PODCAST · history
The Napoleonic Quarterly
by Quartermaster Productions
Taking the epic conflicts of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars three months at a time. Each episode features interviews with leading historians of the period - covering the campaigns, diplomacy and political dramas of an extraordinary 24 years.
Episodes
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Has ANDREW ROBERTS changed his mind?
Could Andrew Roberts' in-depth look at Napoleon's HR issues with those pesky marshals have prompted a bit of a rethink? With his new book Napoleon And His Marshals, Lord Roberts certainly has a fascinating new perspective moving things on from his 2014 biography Napoleon The Great. Whereas the...
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The best books about 1805
Bernie Campbell is joined by Alexander Mikaberidze and Rachel Blackman-Rogers to get their picks of the best books about one of the Napoleonic Wars' most consequential years. Covering all the angles of both the year's big campaign on the European continent, and the year's big campaign on the high...
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Episode 53: Q1-1805 - The invasion riddle
1805. January... February... March... three months in which British telescopes looking out across the English Channel are trained on the north French coast... the Royal Navy waits in suspense for Frace's emperor to make his move... and the Italian republic is getting a new king - guess who. This…
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1805-15 preview: The Napoleonic Wars
With the relaunch period drawing to a close the time is now upon us, finally, when this podcast about the Napoleonic period actually gets to talk actually properly about the actual Napoleonic Wars. In one final build-up episode before episode 53 dives into Q1-1805, here's a last chance for…
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1804 recap: Imperial tensions
Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1804 - the year in which France gets an emperor once again, and Europe gets an imperial-sized problem. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific key clips he's picked out from...
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Scenes from a Napoleon movie (screenplay wrap-up, pt2/2)
It is with a mixture of great embarrassment at my own over-acting and guilt at such outrageous self-indulgence that I, Alex Stevenson, presenter of the Napoleonic Quarterly, provide you, the poor suffering listeners, with an outpouring of thespian histrionics: the concluding episode of our...
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We wrote a Napoleon movie! (screenplay wrap-up pt1/2)
This mini-episode unveils the end product from our Napoleon movie discussions: an actual first draft of a screenplay which tells the story of Bonaparte's rise to power. It's now available on Patreon, for the consideration of our esteemed Quartermasters. In the meantime, first James Topham and…
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1803 recap: Against the odds
Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1803 - a year in which peace between France and Britain collapses, and the cause of Haitian independence is finally realised. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific key…
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1802 recap: Haiti's fight for freedom
Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1802 - a year in which the French mission to recapture Saint-Domingue combines deception and brutality as the stakes grow ever higher. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific...
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1801 recap: Making war and making peace
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...
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Power without dignity: Napoleon's Brumaire sacrifice (screenplay plotting, mins 105-120)
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...
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1800 recap: From Marengo to Moreau
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…
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The Fresh Prince of Brumaire (screenplay plotting, mins 90-105)
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…
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1799 recap: The French go backwards
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...
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Napoleon's dark night of the soul (screenplay plotting, mins 75-90)
In the sixth 15-minute section of our screenplay, Napoleon plunges into his darkest hour. Reeling from betrayal and defeat, he confronts the plague-ridden horrors of his campaign in the Levant and faces the brutal consequences of war, both on the battlefield and within himself. The myth of his...
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Waterloo teaser: The myth of Hougoumont
Charles Esdaile has a lot to get off his chest when it comes to the Battle of Waterloo - which is why he surprised me recently by asking to do what turned into a three-hour mythbusting session working through what he thinks everyone's getting wrong about the ultimate Napoleonic encounter. As this...
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1798 recap: Egyptian adventure
Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1798 - a year in which Napoleon Bonaparte leads an astonishingly bold expedition to capture Egypt for France, which is going astonishingly badly by the end of the year. Chris Sloan talks…
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Napoleon's pear-shaped ambitions (Screenplay plotting, 60-75mins)
In the fifth 15-minute section of our screenplay, Napoleon’s journey takes a sharp, downward turn. Success is replaced by mounting setbacks as our hero heads to Egypt - an ambiguous mission that isolates him from power and allies. The Directory’s antagonism grows ever more apparent, Josephine’s...
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1797 recap: The frenzy of victory
Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1797 - a year in which Napoleon Bonaparte continues to confound western Europe amidst the continuing churning turmoil of French revolutionary politics. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson...
