--- product_id: 8336327 title: "Napoleon: A Life" price: "B/.106" currency: PAB in_stock: true reviews_count: 7 url: https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/8336327-napoleon-a-life store_origin: PA region: Panama --- # Napoleon: A Life **Price:** B/.106 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Napoleon: A Life - **How much does it cost?** B/.106 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.pa](https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/8336327-napoleon-a-life) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Napoleon: A Life (Audible Audio Edition): Andrew Roberts, John Lee, Penguin Audio: Books Review: Excellent - Six Stars, A Huge Work About An Immense Life - “Napoleon: A Life” is a vast work that describes the life of Napoleon in great detail. I have tried to read many biographies in my life. Without any question I put this biography in the top tier that I have ever read. I purchased the Kindle and paid extra at the time of purchase for the accompanying audiobook. As I will explain, I am glad that I did both. This is a lengthy detailed book that took me multiple months to read and study. It was worth it. I learned a great deal. It was like a college history course. Years ago I began to assess my actual education and real knowledge. It occurred to me, as an American working man, that I had an abysmal lack of knowledge of European history. I started reading non fiction books on the subject and found that authors would make references to people, places, and things under the assumption that I, the reader, would obviously know what they were talking about. And of course, I did not. In regard to Europe evolving from the Middle Ages to modern Europe, The French Revolution was a gigantic event. Out of The French Revolution eventually emerged Napoleon. Napoleon becomes one of the central figures in bridging Europe of The Middle Ages to Modern Europe. He was not alone and far, far from perfect. But his impact was so immense that eventually all the traditional monarchies of Europe, “The Allies” banned together to stop him. This biography attempts to explain that whirlwind of events. The project would have been too big for me. The reason I am very glad that I purchased the audiobook along with the Kindle is the numerous inevitable foreign, to me, pronunciations. The narration was very professional and was similar to listening to a gifted lecturer. On the other hand, the Kindle provided correct spelling. There are hundreds of footnotes that cannot be included in the audiobook. There are also numerous maps and portraits on the Kindle. For an individual such as myself, doing parallel study, the Kindle proved indispensable. If I was really fluent in French, I might not have needed the audiobook, but I really liked it. In summary I thoroughly enjoyed this combination of Kindle and audiobook. I learned a great deal. From my past reading, if one studies this work and wants to take the next step in Pan European History and incorporating emerging America, one might consider “Diplomacy” by Henry Kissinger. I am going to now reread that work. It does include more than European History, but as I recall it starts with diplomacy at the time of Napoleon and moves forward from there. It is another huge work, another history course. Thank You for taking the time to read this review. Review: A must read for military enthusiasts and anyone interested in Napoleon's life and times - A marvelous, unparalleled account of one of history's greatest characters. Andrew Roberts has done what many thought to be impossible - coming up with a new biography on Napoleon that, despite the sheer volume of biographies on him, succeeds in almost every possible way in dethroning the others' and assuming the rightful mantle as the leading book on the subject. Having showered much deserved praise upon this latest entry into this ever growing genre, I have yet to delve in what makes it stand out from the previous installments. Indeed, having previously read Vincent Cronin's masterful account, I only hesitantly got around to reading this book. And oh boy, was it worth it... Let us begin with Roberts' access to a sheer volume of recently published memoranda, memoirs and letters on and of the late emperor which shed some much needed light on Napoleon's character. As stated by the author, all too often is our favourite corsican depicted as an aloof and grave individual, virtually detached from the jovial mundanity typical of the way in which mediterranean people often behave when in private. The same applies for the comradeship, respect and even intimacy he showed to his subordinates, from the higher echelons all the way to the rank-and-file. Then, Roberts' perfect accounts of Napoleon's battles and accompanying maps go a long way in clarifying the state of affairs on the battlefield. Any and all military enthusiasts can and may very well find these chapters utterly enthralling. This is truly a book that is hard to put down, especially after the Italy chapters begin. However, those who can't stand reading to long and detailed battle reports would do well in considering whether this book is the one they ought to read, as it bears the mark of the military historian from start to finish, feeling sometimes more as an exhaustive analysis of Napoleon's campaigns instead of his private life. It's been a while since I read Cronin's book, but I remember him devoting much more time to explaining/analysing other, non-military events surrounding Napoleon or even at other courts (Cronin explicitly retells