Duchess d'Abrantes; Madame Junot
Memoirs of Napoleon, His Court and Family
London, Richard Bentley, 1836. First edition. Leather. The first English edition of this formidable and personal biography on the life and family of Napoleon Bonaparte, complete with plates throughout. The first edition of this work in English.Finely bound in a straight grain morocco binding with gilt decoration to the boards, bound by A. Taffin. Complete in two volumes.'Memoirs of Napoleon' is a personal memoir about the formidable Napoleon Bonaparte, written by Laure Junot, who had a life long acquaintance with him. He had nicknamed her 'Little Pest', for her wit and extravagance after moving to Paris. Despite their earlier generous relationship, she portrayed a sarcastic view of him in her 'Memoirs&apos. Junot didn't side with Bonaparte during his Hundred Days, and had previously taken part in intrigues to bring the Bourbons back.Junot was a child during the French Revolution, and so grew up and lived in a tumultuous time in French history. She was extravagant in her spending, and spent a lot of her time around artistic society. She also had an affair with the fellow author Honore de Balzac, who supervised the writing of these memoirs.Volume I illustrated with a frontispiece, and six plates.Volume II illustrated with a frontispiece, and eight plates.Collated, complete. In a straight grain morocco binding with gilt decoration to the boards, bound by A. Taffin. Externally, very smart. Spines are faded. One small mark to the rear board of Volume II. Bookseller's label to the front paste down of Volume I. Newspaper clipping to the recto of the front endpaper of Volume I, 'Tattle-tale Duchess', from 'The Daily Telegraph' on 28.6.49. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are lightly age-toned and clean, with the very occasional scattered spot. Fine . Ill.: Various. Fine .

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Keywords: Memoirs of Napoleon, His Court and Family napoleon bonaparte duchess d'abrantes napoleon history Various