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The arrival of an important prisoner forever changes the lives of the residents of the island of St. Helena, in a child's eye view of the life and times of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Millbrook Press; First US Edition edition (April 1, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0761301062
ISBN-13: 978-0761301066
Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 0.3 x 10.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,400,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #117 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > European #945 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Europe
I bought this book for my child as a gift from my trip to New Orleans because I wanted her to learn a little something about the Emperor from a child's point of view. The book's illustrations are lovely, and there is a good deal of truth to the story. Napoleon loved children, not just his own, but all others to whom he came in to contact. Betsy was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise miserable situation. My one BIG complaint is the error at the end stating the Emperor died not long after Miss Balcombe returned to England. I found myself doing something I rarely do in my daughter's books: I sat down with a pen and corrected the error. The Emperor lived, I believe, about 3 more years after Miss Balcombe left the island.
I'm writing this review in part because I take exception to the library review journal saying that older children wouldn't enjoy this version of events. I first read this book as part of a homeschool program and it had me laughing out loud. Betsy was a mischievous girl, to say the least. The snippets of her life included in this book show a side of Napoleon that you won't find anywhere else. I have a degree in French and have studied French culture and history. Napoleon has been described as ambitious, overbearing, prideful, and begrudgingly, as a brilliant general and tactician. Napoleon was also very much a human being who paid the price for his pride. This book gives you a glimpse of Napoleon as the somewhat humbled prisoner. I say, somewhat, because we see glimpses of his ties to his past throughout the short book. I think it's important when studying history, to keep in mind that our historical heroes and villains weren't superhuman. They weren't static. They had flaws and strengths, times of weakness and times of greatness. We are able to see how ordinary humans became extraordinary and that those who were extraordinary were also ordinary. This book serves that purpose. It is not a complete picture of Napoleon, but it does help complete that picture. And, as to whether or not older children will enjoy it, I just read it to my 13, 11, and 9 year old boys. My 13 year old has begun reading an "older" version of Betsy's journal, and he mentioned it to me knowing how much I like this book. And, yes, even my 13 year old boy enjoyed it.
Napoleon's Everyday Gourmet Burgers (Napoleon Gourmet Grills) Symbols of Power: Napoleon and the Art of the Empire Style, 1800-1815 Napoleon: A Life My Napoleon P. G. T. Beauregard: Napoleon in Gray (Southern Biography Series) Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace Imperial Guard Cavalry (Napoleon's Last Army) Imperial Guard Infantry and Artillery (Napoleon's Last Army) Blücher: Scourge of Napoleon (Campaigns and Commanders Series) The First Total War: Napoleon's Europe and the Birth of Warfare as We Know It Napoleon: The End of Glory Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History Napoleon & Josephine: The Sword And The Hummingbird The Napoleon Hill Double Classic: Think And Grow Rich & The Law Of Success In Sixteen Lessons The Wisdom of Success: The Philosophy of Achievement by Andrew Carnegie & Napoleon Hill Napoleon's Buttons: 17 Molecules That Changed History Vienna 1814: How the Conquerors of Napoleon Made Love, War, and Peace Napoleon And Josephine: An Improbable Marriage
