Napoleon and de Gaulle Two French Heroes
Patrice Gueniffey
The two leading figures in the history of France seen from the perspective of one of France’s major historians. Biography
February 2017 448 pages
Professor at the EHESS (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) in Paris, Patrice Gueniffey has published, among other books, La Politique de la Terreur (The Politics of the Terror, Fayard, 2000). His recent biography of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte and Charles De Gaulle are the two favorite historical figures of the French – the two emblematic heads of state of modern France. Combining his subtlety as an analyst, his vision as a historian and his masterful writing skills, Patrice Gueniffey gives us an authoritative, ground-breaking essay that compares and contrasts the careers and personalities of the two giants, within the framework of a reflection on the figure of the French savior.
(Gallimard, 2013) was hailed by critics. He has since directed the best historians in the collective work Les derniers jours des rois (The Last Days of the Kings, Perrin 2014), attracting 25,000 readers; he has also written, with Thierry Lentz, La fin des Empires (The End of Empires, Perrin 2016), which has sold 14,000 copies to date).
Rebecca Byers | Foreign Rights Manager rebecca.byers@edi8.fr
Sharing the same military background, both men took advantage of the chaos of a dying regime (the Directoire, the Fourth Republic) to seize power and create a system based on executive primacy and centralized administration. Their two consulates are viewed today with universal admiration – served of course by their genius for propaganda (Napoleon’s Grande Armée bulletins and proclamations, the General’s press conferences) in the service of a unifying cause and the same quest for greatness. These two great politicians were also bona fide writers (The Memorial of St. Helena and the Complete War Memoirs can both be found in the distinguished Bibliothèque de la Pléiade collection), who became living legends after a reign of similar duration (1799-1815; 194446 and 1958-69). The tragedy of their fall and the solitude of their end conspired to create their brilliant myth, which continues to outshine their successors. But they were also profoundly different. Imperial excesses, for instance, contrasted with the Gaullist pragmatism that could give up the Empire for the Europe the Napoleonic eagle had torn apart. On all these issues, and numerous others, the author provides a fresh outlook.
Napoleon and de Gaulle Deux héros français
Patrice Gueniffey
Les deux figures de proue de l’histoire de France au prisme du meilleur historien français actuel. Biographie
Février 2017 448 pages
Patrice Gueniffey est directeur d’études à l’EHESS et membre du Centre d’études sociologiques et politiques Raymond-Aron. Il a notamment écrit Bonaparte, qui a été unanimement salué par la critique et qui a reçu le Grand Prix de la Fondation Napoléon, et a dirigé
Héros préférés des Français, Napoléon Bonaparte et Charles de Gaulle incarnent la figure du sauveur. Si beaucoup les sépare, à commencer par le siècle où ils vécurent, ils ont en commun d’avoir élevé notre patrie au-dessus d’elle-même, dans une quête de la grandeur nourrie d’une certaine idée de sa mission et de sa vocation à éclairer le monde. Dans cet essai historique puissant, porté par une plume rare, Patrice Gueniffey croise leur existence et interroge leur destin, ouvrant des pistes fécondes sur leur personnalité et leur œuvre.
(avec Thierry Lentz) l’ouvrage collectif La Fin des Empires (Perrin/ Le Figaro Histoire).
Rebecca Byers | Foreign Rights Manager rebecca.byers@edi8.fr
A travers les métamorphoses de leurs Mémoires, l’auteur ausculte enfin la France, celle d’hier et surtout d’aujourd’hui, hantée comme jamais par son histoire dans l’espoir de répondre à ses doutes et exorciser son malheur. Un livre magistral et qui fera date.