(ed., trans.), Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon’s Grande Armée

This useful book makes available in English about 80% of the Bulletins of the Grande Armée (some for the first time), the Bulletins for the Peninsula War being omitted. But despite the title, this book does not just include Bulletins. There are proclamations, reports by other commanders than Napoleon (even enemy!), letters of Napoleon, decrees, orders, in fact all sorts of documents. Unfortunately there is no detailed contents page, so readers would never guess… and the book is very difficult to use as a result. Futhermore there is no commentary. It is true that this would have lengthened the book greatly, but there is much here that needs 'unwrapping' and the general reader (and also the enthusiast, I would urge) often needs help. The translations are faithful (Mr Markham was significantly assisted, he tells us, by Bernadette Workman, who did some of the translation herself), and the documents in themselves are interesting exercises in rhetoric. But Markham goes too far when he tries to defend their veracity: 'It must […] be noted that much of what was published was reasonably accurate', (p.2). The Bulletins, in particular (to say nothing of the proclamations), were pure propaganda and 'spin'; home-front reports, designed more to 'up' morale than to give an accurate account of the affair. Indeed, for soldiers in the Grande Armée, Bulletins became a by-word for being 'economic with the truth' – 'menteur comme un bulletin' (liar like a bulletin), as the famous expression ran, but not cited by Markham in his discussion of the 'spin' question. Another element not picked up by Markham in his introduction, but rightly emphasised by Jean Tulard in a recent article (Orages. Littératures et Culture 1760-1830, no. 1, pp. 85-88 'Un écrivain prénommé Napoléon') is the authorial skill and oratorical excellence of the pieces. As creative writing, they are amongst the best. Las Cases tells us in the Mémorial that, on Saint Helena, Napoleon would reread his proclamations and bulletins simply for the pleasure of it. 'They caused a reaction in him. He derived pleasure from reading his own words; he was moved. “And they said I couldn't write!” he exclaimed'. This is a book for all those interested in Napoleonic propaganda and Napoleon's use of the pen.
 
J. David Markham, Executive Vice-President and Editor-in-Chief of the International Napoleonic Society and Executive Vice-President of the Napoleonic Alliance, is also author of Napoleon's Road to Glory, London: Brassey's, 2003.

Contents (not listed in the book):
1805, pp. 9-73
37 Bulletins of the Grande Armee
9 Bulletins of Massena's Army of Italy
9 Proclamations
3 Decrees
2 Orders of the Day
3 Letters – Palffy to Davout, Davout's reply to Pallfy, and Napoleon to Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Belloy, identified by Markham simply as Cardinal Archbishop of Paris
1 Treaty of Peace (actually Pressburg)
 
1806-1807, pp. 74-183
87 Bulletins
4 Proclamations
1 Letter (Napoleon to the Senate)
1 Treaty between France and Prussia (actually Tilsit)
1 Treaty between France and Russia (actually Tilsit)
 
1809, pp. 184-243
30 Bulletins
4 Proclamations
2 Proclamations of the King of Saxony
2 Orders of the Day
2 Reports by the Viceroy (Eugene) (confusingly entitled simply 'Army of Italy')
1 Letter (excerpt of a letter from Prince Poniatowski to the Prince de Neuchâtel) – not 3 letters as cited on the Greenhill Books website
1 Armistice (not cited on Greenhill website)
1 Treaty between France and Austria (actually Vienna)
 
1812, pp. 244-314
29 Bulletins
1 Final dispatch from Paris (untitled in the book)
1 Order of the Day
1 Letter (printed as if to an anonymous bishop, but in fact a round robin to all the bishops of the Empire)
21 Field Reports
 
1813, pp. 315-390
51 Reports from Le Moniteur
2 Proclamations
2 Reports from Marshal Berthier
1 Report from General Vandamme
1 Report from Marshal Ney
1 Report from General Milhaud
6 Letters (Napoleon to the Duchess of Istria (wife of Bessières), Count Vandamme to Prince of Eckmühl, Napoleon to Duc de Massa (in fact Régnier, but not mentioned in the book), Napoleon to Marie-Louise (extract), Caulaincourt to Commandant of the Saxon Cuirrassiers, Alexander to Liuetenant-Colonel of the Bavarian Troops)
1 Armistice
 
1814, pp. 391-425
23 Reports from Le Moniteur, including two 'Bulletins' at the end of the campaign
2 Proclamations
1 Decree
1 Order of the Day
2 Speeches
1 Act of Abdication
 
Glossary and Index