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Towards the midpoint: Love triangles and military montages (Screenplay plotting, 45-60mins)
In the fourth 15-minute section of our movie screenplay we move towards the midpoint, the critical moment where accumulating consequences for our hero Napoleon Bonaparte make him realise his military successes represent a false hope. He's going to have to rethink - and we need to set out in this...
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1796 recap: The rockstar general
Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, has reached 1796 - a year in which the rockstar general Napoleon Bonaparte writes his own script. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific key clips he's picked out from our old episodes...
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What every Napoleon movie needs: The promise of the premise (Screenplay plotting, minutes 30-45)
In the first 15 minutes of Act 2 of our putative Napoleon movie, we get into "the promise of the premise"—delivering the kind of content audiences expect from a Napoleon film: military campaigns, political maneuveures, personal intrigue... as well as some further development of the love story…
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1795 recap: Revolutionary reverberations
This is the fourth in our series of recap episodes, offering a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time. 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...
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Crossing the Lodi threshold (screenplay plotting - minutes 15-30)
In minutes 15-30 of our screenplay treatment our protagonist Bonaparte has his refusal of the call moment, the love story gets going, the gang gets together, and then it all builds to the end of Act 1 when Napoleon crosses the threshold - and the bridge of Lodi - at the same time. This is really...
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1794 recap: Robespierre's Terror trap
This is the third in our series of recap episodes, offering a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time. 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...
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Napoleon's inciting incident ISN'T Toulon... (screenplay plotting - minutes 0-15)
Taking up the challenge 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…
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1793 recap: Spreading Revolution, escalating wars
This is the second in a series of recap episodes, offering a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time. 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...
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Let's write a Napoleon movie! (screenplay plotting - initial scoping)
Taking up the challenge 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…
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1792 recap: The French Revolution firestorm
This is the first in a series of recap episodes, offering a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time. 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…
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Production update: Launch the relaunch!
Here's what you need to know: - Having reached the end of 1804, the Napoleonic Quarterly is now halfway through its decade-long project. - That means it's time for a half-time break to reboot and relaunch the project, with the twin goals of offering an alternative 'entry point' for Napoleonic…
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Coronation drama: Josephine, the Pope, and Napoleon's crowning moment (w/Ambrogio Caiani)
On a freezing day in December 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte placed the imperial crown of France on his head in Notre-Dame - the first time an Emperor had ruled in Paris for 1,000 years and the time of Charlemagne. What were the ambiguities of the ceremony and what did they mean for the continuing…
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Battlefield despatches: Rivoli, Q1-1797
Clemens Bemmann is joined by Rick Schneid, John Gill and Graeme Callister for the final of our Italian campaign series, this time looking at the Battle of Rivoli - a pivotal moment for Napoleon Bonaparte which provided him with yet another triumph. This episode concludes our pilot series…
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Marathas at War: The Rise of Holkar and the Second Anglo-Maratha Conflict
Chris Sloan is joined by Josh Provan to explore more about the Marathas, untold stories from their second war with the British and the rise of the maverick Maharajah Holkar amidst the end of an Empire and the rise of another. These were turbulent times for India, as we unpick here. This episode...
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Episode 52: Q4-1804 - Three empires
1804. October... November... December... three months in which the ruler of France completes his transition from Buonaparte to the Emperor Napoleon... the British seize three Spanish treasure ships, prompting a declaration of war from Madrid... and in India there's success for the British,...
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The US Navy vs the Barbary Corsairs
Liam Gauci of the Malta Maritime Museum is joined by Phillip Cuccia and Konstantine Peradze to discuss the complex history of the Barbary States, their war with the United States and their broader impact on the Napoleonic Wars. In this episode you'll hear: The 'Pirate' vs 'Privateer' debate: The...
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Battlefield despatches: Castiglione, Q3-1796
Alex Stevenson is joined by Rick Schneid, John Gill and Graeme Callister for the latest in our 1796 battles series, this time looking at Castiglione when for the first time Napoleon Bonaparte found himself on the strategic defensive. You'll find all the pictures and maps mentioned in this episode...
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Beyond the musical: Hamilton's complex second act (w/Peter Kastor)
The second half of Hamilton the Musical, which covers the post-Revolutionary period that just happens to be that of this podcast, is a bit more confusing than the first: "can we get back to politics, please?" as Jefferson puts it. The precise role of Alexander Hamilton after he left office,...
