A Selection from the Letters and Despatches of the First Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) is best remembered for establishing the First French Empire, declaring himself Emperor of the French in 1804. His military campaigns across Europe sparked the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and profoundly shaped European political and economic activities during the early nineteenth century. These volumes, edited by military officer and historian Denis Arthur Bingham and first published in 1884, contain translations of a selection of Bonaparte's letters. Bonaparte was a prolific letter writer, and the translations in these volumes describe a variety of domestic and international situations, including his early military career, his reports on the invasion of Egypt, and his criticism of his relatives who he had installed on the thrones of various conquered countries. Arranged by year with concise explanatory notes, these volumes provide a valuable and fascinating resource for the study of Bonaparte's career and character. Volume 1 covers his childhood and career until 1802.