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| |  | | Home » The Rose of Martinique: A Life of Napoleon's Josephine | | | | | | | Description: | | One of the most remarkable women of the modern era, Josephine Bonaparte was born Rose de Tasher on her family's sugar plantation in Martinique. She embodied all the characteristics of a true Creole-sensuality, vivacity, and willfulness. Using diaries and letters, Andrea Stuart expertly re-creates Josephine's whirlwind of a life, which began with an isolated Caribbean childhood and led to a marriage that would usher her onto the world stage and crown her empress of France.
Josephine managed to be in the forefront of every important episode of her era's turbulent history: from the rise of the West Indian slave plantations that bankrolled Europe's rapid economic development, to the decaying of the ancien régime, to the French Revolution itself, from which she barely escaped the guillotine.
Rescued from near starvation, she grew to epitomize the wild decadence of post-revolutionary Paris. It was there that Josephine first caught the eye of Napoleon Bonaparte. A true partner to Napoleon, she was equal parts political adviser, hostess par excellence, confidante, and passionate lover. In this captivating biography, Stuart brings her so utterly to life that we finally understand why Napoleon's last word before dying was the name he had given her: Josephine. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Andrea Stuart | | Paperback:
| 480 pages | | Publisher:
| Grove Press | | Publication Date:
| May 10, 2005 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0802142028 | | Package Length:
| 8.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.8 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.4 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.45 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 5 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Forget about Erickson, this is the only good English biography about Empress Josephine.Oct 17, 2008
Luminous skin, dark blue eyes, heavy chestnut hair, harmonious features, Josephine was a charming young lady even when her mouth was too small and one of her teeth was stained from eating too much sugar as a child.
Married to the Viscount of Beauharnais, a relative of hers, the young "creole" had to endure her husband's infidelities and humiliations. Just when she thought she was finally getting some stability in her life, the "Terror" takes place and she nearly lost her head. Indeed, unlike other Aristocrats of her time, the little "creole" proved to have an amazing sense of adaptability and cleverness which allowed her to survive the most hostile situations.
Unlike Carolly Erickson, Andrea Stuart has done a lot of serious research on the days of the Ancient Regime and the Revolution. This research enables us to understand Josephine and the reasons behind her actions. For example, Stuart reveals that Josephine was most likely faking when "she fainted" upon hearing about Napoleon's wishes for divorce. The Empress was a product of XVIII Century theatrics but she always managed to make the best of each situation. She even charmed Napoleon's enemy, Tzar Alexander of Russia in order to secure the protection of her children.
A woman of true style and beauty, she helped define European fashion during the early XIX Century. This didn't keep her from becoming an accomplished biologist, conducting valuable research on the nature of many exotic animals and plants.
This book brings light to the life of a remarkable woman whom perhaps died too young...
An excellent and engaging narrative...Feb 13, 2008
Some years ago I rented this book from my local library - and it was good enough that when I saw it here on Amazon, I decided right away I should own it! For anyone wanting to know more about the fascinating life of Empress Josephine - born Marie-Josephe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie - this is the book. It's engaging and informative - and a wonderful read. The imagery of Martinique is lush and the descriptions of life in France are abundantly detailed. You won't regret purchasing this book!
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Thorough, interesting, and informativeNov 22, 2006
Even after visiting the birthplace and burial site of 'Josephine', I realized I knew next to nothing about her that was favorable. Most biographies focus on Napoleon. This biography offered some more insite into the world she lived in and how it shaped her. I found one superficial innacuracy of the decscription of Martinique and the book did not really mention much about the re-institution of slavery in the French colonies after the Revolution message of 'egalitie', which is usually blamed on the Creole Josephine. All in all, this is a superb piece of history and I am glad to add it to my library.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Very good researchAug 02, 2004
Andrea Stuart's telling of the life of the Empress Josephine is wonderfully entertaining and very telling. I have been fascinated by the story of Napoleon and Josephine since I was 13 years old am always looking for new information on the subjects and their lives. As a history major at UK I very much appreciated the research that Ms. Stuart obviously did on the times and circumstances in which Josephine lived. Especially in regards to the issue of slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries. She obviously cares deeply for the memory of the Empress and has done Her Majesty a superb honor with this work.
13 of 16 found the following review helpful:
A stunning lifeMar 15, 2004
Andrea Stuart's new biography on the life of Napoleon's most famous mistress, Josephine, is a complete and captivating story of one of France most powerful women at a time of social and political upheaval as France sought to reestablish its identity at the heart of Europe and the New World. It is a rich biography, expanding to discuss in depth the political and social reality of the time and the nature and actions of those personages that influenced Josephine the greatest.
