Napoleon in Egypt-Paul Strathern

Napoleon in Egypt
Paul Strathern
Bantam, Sep 15 2009, $18.00
ISBN: 9780553385243

In 1797, General Napoleon Bonaparte led a successful campaign in Italy, which led to him becoming a hero in France. One year later, he had grandiose plans to emulate his hero Alexander the Great by conquering India. However, first he decides to conquer Egypt. He leads an army of 40,000 across the Mediterranean Sea to Alexandria and easily defeats the local military in a series of battles that led to the French occupying Cairo. However, as easy as the military victories proved, the replacement of a local corrupt government based on the ideals of liberty and justice fail to take root. Shockingly he finds himself head of what is considered an occupation force by locals and soon a counterinsurgency ignites to kick the French and their nation building out of the Egypt. On the way back across the Mediterranean, Lord Admiral Nelson and the English Navy destroy much of Napoleon's navy.

This is a well written historical with timely reminders that resonate with what has happened in the two American Middle East wars. Napoleon wins the war in Egypt, but loses the peace as people resent occupying forces while on the home front he claims mission accomplished. Insightful, Paul Strathern provides a deep look at Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign that proved disastrous to the French, but not to him as he raced home proclaiming victory; chutzpah at its sneakiest. Ironically his scientists uncovered ancient ruins that proved the most lasting event of his ill-fated campaign as their findings changed humanity.

Harriet Klausner