TJEANCLAUDEDAMAMME

REPRESENTATIVEFORFRANCEOFTHEINTERNATIONAL NAPOLEONICSOCIETYOFMONTREAL ReviewsTHEREALNAPOLEON:TheUntoldStory

AttheI.N.S.,IpersonallyknowagoodnumberofNapoleonssoldiersand valiantaretheyall,butwithoutwishingoffencetotheothers,Ithinkthereisone whohasdemonstratedexceptionalmerit. Infact,JohnTarttelinisa"SoldierofNapoleon"cutoffinenemyterritory,that istosayinthisparticularcontext,Englandnotaneasytaskandhebelongsto thatselectcohortofthemostactivemembersoftheI.N.S.,andassuchisan honorarymember. Englishspeakingvisitorstooursite(notforgettingthatyoucanreadsomeof hiswritingstranslatedonourFrenchsite)arefamiliarwithhisarticlesthatare inequalmeasureeruditeandscathing,andalwayssolidlyargued.Thismakes themaformidablechallenge.Andunacceptabletosome.Andthosesomeare numerous. Johnpracticestheprofessionofhistorian,andhowcontroversialheisinhis owncountry,asmentionedearlier! InFrance,justgivingNapoleonanimagedifferentfromthestereotypeof bloodthirstytyrant,etc.isaherculeanchallenge,arashactthatimmediately arousesaccusationsofNapoleonatry."1So,imaginetheenergythatJohnhadto deploytotrytohavehisworkpublishedandIdonotthinkthatIambetraying anyconfidencesbyherebrieflymentioninghisendlessarmwrestlingwithhis publisher,becauseinsodoing,Imerelywishtopaytributetohisperseverance duringalongmanhunt"inwhichhewastakenforaride.
A small experience of my own along the same lines: through a professional contact, I sent my book on the 1812 campaign in Russia to a well-known, major London literary agent, Andrew Nurnberg. I was looking for an opening abroad, but definitely not in England. After expressing his appreciation of the work, his verdict was that my book was too favourable to Napoleon and too hostile to England. No comment needed!
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A PUBLISHER-CENSOR Twoexamples:John,whoreveresBenWeiderasmuchasIdoandinfact dedicatedhisworktohim,discoveredthathispublisherhad,withoutconsulting him,addedanappendixtohistext.Andnotjustaboutsomedetail,butaboutthe fameddiscoveryofeminentSwissscientists,whoconcluded,aftermeasuring hispants,thatthePrisonerofSaintHelenahadindeeddiedfromhisiconic stomachcancer. HowcouldJohnpossiblyacceptsuchadishonestanddishonourable compromise?Asecondexample:aftereightmonthsofprocrastination,hehad anothersurprise,anunpleasantoneasyoumightsuspect.Whenhereceivedthe proofsforcorrection,hefoundthatthissamepublishingwheelerdealerhadof hisownaccordcut3,000wordsfromtheoriginaltext,andcoincidence? includingeverythingthatwasfavourabletoNapoleon,allreferencestotheI.N.S., andallarticlescitingtheaffairmeaningthepoisoningofNapoleon. WhocouldstilldoubtthatontheothersideoftheChannelalso,thisisatopic thatmustbesuppressed? GO LOOK ELSEWHERE! Obviouslyitwouldtakeaverycynicallymindedpersontosuspectforan instantthattheremayhavebeentheslightestconnectionbetweenthepublisher inquestionandtheFondationNapolon,where,unlessIamverymuch mistaken,twooftheofficialsare...English. Youshouldalsohaveadirtymindtosuspectanypossiblecollusionbetween thisBritishpublisher,panicstrickentoseesuchhereticalmaterialbearhis imprint,andthereigningauthoritiesofNapoleonicstudiesinFrance,whoare knownfortheirgreathonestyonthissubject,togetherwiththeirrelentless effortstoimposeastonysilenceusingallmeansattheirdisposalandIassure you,theyaremany. Forthelaststrawindishonesty,thepublisher,withoutinformingtheauthor themindbogglesatsuchcontempt!begantoadvertisethisadulterated manuscriptonamajoronlinesite,AmazonUSandUK,notthatIwishtomention anynames. Andwethoughtcensorshipwasathingofthepast!Itcontinuestothrivewhere Napoleonisconcerned.AndthisisjustastrueinFrance.1
In contrast, the sordid pamphlet in which Claude Ribbe gleefully spews his venom over Napoleon has had no difficulty in being republished.
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Johngaveinstructionsthathismanuscriptbepublishedasprovidedforunder thetermsofthecontract.Theonlyresponsefromthepublisher,takenabackby theauthorsresistancetohisdictates,was,Golookelsewhere! If,asoftenhappensinFrance,wheremanymoreorlessamateurauthorsare willingtoacceptanyconditionsinordertogetpublished,Johnhadindeedgiven way,hisbookwouldhadbeenpublished,butinacompletelyemasculatedform. Ultimately,hedecidedtoappealtoAmazonspublishingplatformthat,notmuch botheredwiththeseabsurdanddishonestdisputes,publishedthebookwhose coveryouseebelow.

