Joséphine

the long version

"The love story of Josephine de Beauharnais and Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most dramatic in history, but the crucial role this beautiful, intelligent woman played in their partnership has rarely been completely understood or explained. In this biography, rich in detail and anecdote, Eleanor DeLorme brings the exotic Josephine to life, revealing how frequently Napoleon confided in her and how much he depended upon her sense of style and her sympathetic personality to set the tone of his empire.". "This book, illustrated with works of art that depict many of the individuals and episodes in Josephine's remarkable life, focuses not only on the crucial role that she played in Napoleon's political and military career but also on her support of the arts. Called by historians the finest ornament of the French court, Josephine was clearly a match for the emperor and one who left a brilliant artistic legacy. The text also provides captivating details of her social and personal life, based on the memoirs of her children and on the remembrances of her contemporaries who remarked on her unfailing grace, her exceptional warmth, and her singular distinction. It was these qualities above all that caused Napoleon to call her "my incomparable Josephine.""--BOOK JACKET.