subjects that should warrant complete chapters are only mentioned in passing. This book would have to be over 1,000 pages to really do justice to Kelly Johnson's achievements. It's too bad that this book was written before the major declassification reviews of the past several years. With the passing of Kelly and Ben Rich, many interesting details have been lost forever.

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Kelly More Than My Share of It All
Smith Maggie Johnson Clarence L.
Manufacturer: Smithsonian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UF3JWG

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Kelly: More than My Share of It All
Clarence L. Kelly; Smith, Maggie Johnson
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Inst Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBR276

Book Description

The author tells of her many travels across the war-torn South, her capture behind enemy lines, her encounter with the famous Belle Boyd, her friendship with the dashing general J. E. B. Stuart, and the devastation suffered by the citizens of Richmond in the last days of the Confederacy. Learn what life was like for the wife of a Confederate officer; A real Gone with the Wind.

A Virginia Girl in the Civil War, 1861-1865: Being a Record of the Actual Experiences of the Wife of a Confederate Officer

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A Virginia Girl in the Civil War, 1861-1865: Being a Record of the Actual Experiences of the Wife of a Confederate Officer

Manufacturer: D. Appleton and Company, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GHC68G

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A VIRGINIA GIRL IN THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865: Being A Record of the Actual Experiences of the Wife of a Confederate Officer
Myrta Lockett (collected & Ed.) Avary
Manufacturer: D. Appleton & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QPHBRE

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Foundation for Understanding Policy.......2005-09-12

This book is an excellent tool for policy students who want to understand and critically discuss the field of policy studies. Aside from the excerpts from the major authors in policy, the introduction and discussion sections of each chapter tie together how each model/framework/theory fits into the overall policy studies field. I used this book to help me prepare for the political science/policy studies section of my qualifying exams, and I was able to do quite well. While this book is not the end-all-be-all for policy, it leads you through the major movements and major authors in policy while providing a good foundation that will allow you to be able to synthesize and evaluate policy models.

The best anthology on public policy theories available.......2002-04-26

This is a very good anthology on public policy classics. You will find almost all important texts here--and in sufficient length to be useful and comprehendable. The introductory chapters by McCool are simply brilliant. Rewarding reading even if you are quite familiar with the field. Rarely is public policy theory explained in such a friendly, insightful and down-to-earth manner.

The tasteful selection of texts and the crystal-clear comments by McCool is what makes this anthology stand out. Choose this one instead of Theodoulou & Cahn "Public Policy: The Essential Readings", which is inferior in every way.

This fine anthology should however be supplemented with Paul Sabatier, ed. (1999) "Theories of the Policy Process" to be fully up-to-date. Get them both!

While it might seem strange to give five stars to an anthology, I think it is motivated in this case, given the quality of the selection and the well-writen editorial comments.

Book Description

Boldly go where few have gone before! Endorsed by the World Wildlife Fund. Features 26 colour and black-and-white photographs and maps. "The Power of the Barren Lands may be beyond words but you wont come any closer than those on the following pages" MONTE HUMMEL West of Hudson Bay in Canadas north, an enormous triangle, twice the size of Alberta or Texas, forms the largest chunk of wilderness left on the continent. The word "tundra" may conjure up an image of a desolate, treeless plain, but this mainland portion of the Canadian arctic is far from featureless. The area is home to millions of geese and other birds, and is the haunt of some of the worlds last, great migratory herds of large herbivores and the predators that follow them. Discovering Eden is a collection of stories, essays and commentaries about the authors life in the remote wilderness and his hopes and dreams for its future. It is about the land and the animals that live there, and what they have taught the author. Throughout the book the author tries to explain, within the limitations of language, the lure of the Barren Lands and why this place became for him a personal Eden. The book also recounts adventuresa personal, inner one for the author, and the thrill of canoeing this untouched wilderness for those who travel with him on his tours.(September 2003)

Customer Reviews:

It Makes You Want to Go.......2006-01-03

Alex Hall has translated his knowledge of and love for Canada's Thelon River in this excellent book. It is not a "how to" book, as the adventures he takes are not of that sort. On their own very few people could cobble together the support and equipment, and then find a survivable route given the scant mapping available. Alex's years in the North have given him the skills and connections to pull off successful trips. Alex writes an account of how he puts it all together and travels the river with groups of visitors. His love for the Barrens, the Thelon, and the North shine through and make the reader appreciate his adventures. It also makes you want to go on one with him.

Discovering Eden: A Lifetime of Paddling Arctic Rivers.(The Reindeer Herders of the Mackenzie Delta)(Book Review) : An article from: Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal

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Discovering Eden: A Lifetime of Paddling Arctic Rivers.(The Reindeer Herders of the Mackenzie Delta)(Book Review) : An article from: Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal
Carolyn Redl
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2005. The length of the article is 930 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Discovering Eden: A Lifetime of Paddling Arctic Rivers.(The Reindeer Herders of the Mackenzie Delta)(Book Review)
Author: Carolyn Redl
Publication: Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 37 Issue: 1 Page: 151(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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