A vivid, contemporary account of the last days of the Consulate that reads with the immediacy of a diary.
This nonfiction work presents a remarkable historical narrative drawn from an anonymous manuscript dating to 1804–1805. Edited and introduced by M. L. Lalanne, it offers a front-row view of the political crisis that followed the 18th Brumaire and the events surrounding Moreau, Cadoudal, and the royalist conspiracy.
The pages frame the period when liberty of the press and individual rights were under pressure, and when France stood at a crossroads between revolution and empire. The introduction explains how this manuscript came to light and how its author, believed to be a cautious observer from Parisian society, shaped his account while events were still unfolding. The book also includes material from appendices and letters that illuminate the fate of persecuted prisoners and the broader political stakes of the era.
What you’ll experience
- A historical sketch of pivotal events dating from the 18th Brumaire and the Destruction of the Republic.
- Notes on key English conspiracies and the arrest of Moreau, with a focus on people, motives, and outcomes.
- An historical picture of trials and political decisions that framed the transition to the Consulate and Empire.
- Editorial context and an introduction that connect contemporary voices with later scholarship.
Ideal for readers of Napoleonic history, political biography, and anyone curious about the late French Revolution era.