The Napoleonic Quarterly

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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Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1800 - a year in which Napoleon Bonaparte achieves one of his greatest victories to consolidate his new position of power in France. 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 Bonaparte's victory at Marengo ensures success in the Italian campaign - but it's Moreau's big result at Hohenlinden later in the year which arguably proves more decisive. Ultimately 1800 is a year in which there are lots of developments bubbling up all over the place: the US election, the British busy against the French in Egypt, the Act of Union between Britain and Ireland, the Septinsular Republic formed in the Ionian Islands, Tsar Paul forming the League of Armed Neutrality... and a proto-car bomb very nearly ending Bonaparte's life to round things off. Everything, everywhere, all at once.
Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

In the seventh and penultimate 15 minutes of our screenplay treatment, Napoleon is back in France to go for the top prize - power. But his bid for his ultimate goal is not going to be straightforward and he has to accept that in order to achieve this, he'll have to put aside romantic dreams and do what matters to get this one last job done. That means a new approach to his unfaithful wife Josephine; a reckoning with our antagonist Paul Barras; and a new kind of battlefield - the Council of Five Hundred.
Yes, it's episode eight of our screenwriting escapade, in which we continue to forge ahead in 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 to come up with the magic themselves.
As our resident artificial aide-de-camp NAIpoleon Bot-aparte puts it:

Alex Stevenson introduces the climax phase of the Napoleon screenplay project and acknowledges the contributions of James Topham and Ben Deery 00:00.

Ben Deery revisits an underappreciated Sphinx joke from previous episodes, sparking playful banter about comedic appreciation 00:01:16.

James Topham recaps the emotional and psychological journey of Napoleon in Act 2, culminating in a brutal turning point during the Egyptian campaign 00:03:01.

Introduction and breakdown of Act 3 structure: the internal-external conflict resolution, new plans, and the heightened sense of sacrifice Napoleon must undergo 00:10:03.

Deep dive into the historical coup of Brumaire, exploring how Napoleon’s ambiguous resolve and political struggles can be mapped onto the screenplay’s climax 00:13:01.

Discussion of antagonist dynamics: Paul Barras must return as a strong opposition for the final act, including possible narrative liberties to heighten his role 00:24:28.

Insight into the B story: Napoleon and Josephine’s tumultuous reunion, tying personal and political stakes together in a pivotal emotional scene 00:34:05.

Reference to classic films and psychological theories (e.g., High Society, Taxi Driver, Madonna-Whore complex) to illustrate character developments and narrative arcs 00:39:34.

Strategizing the depiction of the coup’s high-stakes drama—physical peril, the threat of the guillotine, and how to visually and emotionally convey Napoleon’s critical risk 00:52:13.

Closing with an explanation of the filmic denouement: what “new normal” the world and characters face after Napoleon’s victory, and teaser for the next episode’s focus on wrapping up the screenplay 00:54:54.

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Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1799 - a year in which Napoleon Bonaparte achieves an astonishing turnaround in fortunes which ends with him in power. 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 Bonaparte's failed Syrian campaign leads him to attempt the desperate gamble of a return to France - which dramatically pays off when, somehow, he emerges as the country's ruler after the coup of Brumaire. That is the culmination of a remarkable year of fighting in Italy and Switzerland, with Russian heroics under the leadership of Suvorov and gritty French defence led by Massena. There really is so much going on - from the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland to the fall of Naples, from the siege of Malta to the diplomacy of the Second Coalition - what a year 1799 truly is.
Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly