Paul Britten Austin's technique, so brilliantly presented in his 1812 trilogy on Napoleon's invasion of Russia, brings historical events to life and gives a dramatic insight into the hopes and fears of the French nation in that spring of 1815. The first of two volumes on Napoleon in 1815.
Paul Britten Austin energetically and thoroughly presents these dramatic historic events in this new volume on 1815. In the same format as his trilogy on the 1812 campaign, the author weaves his tale of suspence, intrigue, bigger-than-life characters, mainly through first person accounts and demonstrates once again his great ability as an historian and a story teller.
This volume is the first in a two-volume series that will conclude with the rest of the stroy of the 100 Days of Napoleon's reestablished rule in France. I, for one, am looking forward to it. The present volume has set the stage, shown the characters, and whet the appetite. Unfortunately, it ends just when it is going full blast. However, it has set up the 'sequel' excellently, as well as given the readers a wealth of first hand information on the period, and the unforgettable characters that are the players in this greatest of historic dramas.
This excellent book is highly recommended. If a book on the Napoleonic period has the name Paul Britten Austen on it, buy it.
Like Mr. Austin's previous works, this is not analytical study of the military, political and diplomatic history of Napoleon's Hundred Days. Readers can easily get that elsewhere. Rather this is the human story of a great event, told by the Frenchmen who experienced it. We see the events through the eyes of the men and women who experienced them. Austin does a good job in his notes indicating trustworthiness of his witnesses. We hear from Royalists, Bonapartists and the fence-sitters. While we have occasional diversions to Paris or some of the other cities in France, Austin sticks closely to the Route Napoléon.
One theme of the book is how those who encountered Napoleon on his return from Elba interpreted their duty, honor and allegiance. Some stand by their oaths to the King, some swear allegiance to Napoleon, Many play a waiting game, doing little or nothing one way or the other.
The book hangs or falls ultimately on the author's choice of quotes from his sources. Austin, as expected, picks his passages well, keeping the narrative flowing with judicious selections from a multitude of characters. The book is filled with human interest stories, such as the story of Col. Jubé's various trials and tribulations at Grenoble that end in his tumble down a flight of stairs. Or that of Peyrusse, Napoleon's treasurer, and his chest of gold. Readers looking for in-depth military, political or diplomatic analysis should look elsewhere, but for the human story of this exciting time, this is a book you'll want to own.
