zondag 7 november 2010

General Jean Baston de Lariboisière

In the summer of 2010 we visited the place Fougères (France, 48.21.08 N, 01.12.10 W).
This little town is the place of birth of Comte Général Jean Baston de Lariboisières. (1759-1812)  He was a very old friend of Napoleon (already in 1793) and was artillery-general. His last job was to be the first inspector-general of the artillery. He has got a statue in Fougères.

He maintaind also a correspondance with with his boss. Napoleon sand him 73 lettres. Now these are collected in a kind of book. 
I entered about ten o'clock the public library in with this was stored. No sir, at the other site of this building, but not for 14.00u. I returned. No sir, we do'nt even know if we have that book. I looked in the computer. It was no. 27 of their cataloque! No sir, you must have a written permission and that takes minimal a week.
And that book is stored in the safe. But after a little explanation, my visitecard eso. the two women stayed away for half an houre and came back with the book!
I had to put on white handgloves and there it was: all that 73 letters from Napolen to General de Lariboisière.
Of course I was very impressed, the signature of Napoleon was realistic for my eys!  Sneaky I touch it with my bare hand! It gave me an enorm positive feeling!
Was I allowed to take pictures? Of course sir, no flash. What are you going tot do with that pictures? I explained my website (http://www.roelkvos.nl/guide%20napoleon) and my weblog. I had to sign a list for every picture I took.
After an houre I had seen enough. Thankfully I sayd goodby. I have had a wonderful day!
Below you can see the results of this afternoon.



  















donderdag 4 november 2010

A new book about Napoleon

During one of the last days I was in France this summer I did my shopping in a brand new supermarket of E.Leclerc. Since a few years you meet in the front of such new buildings a lot of other shops, also a vast bookstore of E.Leclerc itself.
I saw this book about Napoleon and of course I bought it at once.
When it's opend you see directly that this book is artificially elderd.
More: there are copies of letters of Napoleon, battlemaps, eso.
The tekst is good, but not amazing.
The pictures are well known.
But: the layout and the size stroke me.
See for your self!
(Today (fryd 5th nov. 2010 I was in the American Bookstore in The Hague (Netherlands). There I saw this book in English!)