the Murat melodrama in 1814-1815, which is barely mentioned by Roberts with no context at all provided. While I knew of the affair beforehand, thanks to Cronin's take on the subject, some readers who may be first delving into the subject might be a tad lost in some paragraphs, which could have used a bit more fleshing out). The Zenith Chapter, for instance, was all that was devoted for Napoleon's time as uncontested ruler of Europe, and even then, not even the whole chapter. His wedding options are barely discussed, and of his & Marie Louise's marriage we get to know little - I recall Cronin devoting far more pages to it. Roberts does make up for this in providing the various bits of recently published information mentioned above. There's also the author's masterful prose and pace, which is not to be underestimated in a volume which spans such a length as this one does (over 800 pages of content, plus over a hundred more on notes and bibliography!). Which leads us to the final bit of acclaim: that the author has gone the extra mile to provide us with such a masterful and unrivalled reflects on the bibliography: dozens, if not hundreds of sources - both primary and secondary - have been used by the author to bring about this jewel. His effort deserves every single bit of my praise. One single bit that did bother me was the "britishness" so overly present in some bits of the biography. There was a particular sentence at the final chapter which derided Archduke Charles while showering praise on Wellington, to the point of depicting him as one of the very best military minds of the late 18th and early 19th century. Able as Wellington's command was during the Peninsular War and after the Napoleonic wars, it is difficult to ascertain if he would have been able to cope with Napoleon's pre-1814 genius, which more often than not allowed him to gain the upper hand on other impressive commanders such as the aforementioned Charles, Schwarzenberg, Blücher and Kutuzov. That the very last paragraph of the epilogue is dedicated to Wellington's thoughts on Napoleon, as he were as important a figure as Josephine or even Murat, speaks for itself. The "arch-enemy" relation is hinted in various bits in the book, while I find no reason at all that could compellingly explain why Wellington ought to be deemed as such, having fought only a battle - even if the most decisive one - against the corsican giant. That remark aside, I cannot recommend this book enough - it is a gem amid so many unimaginative biographies, and ought to be read by anyone looking to know more of Napoleon and/or the period. 5/5 stars. ## Images ![Napoleon: A Life - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91aDglAiAHL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent - Six Stars, A Huge Work About An Immense Life *by F***Y on February 5, 2022* “Napoleon: A Life” is a vast work that describes the life of Napoleon in great detail. I have tried to read many biographies in my life. Without any question I put this biography in the top tier that I have ever read. I purchased the Kindle and paid extra at the time of purchase for the accompanying audiobook. As I will explain, I am glad that I did both. This is a lengthy detailed book that took me multiple months to read and study. It was worth it. I learned a great deal. It was like a college history course. Years ago I began to assess my actual education and real knowledge. It occurred to me, as an American working man, that I had an abysmal lack of knowledge of European history. I started reading non fiction books on the subject and found that authors would make references to people, places, and things under the assumption that I, the reader, would obviously know what they were talking about. And of course, I did not. In regard to Europe evolving from the Middle Ages to modern Europe, The French Revolution was a gigantic event. Out of The French Revolution eventually emerged Napoleon. Napoleon becomes one of the central figures in bridging Europe of The Middle Ages to Modern Europe. He was not alone and far, far from perfect. But his impact was so immense that eventually all the traditional monarchies of Europe, “The Allies” banned together to stop him. This biography attempts to explain that whirlwind of events. The project would have been too big for me. The reason I am very glad that I purchased the audiobook along with the Kindle is the numerous inevitable foreign, to me, pronunciations. The narration was very professional and was similar to listening to a gifted lecturer. On the other hand, the Kindle provided correct spelling. There are hundreds of footnotes that cannot be included in the audiobook. There are also numerous maps and portraits on the Kindle. For an individual such as myself, doing parallel study, the Kindle proved indispensable. If I was really fluent in French, I might not have needed the audiobook, but I really liked it. In summary I thoroughly enjoyed this combination of Kindle and audiobook. I learned a great deal. From my past reading, if one studies this work and wants to take the next step in Pan European History and incorporating emerging America, one might consider “Diplomacy” by Henry Kissinger. I am going to now reread that work. It does include more than European History, but as I recall it starts with diplomacy at the time of Napoleon and moves forward from there. It is another huge work, another history course. Thank You for taking the time to read this review. