Founders Misfit Feed

#294 Napoleon: A Concise Biography

Episode Summary

What I learned from reading Napoleon: A Concise Biography by David Bell.

Episode Notes

What I learned from reading Napoleon: A Concise Biography by David Bell.

Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can ask me questions directly and listen to Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes.

Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book

[1:35] He could think quicker and along more individual and original lines than any of them.

[2:30] John D: The Founding Father of the Rockefellers by David Freeman Hawke. (Founders #254)

[2:44] Miami meetup with Shane Parrish LINK https://fs.blog/miami/

[6:01] His life was enormously important, endlessly fascinating, and connected to some of the most controversial and constantly reinterpreted events in the world history.

[7:07] Paul Johnson’s books:

Churchill by Paul Johnson. (Founders #225)

Mozart: A Life by Paul Johnson. (Founders #240)

Socrates: A Man for Our Times by Paul Johnson. (Founders #252) 
 

[9:24] Heroes: From Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar to Churchill and de Gaulle by Paul Johnson. (Founders #226)

[10:50] He knew the importance of actively crafting his image in all available media.

[13:38] Napoleon found comfort and companionship in books

[15:32] The revolution was overturning age old hierarchies and giving worldwide prominence to previously obscure figures.

[15:54] Napoleon was ruthless.

[17:06] Only after that battle did I believe myself to be a superior man. And did the ambition come to me of executing the great things, which so far had been occupying my thoughts only as a fantastic dream.

[18:30] Many are the historical opportunities that have been lost for lack of talent or vision. In Napoleon's case, the man met his hour.

[18:53] He could see in a moment how to maneuver everything for maximum effect.

[19:33] Napoleon was a man of stone and iron.

[24:57] Napoleon was something new and the keenest observers understood it.

[27:36] I wanted to rule the world, who wouldn't have in my place?

[27:56] If papa could see us now.

[28:15] Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward Larson. (Founders #251)

[30:45] You might as well send a cow in pursuit of a rabbit. The Indians were accustomed to these woods.

[33:00] The Empire was increasingly coming to resemble a skyscraper built in haste without a proper foundation.

[34:28] Driven: An Autobiography by Larry Miller. (Founders #168)

[37:54] The key to victory was to plan and pursue a war exactly contrary to what the enemy wants.

[38:19] Hardcore History Ghosts of the Ostfront series

https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-ghosts-ostfront-series/

[39:38] The distracted do not beat the focused.

[41:06] Success is never permanent. The same person that built the empire, destroyed it.

----

Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can ask me questions directly and listen to Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes.

----

Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book

----

I use Readwise to organize and remember everything I read. You can try Readwise for 60 days for free here.  

----

I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth

Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast