Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume I

In this captivating memoir, the author recounts his boyhood friendship with Napoleon Bonaparte, beginning in their Corsican childhood when they were just eight years old. Their paths diverge when Napoleon is transferred from the Military College of Brienne to a prestigious institution in Paris in 1784. With a stern demeanor and a disdainful attitude toward the French who have overtaken Corsica, Napoleons journey unfolds. At just 16, he critiques the military education system, prompting swift graduation and a posting to an artillery regiment. The author later reunites with Napoleon in Paris, where both find themselves in dire financial straits. Following a tumultuous encounter with an angry mob, the author accepts a position in Stuttgart while Napoleon returns to Corsica. By 1799, their lives converge again in Paris, where the French government considers promoting Napoleon to brigadier-general of infantry—an offer he ultimately declines. As he rises to command Paris, Napoleons persona