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must read for military enthusiasts and anyone interested in Napoleon's life and times *by R***R on October 30, 2017* A marvelous, unparalleled account of one of history's greatest characters. Andrew Roberts has done what many thought to be impossible - coming up with a new biography on Napoleon that, despite the sheer volume of biographies on him, succeeds in almost every possible way in dethroning the others' and assuming the rightful mantle as the leading book on the subject. Having showered much deserved praise upon this latest entry into this ever growing genre, I have yet to delve in what makes it stand out from the previous installments. Indeed, having previously read Vincent Cronin's masterful account, I only hesitantly got around to reading this book. And oh boy, was it worth it... Let us begin with Roberts' access to a sheer volume of recently published memoranda, memoirs and letters on and of the late emperor which shed some much needed light on Napoleon's character. As stated by the author, all too often is our favourite corsican depicted as an aloof and grave individual, virtually detached from the jovial mundanity typical of the way in which mediterranean people often behave when in private. The same applies for the comradeship, respect and even intimacy he showed to his subordinates, from the higher echelons all the way to the rank-and-file. Then, Roberts' perfect accounts of Napoleon's battles and accompanying maps go a long way in clarifying the state of affairs on the battlefield. Any and all military enthusiasts can and may very well find these chapters utterly enthralling. This is truly a book that is hard to put down, especially after the Italy chapters begin. However, those who can't stand reading to long and detailed battle reports would do well in considering whether this book is the one they ought to read, as it bears the mark of the military historian from start to finish, feeling sometimes more as an exhaustive analysis of Napoleon's campaigns instead of his private life. It's been a while since I read Cronin's book, but I remember him devoting much more time to explaining/analysing other, non-military events surrounding Napoleon or even at other courts (Cronin explicitly retells the Murat melodrama in 1814-1815, which is barely mentioned by Roberts with no context at all provided. While I knew of the affair beforehand, thanks to Cronin's take on the subject, some readers who may be first delving into the subject might be a tad lost in some paragraphs, which could have used a bit more fleshing out). The Zenith Chapter, for instance, was all that was devoted for Napoleon's time as uncontested ruler of Europe, and even then, not even the whole chapter. His wedding options are barely discussed, and of his & Marie Louise's marriage we get to know little - I recall Cronin devoting far more pages to it. Roberts does make up for this in providing the various bits of recently published information mentioned above. There's also the author's masterful prose and pace, which is not to be underestimated in a volume which spans such a length as this one does (over 800 pages of content, plus over a hundred more on notes and bibliography!). Which leads us to the final bit of acclaim: that the author has gone the extra mile to provide us with such a masterful and unrivalled reflects on the bibliography: dozens, if not hundreds of sources - both primary and secondary - have been used by the author to bring about this jewel. His effort deserves every single bit of my praise. One single bit that did bother me was the "britishness" so overly present in some bits of the biography. There was a particular sentence at the final chapter which derided Archduke Charles while showering praise on Wellington, to the point of depicting him as one of the very best military minds of the late 18th and early 19th century. Able as Wellington's command was during the Peninsular War and after the Napoleonic wars, it is difficult to ascertain if he would have been able to cope with Napoleon's pre-1814 genius, which more often than not allowed him to gain the upper hand on other impressive commanders such as the aforementioned Charles, Schwarzenberg, Blücher and Kutuzov. That the very last paragraph of the epilogue is dedicated to Wellington's thoughts on Napoleon, as he were as important a figure as Josephine or even Murat, speaks for itself. The "arch-enemy" relation is hinted in various bits in the book, while I find no reason at all that could compellingly explain why Wellington ought to be deemed as such, having fought only a battle - even if the most decisive one - against the corsican giant. That remark aside, I cannot recommend this book enough - it is a gem amid so many unimaginative biographies, and ought to be read by anyone looking to know more of Napoleon and/or the period. 5/5 stars. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review *by A***R on August 5, 2018* I was loaned this book in Abidjan and mentioned it to a relative in France which is why I bought it. It contains many facts about Napoleon that I was not aware of, all the more interesting that some of his life was spent around where we have a home. Napoleon is a bit of anachronism. Amazing that he made it as far as he did without getting fired. And yet, a genius whose influence is still felt in many countries around the world today. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/8336327-napoleon-a-life](https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/8336327-napoleon-a-life) --- *Product available on Desertcart Panama* *Store origin: PA* *Last updated: 2026-04-24*