A PLEA FOR THE TRUTH Morethanabookintheordinarysenseoftheterm,TheRealNapoleonThe UntoldStoryisaboveallapassionatelyargued,factualrefutationthatconsigns tothetrash,whereitrightlybelongs,allthedishonourheapedonthememoryof Napoleonsincehisdeathin1821. IshallnotdwellonwhatJohnTarttelinhaswrittenonthecareerofthe Emperor,butIdonotehisoriginalapproachinrecountingsomemajorepisodes ofwhatwejustlytermtheEpicofNapoleonslife.Hedrawsupontheaccounts oftwoiconsoftheGrandeArme,Coignetandtheendearingandintelligent SergeantBourgogneoftheImperialGuard,thegreatreporteroftheRussian campaign. AndJohnstirades,whatverve! TiradesagainstthebadfaithanddishonestyofsomanyEnglishhistorians, authorsandjournalists,who,inthetraditionofthecartoonistsandpolemicists ofthetime,heapinsultsonNapoleonthatweFrenchhavetheimbecilityand cowardicetotakeforgranted,withouteverquestioningorrefutingoreven protestingtheattack.SoTarttelinrejectstheallegedatrocitiesdontbeafraid oftheword,itsincommonusewhichNapoleonwassupposedtobeguiltyof.I shantgooveritagain,weallknowhowthattunegoes.Sotheauthor counterattackswhereithurtsandtakesonEnglandstwosuperstarsNelson andWellington. TheauthorgivesusatimelyreminderofwhatcanonlybecalledtheMassacre ofCopenhagenin1807.SinceDenmarkdidnotwanttojoinintheantiFrench crusade,itscapitalwasattackedwithoutanywarningordeclarationofwarby