The story commences with the birth of Marie-Josephe-Rose de Tascher de La Pagerie on the island of Martinque, After delving into her childhood, Rose's life truly commenced with her enagagement and subsequent marriage to Alexandre de Beauharnais - often pointed to as the galant, de Valmont, of Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses. After a rocky marriage as her overly florid and highly unsuited to marriage husband took a multitude of lovers, charmed his way through Parisien society and ended up accusing the innocent Rose of adultery whilst he on a trip back to Martinque and she in Paris, Rose found herself with two children, separated and in a the convent of Panthemont. It was to prove a turning point as, just before the French Revolution ignited she returned from new new home at Fontainbleu to Martinque. Whilst there she did not escape the violence of it as Martinque was one of the first colonies to follow the mainland and she was forced to flee the island of her birth forever.
She returned to a Paris where republicanism was the new `word' . In the meantime her husband, Alexandre, had risen to prominence amongst the new wave of political power and was actually President of the National Assembly the month Rose returned. As a result of her husband's fame, so Rose grew in recognition by association. As Alexandre presided over the capture of the fleeing King the event polarized the camps into the Feuillant party against the Girondists and Jacobins and Alexandre, for a time became the de facto ruler of France.
It was a fortunate time for Rose as her husband's position enabled her to make friendships with France's new elite and to find time for amorous pursuits. However, come Louis XVI's execution and England's declaration of war, Alexandre's ineptitude in his new position as commander of the Rhine armies and his libertine nature led to his downfall under the Law of Suspects and Rose's subsequent arrest. After several months of imprisonment at Les Carmes Alexandre died at the guillotine days before Robespierre and days after Rose was released.
By 1795 she had come to meet the man who would eclipse her - Napoleon.
At his point Stuart digresses onto a quick recount of Napoleon's life and career before Rose engaged on her relationship. Napoleon was smitted and proposed, Rose only accepting after realising Hoche was no longer available to her. It was at this point Napoleon renamed her Josephine. What follows is a period as Napoleon swept all before him in Italy whilst all the time writing letter upon letter to her in fits of passion alternating between over-eloquent expressions of love and frustration at her seeming coldness. It was a reversal of roles from Josephine's first marriage, but as Napoleon's fame and power grew, so did hers. Stuart does well here to interpose love letter text with historical action and emotional frenzy, sweeping the reader along on the tides created by the future emperor.
As Napoleon aged and his power increased there came the inevitable shift in power each held in their personal relationship forced along by Josephine's relationship with Hippolyte Charles eventually culminating in the very public knowledge of the problematic state of their marriage while Napoleon was in Eygpt and the now somewhat embellished episode at the house at rue de la Victoire.
What follows is a recount of Napoleon's rise to fame, Josephine's active participation in the conspiracy that secured his position within the Consulate and her transformation from `decadent Directoire godess into virtuous, restrained statesman's wife" (p270). Josephine's social skills soon translated into the highest political weapon as she presided from her Yellow Salon providing support for the emigres but not yet extending to the exiled Louis XVIII. However, she retained a loving family atmosphere with her two children and Napoleon despite their lack of children together.
Eventually, Napoleon acclaimed himself Emperor of France in 1894 and Stuart treats us to a lengthy discourse on Josephine's battle with Napoleon's family, her final spiritual marriage to him and their coronation.
As Empress of the French the rest of her life was played against the tumult of several legendary European battles with conquests of great nations, yet done in a manner that meant she retained her regality. As Empress her life was rigorously dictated, protocol dominating her every move, her life peripatetic. Stuart illustrates this with a detailed look at a typical day following with how she influenced French society, patronaging the arts and acting as the gentle foil to Napoloeon's rudeness.
However, it all fell apart when Napoleon divorced her on Dec 15, 1809 and she spent the rest of her life either touring France or at Malmaison. Acclaimed as a generous host she spent four years playing this part as Napoleon's Grnad Empire began to fall apart and it all ended suddenly in 1813 with Napoleon's exile on Elba and Josephine succumbing, aged 51, to her final moments.
Andrea Stuart's biography of France's most celebrated Empress is effortlessly written, evoking an emotional reponse full of admiration for this woman who transformed from the rose of Martinque to one of the most powerful and loved women of the time. Whilst popular history may relegate her to the boudoir with the infamous phrase of `Not tonight, Josephine' from Napoleon, what this effort has done is draw attention to a woman who place in history is very much assured.Highly recommended.
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