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Episode 51: Q3-1804 - Pirates and emperors
1804. July… August… September… Three months in which Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr take their political differences to the duelling ground… Tripoli’s pirates are bombarded by the United States… And another quarter, another new emperor - this time Francis I for Austria. This is episode 51 of…
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Battlefield despatches: Piedmont, Q2-1796
In April 1796, a 26-year-old Napoleon Bonaparte transformed a demoralized, ragged French army into a lightning-fast strike force that knocked the Kingdom of Sardinia out of the war in just over two weeks. By utilizing the strategy of the central position he successfully split the superior…
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The Empire’s last act: Ritual, rivalry, and the end of old Germany (w/ Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger)
A conversation with Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger, Professor Emerita of Early Modern History at the University of Munster and Rector of the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin. Germany is becoming increasingly important to this podcast, which is why we're digging into another aspect of this...
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The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Mapping the great unknown
A conversation about a legendary moment in United States history between James Quint, Director of the Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita, Kansas, and Peter Kastor, Professor of History and American Culture Studies at Washington University in Saint Louis. The episode dives deep into the context and...
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Episode 50: Q2-1804 - The imperial dignity
1804. April... May... June... three months in which the British are facing an uphill struggle in building another coalition against the French... The Revolution takes its final step as Napoleon Bonaparte is to be granted the imperial dignity... and in the Caucasus, a determined Russian general is...
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ADAM ZAMOYSKI on the Napoleonic soap opera
"It was like a soap opera," Adam says of the Congress of Vienna near the end of this interview episode. That just about sums up his unique perspective on the whole Napoleonic period, as reflected throughout this discussion - a fascination with personalities and the impact individuals can have on...
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Power plays in the Caucasus: Georgia, Russia and imperial expansion (w/ Giorgi Tchkadua)
Giorgi Tchkadua of Ilia State University in Georgia, PhD candidate under our own Alexander Mikaberidze, helps unpack the multiplicity of riddles which makes up the fascinatingly complex power dynamics in the Caucasus before, during and after the 1792-1815 period. In this episode you'll learn: How...
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Ready for war: France in 1804-5 (w/ Alan Forrest)
Prof Emeritus Alan Forrest of the University of York, biographer of Napoleon, is back in conversation with Alex Stevenson to give his appraisal of imperial France as it was in 1804-05. Featuring - France’s shift from revolutionary chaos to Napoleonic stability in 1804-1805, with the rise of...
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Episode 49: Q1-1804 - Conspiracists and conspirators
1804. January… February… March… Three months in which Napoleon acts ruthlessly by abducting and killing a royalist figurehead... Both Haiti and Louisiana face momentous questions about their future... And in the forested, rugged terrain of the Balkans, a figure called Karadjordje rises to…
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Battlefield despatches: Dego, Q2-1796
April 1796 - time for another critical chapter in the young Napoleon Bonaparte's legendary Italian campaign, brought to you once again by our Battlefield Despatches dream team. Clemens Bemmann presents; Rick Schneid is our battlefield correspondent; John Gill is with the Austrian command; and...
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From Toulon to the Nile: Rival fleets and the struggle for Mediterranean supremacy
Bernie Campbell is joined by Rachel Blackman-Rogers of King's College London and Olivier Aranda of the University of Western Brittany to discuss naval strategy in the Mediterranean theatre in the 1790s, with a particular emphasis on the Battle of the Nile. The episode explores the strategic...
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1804-5: What to discuss?
Yes, it's the planning meeting once again - this is the third go in our festival of bureaucracy, the critical discussion which sees us sort out what each of our main episodes should include as topics for their three segments. The years 1804 and 1805 are exciting times for the podcast, as we...
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Episode 48: Q4-1803 - Haiti, free at last
1803. October… November… December… Three months in which French forces wave the white flag on Saint-Domingue... In Washington the Louisiana Purchase gets a green light from Congress - without working out the detail... And in India a series of defeats for the Marathas force Scindia to the...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Taking the epic conflicts of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars three months at a time. Each episode features interviews with leading historians of the period - covering the campaigns, diplomacy and political dramas of an extraordinary 24 years.
HOSTED BY
Quartermaster Productions
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Napoleonic Quarterly have?
The Napoleonic Quarterly currently has 197 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Napoleonic Quarterly about?
Taking the epic conflicts of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars three months at a time. Each episode features interviews with leading historians of the period - covering the campaigns, diplomacy and political dramas of an extraordinary 24 years.
How often does The Napoleonic Quarterly release new episodes?
The Napoleonic Quarterly publishes regularly with 197 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Napoleonic Quarterly?
You can listen to The Napoleonic Quarterly on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Napoleonic Quarterly?
The Napoleonic Quarterly is created and hosted by Quartermaster Productions.
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