Author: Georges Montorgueil with illustrations by JOB Pages: 80 pages Illustrations: 35 full color, full or double page Maps: None Footnotes: None Appendices: None Bibliography:: None Index: None Publisher: Editions Atlantica, 18 rue de Folin 64200 Biarritz, France; phone: 011 33 5 59 43 80 40; fax: 011 33 5 59 43 80 41 Publication Date:: 1997 Binding: Cloth (hardbound) ISBN: 2-84394-014-1 Price: 120 FF ($20) Summary: This reprint is one of two of JOB's classic children's books on Napoleon. They are worthwhile additions to any Napoleonic library, be it only for the splendid illustrations. Although not at the same level of quality as the originals, they represent excellent value for money. Jacques Onfroy de Bréville (1858-1931), better known as "JOB", is a well- respected turn-of-the-century illustrator. His work is eagerly sought after by collectors of children's books. JOB combined a meticulous passion for precision with a flair for drama and artistic innovation. During his career he illustrated more than a hundred books and countless articles in magazines, etc. JOB is also remembered as a serious student of uniforms through his massive Tenue des troupes de France and other similar works. JOB was a true patriot of post-1870 France. Following the disastrous loss to Prussia, he, like many of his contemporaries, looked back to better times and glorified the Napoleonic period. His family were strong supporters of the French Second Empire and his adult life was influenced by the atmosphere of Bonapartism which surrounded his childhood. Together with Georges Montorgueil, who shared the same views, he worked on a series of projects for a children's book publisher called Boivin et cie. After numerous successful volumes, JOB decided to focus on what would become his true masterpiece: a 2-volume saga on Napoleon. The first volume called Bonaparte came out before World War One. It is a grandiose tribute to a young, dashing general. Bonaparte literally springs out of the book cover on his white charger. The rest of the illustrations are equally as bright, and this volume concludes with the 1804 coronation. The second volume, Napoleon, was planned and announced, but the war broke out and further delays prevented JOB from completing it until 1921, in time for the centennial of Napoleon's death. Some of the original ideas for the project were scrapped as postwar France had become less interested in the "glory" of war. In this volume, a somber Napoleon dominates the globe. This time JOB's work emphasized Napoleon's compassion for his troops or the enemy. The plate showing the 1807 battlefield of Eylau on the day after the two-day fight is provocative and provides a grim counterpoint to the colorful and heroic illustrations in the earlier Bonaparte. These two volumes have been popular for some time and original editions fetch very high prices either on the antique book market or at auctions. Bonaparte was republished once during the late 1970s, Napoleon had never been reprinted until now. Atlantica, a small publisher in southwest France, is again publishing the series of books on historical figures that the original publisher, Boivin, released. Atlantica, for obvious financial reasons, has chosen to reprint the books in a smaller format than the originals. The quality of the reproductions is fine; not as brilliant as the original colors, but an excellent work given the price. Montorgueil's French text is really of little importance, unless one wants a taste of early-20th Century French nationalism! Any reader with a serious interest in Napoleon will love both books, given the dramatic pictures and reasonable price. Pick up copies while they last! More Napoleonic Library Book News 1998 On the Fields of Glory Les Uniformes des Guerres Napoleoniennes Les Epogee Napoleonienne Napoleon Les Campagne de Russie 1812 Du Silex au Piston Armes a Feu Francaises Modeles Reglementaires 1717-1836 Back to Table of Contents -- Napoleon #12 Back to Napoleon List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by Emperor's Press. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. The full text and graphics from other military history magazines and gaming magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com