First published in 1831, this book contains the complete memoirs of Louis-Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne (1769--1834), a French diplomat who worked as secretary to Napoleon Bonaparte. In his memoirs, Bourrienne provides an intimate and vivid account of his contact with Napoleon and many close to him including his mother, siblings, his first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais, and other notable politicians and eminent people. A fascinating insight into the life and mind of one of France's most famous historical figures not to be missed by those with an interest in European history. Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a French political and military leader during the Revolutionary Wars who ruled as Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, and again in 1815. Winning the vast amount of battles against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars, he was able to establish a large empire covering continental Europe that lasted until its collapse in 1815. Napoléon is regarded as being among the greatest military commanders in history, and is still a celebrated yet controversial political figure. Contents include: "Volume I, 1769-1800", "Volume II, 1800-1803", "Volume III, 1805-1814", and "Volume IV, 1814-1821". Read & Co. History is proudly republishing these classic memoirs now in a new edition complete with an introductory chapter by Ralph Waldo Emerson.