thecombinedforcesofthearmyandtheRoyalNavy,attheheadofwhichwe findthenamesWellingtonandNelson.Thisconstitutedanactofpiracythatwas unprecedentedintheethosofthetime,whichcausedsometwothousand civiliancasualtiesandreducedtoashesoverhalfofthecity. WasNapoleoneverguiltyofsuchaviolation,orsuchacrime,tobemore precise? AndonthequestionofWellington,JohnTarttelinclearlydemolishestheclever manipulationthathasalwaystriedtopassoffthedefeatofNapoleonatWaterloo asavictoryforEnglandssymbolichero.Completelyoverlookedisthat detestablethugBlucher,whosavedhisskin! RegardingNelson,Johnrecountsalittleknown,orrather,carefullyconcealed fact:in1799,inthekingdomofNaples,hehangedyes,Isayhangedlikea bandittheNeapolitanAdmiralFrancescoCaracciolo,DukeofBrienza,offthe yardarmofthefrigateMinerva.Theywerebrothersinarms,sincebothhad foughttheFrenchunderthecommandofAdmiralHood! THE TRUTH? A CASUALTY OF THE PROPAGANDA WAR Chapter13openswithastatementthatIthinkdeservestobequoted: Inhislifetime,Napoleonfacedthemostvitriolicandscabrousattacks imaginablefromtheBritishpressandEstablishment.Noliewastoobig,no exaggerationtoooutrageous,nodefamationwasbeyondthepale.English goldforthesweatypalmsofhiswouldbeassassinswasnotenough,the Cabinetandthewarmongersinparliamentwantedtoensurehispolitical assassinationaswell.Eventoday,thispatheticonesidednesscontinues andfrompeoplewhoconsiderthemselveshistorians.Correspondentsand academics,somewithtitlesandotherswithout,seemtobewritingasif theystilllivedintheC19th.TothemitisasiftheBritishEmpirestillexists. Tomany,truthisamerecasualtyofacontinuingpropagandawar. Thequotationhasapainfulrelevancewhenoneknowstheappallingvileness thathasalwayscharacterized,andcontinuestotypify,theBritishpress,andnot justtheaptlynamedgutterpress. SORDID COMPARISONS Afewrepresentativeexamples. Hereisacontemptiblecomparisonwiththe"Emperor"oftheCentralAfrican Republic,BokassatheFirst,describedbytheDailyMailasanimperialclown followinginthefootstepsofhishero. Andguesswhothatherois! IntheDailyTelegraph,areviewofabookonNapoleonandhisfamilywastitled asfollowsbyNigelNicholson,thenameofthejournalist(sic):Childhoodofa Monster. ThesameindividualdoesnothesitatetostatepedanticallythatNapoleonsaw nothingoftheretreatfromRussia. Anotherjournalist(stillsic)namedPeterVansittartoftheSundayTelegraph flingsinhisreadersfacesthesupremeinsulttoNapoleon,theonethatgets ClaudeRibbelickinghislipsandonwhichhebaseshisbusiness: ItsnotagreatdistancefromNapoleontoHitler. Utterlyrepugnant. OurfriendTarttelinalsotakestheopportunitytoissueatimelyreminderthat

therealinventorsoftheevilofconcentrationcampswerenottheNazisbut... theEnglishduringtheBoerWar(18991902),andthatanotherEnglishhero, LordKitchener,internedsometwohundredthousandpeopleincampsinorder tobreaktheresistanceoftheBoerpeople. Atleasttwentythousandwomen,childrenandoldpeopleperishedmiserably ofhungeranddisease.Thebravefellow!Butheisnotanogrelikethedetested NapoleonI. ACOURAGEOUSBOOKAGAINSTDISHONESTY Ishallceasequotingexamplesandleavereaderstodiscoverinthis uncompromisingworkallthechargesofinfamyunparalleledinhistoryby meansofwhichtheBritishgovernmentwantedandstillwantstodestroya goodmanbyspittingonhismemory,whileaccusinghimofbeingguiltyofallthe evilsthatEnglanditselfhadwrought.Shameonitanditsministers! However,makenomistake,TheRealNapoleonTheUntoldStoryisnota bookagainstEnglandwhichwouldberatherunpalatablefromanEnglish writerthisisabookagainstdishonesty,againstmisinformation,andagainst meanness,cynicismandmanipulationofallkinds. Onecouldalsowritethesame,anddoubtlessworse,aboutFrance. No,thiscourageousbookistheworkofamanofhonour,saddenedtoseehis countrycompromisedinadegradingplottodiscreditthemostfamouspersonin history,notonlyinFrance,butinallofEurope. Thisisasalutaryvolumeforhistoryingeneraland,morespecifically,forthe mantowhomBenWeiderdedicatedthissite:Napoleon. Abookyoumustread. 2013JeanClaudeDamamme inassociationwith SOULADREAMPRODUCTIONS