To return to the site, www.napoleon.org, please click here.   Bulletin - Bulletin                    THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN n° 694, 13-20 DECEMBER, 2013   EDITORIAL We shall miss the bicentenaries when they've gone! They have provided up till now, and will continue to provide at least for the next two or so years, a rallying point for all those in the history industry. We have had, and will have books, web sites, acts of commemoration, re-enactments, etc. etc. The list is almost endless. So let's make hay while the sun shines! The bicentenary of the War of 1812 has been the spur for the restoration of historic sites and the refurbishment of museums and exhibits. It has been the catalyst also for publications of all sorts. In the same way, the French Campaign of 1814, Napoleon's finest (though ultimately, futile) military performance is going to throw up much that is new, interesting, entertaining, moving, pertinent. This week's letter on the French side of the site fires the opening salvoes in the commemoration, and the letter on the English-language side has a clutch of elements related to the War of 1812. So take a ringside seat, and watch the histories unfold…   Peter Hicks, International Relations Manager        ARTICLE OF THE MONTH > “Naval warfare of a new kind during the Napoleonic age: The case of the Anglo-American war of 1812-1814” by Sylvain Pagé (Part 1 and Part 2) Sylvain Pagé charts the breakdown of relations between France, Britain and America as the continental blockade came into operation, leading into the War of 1812 and the attack on the British North American colonies (today Canada). The author takes into account the various factors that drove the United States to declare war on Britain, and situates the conflict in the wider Napoleonic geopolitical context.   > Also check our French Article of the Month by Jean-François Brun on "Les ingénieurs géographes. La science au service de l'Empire"        FRENCH CAMPAIGN BICENTENARY 1814-2014 We are approaching the bicentenary of the French Campaign in 2014, and many events are planned in France which will commemorate Napoleon's last victories before his abdication at Fontainebleau in 1814.  > Full details can be found on the Champagne-Ardenne official website. > There's also a trail so you can follow in Napoleon's footsteps. > Meissonnier famously produced the iconic painting of this last, fateful moment for the First Empire: French Campaign 1814 on Napoleon.org > and for those of you who wish to re-enact the battles on their video screens, you can always play at the video game “Napoleon HistWar”. > Last but not least, if you feel brave enough to dust off your dictionaries, have a look at Yves Jégo's book on the French Campaign. Well worth a read! > And we will be bringing more related to the French Campaign on the website and in the Bulletin!        WHAT'S ON  > Don't forget the exhibition around an beautiful Fortepiano decorated with scenes from the battle of Leipzig at the Museo Napoleonico in Rome! > Also in Italy, this week sees the closure of the 14th Marie-Louise Week " at the Glauco Lombardi Museum in Parma, on Sunday 15 December. Last chance to see the exhibition! > In the US there's are Concert related to the role of Maryland in the War of 1812 on Sunday 15 December, 3pm > Also in North America, for the re-enactors amongst you, there will be a re-enactment battle at Fort Niagara (War of 1812) on 19 December - before 5am(!). Don't forget to set your alarm...        WINTER ITINERARY > Great St Bernard Pass > Going to the Alps for Christmas? There's the perfect Napoleonic mountain entertainment this winter 2013: a snowshoe ‘hike of discovery' with a French mountain guide, Didier Cassany, going through the Great St Bernard Pass, from Switzerland to Italy. > But if you can't go in person, our puzzle of 'Napoleon Crossing the Great St Bernard Pass' is a nearly the same... ;-) CHRISTMAS CARDS Have you missed the last posting date for your Christmas cards? Don't panic! You can still send an e-card from the Fondation Napoléon Collection! DIGITAL LIBRARY > Digital Library updates! We are proud to annouce that the Fondation Napoléon Digital Library page gives access to 8,000 Napoleonically related texts. In the scroll-bar menus, readers have direct access to articles (38%), prints and other illustrations (9%) and maps (6%). Books represent only 47% of the total of 8,000. It is the policy of our librarian, Chantal Prevot, only to select sources on less frequented sites (i.e., not Gallica), namely digital journals and other European websites. Check out the Fondation Napoléon Digital Library!        