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Josephine

A Life of the Empress

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Josephine

By: Carolly Erickson
Narrated by: Anna Fields
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Summary

When, in 1804, Josephine Bonaparte knelt before her husband Napoleon to receive the imperial diadem, few in the vast crowd of onlookers were aware of the dark secrets hidden behind the imperial façade. To her subjects, she appeared to be the most favored woman in France: alluring, wealthy, and with the devoted love of a remarkable husband who was the conqueror of Europe. In actuality, Josephine's life was far darker: her celebrated allure was fading, her wealth was compromised by massive debt, and her marriage was corroded by infidelity and abuse.

Josephine's life story was as turbulent as the age—an era of revolution and social upheaval, frenzied hedonism and the guillotine. With telling psychological depth and compelling literary grace, Carolly Erickson brings the complex, charming, ever-resilient Josephine to life, carrying us along every twist and turn of the empress' often thorny path,from the sensual richness of her childhood in the tropics to her final lonely days at Malmaison.

©1998 Carolly Erickson (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Politics & Activism Royalty Women Fiction Marriage Middle Ages

Critic Reviews

“An intimate, richly detailed, and candid portrait.”

(Kirkus Reviews)

“Carolly Erickson tells [this story] with all the flair it deserves...Exquisite writing.”

(Houston Chronicle)

“The focus is always on Josephine, whose psychology is discussed at length. Erickson succeeds in making her subject an attractive figure, if hardly an exemplar of moral rectitude.”

(Amazon.com editorial review)
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An intriguing deep dive into the big life of a truly iconic woman who had a story much more complicated than anything that I ever could have imagined. Engrossing.

Fascinating.

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I knew very little about Empress Josephine apart from her connection to Napoleon. What a fascinating woman and what a roller-coaster of a life!

I learnt so much.

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Really enjoyed listening to this narrator and hearing the tale of Josephine told like a novel. Great way to learn about a historical figure.

history lesson made easy

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I had no idea that Josephine’s life crossed from pre-revolution France to after the fall of Bonaparte. Seeing this time period via Josephine’s life was fascinating.

Fascinating glimpse into history

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