*****        Sword of France Mirrors War and Peace

"This is a great historical novel about Napoleon Bonaparte and the people around him during his reign in France.
By coincidence, I recently read Tolstoy's War and Peace and I kept finding interesting parallels between the two books. The thing I loved about War and Peace was the very personal perspective it gave by following very vividly the lives and experiences of the leading characters. Sword of France does the same thing and about the same historical events, but from a French perspective instead of a Russian one so the two books complement each other brilliantly. War and Peace focusses on the fates of two families (the Rostovs and the Bolkonskys) during the Napoleonic wars. Sword of France examines the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte partially in the third person and partially, in the first person, through the eyes of the French diplomat and minister Talleyrand.
War and Peace studies the psychology of warfare while Sword of France examines the psychology of dictatorship and the effect of absolute power on Bonaparte. The books, naturally, differ in many ways, including length. War and Peace is monumental in scope and length with about 1,400 pages, while Sword of France covers the same historical span in a compact 400 pages, making it very readable. If you like historical novels and want to immerse yourself in a vivid and absorbing description of the people and events in France at this important period in European History, I highly recommend Sword of France."

*****    Pleasantly Surprised!
"I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading the book. To have Talleyrand narrate the story of Napoleon and Bernadotte was a touch of genius. It combines three very different personalities who have to relate to each other for the good of their country. I love a good physological biography and this one definitely is. Never boring, very fluid. I'm just sorry that she didn't include the escape from Elba and the battle of Waterloo. But, as my husband says, it keeps you wanting for more. I just wonder if it there enough material for a second book. I enjoyed it inmensely."

****            Psychological Study: Interesting character studies
"Since elementary school, I have been fascinated with Napoleon the General, Napoleon the Conqueror. My opinions of the people surrounding him like satellites is always coloured by Napoleon's view of them. I took for granted his assessment of Talleyrand as a snake-in-the grass, knowing he had advised and assisted Napoleon's enemies. Likewise, I considered Bernadotte a Marshal by virtue of his politics, an unlucky general at best, certainly not in the same league with Napoleon or even Davout or Ney.
Despite my pre-conceptions against Talleyrand, I found the author's characterization interesting, entertaining, and believable. Whether it is accurate, I do not know, not having really studied the man.
I also found his characterization of Napoleon generally quite believable, although despite all that has been written about the man, we will always be on the outside looking in, trying to fathom what was real, what was propaganda, and what derives completely from the eye of the beholder.
I was least convinced by the author's presentation of Bernadotte. Lest my scepticism be based on faulty recollections, I read a section of an old volume on Napoleon's Marshals, available for free on Kindle. Traditional views on Bernadotte are far more critical and less admiring, but are likely coloured in the same manner as my own, and are not necessarily accurate. Likewise, references to Desiree do not match this authors's presentation.
The author has assembled a reasonable cast of characters and representation of actual events. Only my own pre-conceptions leave me partially unconvinced. I recommend this work of fiction expressly for its unusual vision of the psychologies involved."

*****    Fascinating read
"This book inspired me to go on a reading binge about French history - a subject I have known little about. I always wondered how Napoleon rose to power and this book answered my questions. It also gave me a better understanding of Talleyrand whom history has judged most harshly. Although superficial in many ways,he was nonetheless a remarkable person who played a critical role in American and French history and thus the shape of Europe as a whole."

*****    Sword of France
"For European history buffs this is a must read."