200 YEARS AGO > A week in the newspapers In view of the catastrophic political situation and fall-out after the defeat of Leipzig, the French government in its official organ this week largely avoided any mention of contemporary politics at home (though every day it published anti-British articles related to the War of 1812). The pages were filled rather with articles of general cultural interest, such as translations of the classics, notably Catullus' long poem about Peleus and Thetis (Moniteur of Monday 13 December, 1813, translation by litterateur and jurist Pierre-François Ursin (1785-1830)), and obituaries of great men of culture, such as the Italian classicist (and committed supporter of the Empire) Luigi Lamberti (1756-1813)(Moniteur of 14 December), the Belgian composer Grétry (1741-1813) (Moniteur of Friday 17 December), and THE bassoon virtuoso of the period, Etienne Ozi (1754-1813). Also in the Moniteur (Sunday 19 December) was a long and detailed review of a travel diary in Persia, Armenia and Minor Asia and Constantinople in the years 1808 and 1809, by Jacques Morier, Embassy secretary at the Persian Court. Those young enough not to be concerned by the impending invasion of French soil could have buried their heads in the sand and studied Farsi in the newly created Paris Institute of Oriental Languages (founded on 13 December). Other languages taught included Arabic, Turkish, Armenian and modern Greek. No question of publishing anything related to news from the front…   150 YEARS AGO > Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to ask you to raise your glasses to ‘The Year 1863'… 1863 was indeed a very good year. The Heineken ™ brewery was founded on 16 December, 1863, and one of the company's oldest French breweries was also built in the same period. To add to the year's alcoholic renown, it also saw the birth of Martini and Elixir d'Anvers (external links). Cheers! Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,   Peter Hicks and Lucie Louvrier     THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 694, 13-20 DECEMBER, 2013 Interested in the work of the Fondation Napoléon? Why not participate, either generally or in a specific project, by making a donation?   © This Napoleon.org weekly bulletin is published by the Fondation Napoléon. Reproduction or all or part of this bulletin is forbidden, without prior agreement of the Fondation Napoléon.          OPERATION ST HELENA The Fondation Napoléon and the Souvenir Napoléonien, in association with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have announced the prolongation of its international fund-raising campaign to restore and save Napoleon I's residence on the island of St Helena. All the details regarding the campaign as well as donation forms and advice for donating from outside France, can be found on napoleon. org. You can still donate online to the project via the Friends of the Fondation de France in the US here.   ALWAYS AVAILABLE Problems with a link in this letter? - Check the homepage on napoleon. org - View back numbers of the bulletin - Contact us    Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter!   napoleon. org - related content:   MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS SELECTION Still haven't bought your presents yet, and short of ideas? Don't fret: the Fondation Napoléon Christmas selection offers you plenty of food for thought in your desperate search for what to get your nearest and dearest! JUST PUBLISHED - GREHAN John, MACE Martin, The Battle of Barrosa, 1811 - Forgotten Battle of the Peninsular War - BAMFORD Andrew, A Bold and Ambitious Enterprise: The British Army in the Low Countries 1813-1814 EVENTS On now and coming up A selection of events taking place now or in the coming weeks, taken from our What's on listings.   SEEN ON THE WEB (external links) - France's official census body has addressed a letter to the late French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte...! - Modern chef and old recipes... Heston Blumenthal cooks on board the HMS Victory - and if it's period recipes you're looking for, don't forget our "Bon appetit!" page! - We've been following the Napoleon biopic project since Bulletin n° 690, and here's an update: Warner Bros has signed famous screenwriter Jeremy Doner for biopic on Napoleon   NAPOLEON.ORG   THE BEST OF THE MONTH: - Book of the month - Painting of the month - Objet d'Art of the month - Article of the month  NAPOLEONICA.LA REVUE Available free on Cairn.info THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY The library is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 1pm – 6pm and on Thursdays from 10am – 3pm. The library will be closed from 24 December 2013 to 1 January 2014 and closed on Friday 3 January. Online catalogue Digital Library Contact   ACCOUNT DETAILS To change your email address, unsubscribe, and sign up for the French information bulletin.