Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter 1
2. Table of contents 7
3. List of illustrations 11
4. Note on formatting 15
5. Acknowledgements 17
6. Foreword 19
7. Preface: Critical perspective 23
8. 1. Napoleonic ambition and historical imagination 31
9. 2. Shaping expectations: The young Napoléon Bonaparte 55
10. 3. Civilization and savagery: Visions of the French Revolution 79
11. 4. Mortal gods: Voices of power and of providence 101
12. 5. The dark light of Napoleonic cinema 129
13. 6. A view from the margins of history 159
14. 7. Melodrama and the formulations of family 179
15. 8. Worlds in transition: Class, consumption, corruption 203
16. 9. Death and transfiguration 223
17. Conclusion: The case for enthusiasm 243
18. Filmography and bibliography 249
19. Index 263