The Napoleonic Quarterly

This mini-episode unveils the end product from our Napoleon movie discussions: an actual first draft of a screenplay which tells the story of Bonaparte's rise to power. It's now available on Patreon, for the consideration of our esteemed Quartermasters. In the meantime, first James Topham and then Alex Stevenson offer their own versions of what the treatment actually looks like. With Ben Deery doing French accents in the background.
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Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1803 - a year in which peace between France and Britain collapses, and the cause of Haitian independence is finally realised. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific key clips he's picked out from our old episodes grouped around four themes which, we argue, help frame the period and shape our understanding of it in a whole new way. We hope this will provide a helpful refresh for longstanding listeners - whilst at the same time offering an 'entry ramp' to the podcast for those who want to get up to speed relatively easily before we crash full-speed into the intensity of the Napoleonic Wars.

This episode covers a 12-month period in which, despite attack dogs and the death of Toussaint Louverture, the French are defeated on Saint-Domingue and Dessalines emerges as the leader to achieve independence for Haiti. This is the year which sees the Louisiana Purchase, an astonishing moment which turns the United States into a continental power overnight. And in Europe Britain declares war once again on France, setting up endless debates about whose fault the demise of the Peace of Amiens really was. Meanwhile the Swiss Confederation is created thanks to the signature of Napoleon Bonaparte - and in India an up and coming general called Arthur Wellesley achieves a striking victory at the Battle of Assaye which effectively ends the Second Anglo-Maratha War.
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Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1802 - a year in which the French mission to recapture Saint-Domingue combines deception and brutality as the stakes grow ever higher. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific key clips he's picked out from our old episodes grouped around four themes which, we argue, help frame the period and shape our understanding of it in a whole new way. We hope this will provide a helpful refresh for longstanding listeners - whilst at the same time offering an 'entry ramp' to the podcast for those who want to get up to speed relatively easily before we crash full-speed into the intensity of the Napoleonic Wars.

This episode covers a 12-month period in which, whilst the main action takes place in the Caribbean, there is plenty of activity in Europe too. From the annexation of Piedmont to the invasion of Switzerland and the redrawing of the political map in Germany, the French are calling the shots across the continent. Napoleon Bonaparte takes another step towards empire by being made First Consul for life. And whilst the British are forcing the Marathas to abandon their independence hopes in India and the Peace of Amiens ends the war between France and Britain, the reality is this is not a world where anything is going to stay settled for very long.
Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1801 - a year in which Britain and France make peace, despite a widening canvas of war spreading across from Europe across the globe. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific key clips he's picked out from our old episodes grouped around four themes which, we argue, help frame the period and shape our understanding of it in a whole new way. We hope this will provide a helpful refresh for longstanding listeners - whilst at the same time offering an 'entry ramp' to the podcast for those who want to get up to speed relatively easily before we crash full-speed into the intensity of the Napoleonic Wars.
This episode covers a 12-month period in which Napoleon Bonaparte, having secured a Concordat with the Catholic Church, sends troops to recapture Saint-Domingue and gets himself elected president in Italy. Russia's League of Armed Neutrality is thwarted by Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen before Tsar Paul's assassination prompts a change of course in St Petersburg. The British are on the offensive in Egypt and in India, but William Pitt resigns as Prime Minister. Thomas Jefferson is finally elected President and the US is fighting the first Barbary war... and there's the War of the Oranges between Spain and Portugal as well. Is this a winding-down year? No - it's one of the most dramatic of them all.
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In the eighth and final 15 minutes of our screenplay treatment, Napoleon really is trying to get this one last job done by completing the Brumaire coup. But his bid for his ultimate goal requires an unexpected sacrifice and is dependent on an essential contribution from his now thoroughly beloved Josephine. With a new framing device underlining the crucial role of Paul Barras in this story as the antagonist, we're sprinting for a finish line - and a certain comfy chair for our leading man.

Yes, it's episode nine of our screenwriting escapade, in which we complete our mission of crafting a top-notch screenplay treatment about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Alex Stevenson is joined by James Topham (who knows a thing or two about screenwriting) and Ben Deery (who knows a thing or two about acting) to put the movie world to rights. Having analysed the pitfalls and frustrations of Ridley Scott's Napoleon 2023 in the first season the Napoleon Movie Quarter-Hourly, this time round the team have tried their uppermost to come up with the magic themselves.
As our resident artificial aide-de-camp NAIpoleon Bot-aparte puts it:
[02:27] The Recap of the "Rotten Pear": James catches us up on Act Three so far, featuring Napoleon’s desertion from Egypt, a "titanic" row with Josephine, and a dinner with Barras that changes everything.

[12:12] History is a Farce: Alex reads from Zamoyski’s biography, revealing the hilarious historical reality of the coup: a bucking horse, a stress-induced facial rash, and a very "undone" Napoleon.

[17:03] Dramatic Masterstroke or "Sh*tshow"?: The team debates whether Napoleon’s historical bungling of the coup is a screenwriting disaster or an ironic opportunity for a "stunning performance."

[19:13] The Ultimate Sacrifice: Alex pitches a thematic climax where Napoleon trades his "Great Man" dignity and romantic ideals for the grubbiness of actual power.

[21:45] The Novella as a Blunt Instrument: Ben suggests a high-action alternative involving Napoleon beating a man unconscious with his own rolled-up novella manuscript.

[28:35] The Framing Device Rabbit Hole: A deep dive into the art of the framing device, featuring references to The Princess Bride, Amadeus, and the "triangle" used in the World Snooker Championship.

[33:10] Perspectives on a Dinner: The hosts pitch a circular narrative structure that uses a dinner with Barras to show how the "urbane puppet master" became the man who "owes Napoleon everything."

[43:03] Marinara in the Sticks: Exploring the "fitting end" for Barras—sidelined to a provincial town like Ray Liotta at the end of Goodfellas with nothing but bad pasta sauce for company.

[45:28] The Bonaparte Whisperer: Josephine finally gets an active role in the heist, proving she is a master survivor who knows exactly how to handle smitten Directory presidents and resignation letters.

[52:36] The Dictator’s Comfy Chair: The team lands on a final image involving a circular seating arrangement, an enigmatic grin, and the most crucial question of the production: "Who is going to play the pug?"

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