Napoleon: The Man & The Myth
HIST-381A-01
Binghamton University
- Semester
- Summer 2026
- Instructor
- James C Lavelle
- Start Date
- 05-26-2026
- Total Credits
- 4
- Call to Register
- 607-777-6088
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You will learn the same curriculum as our on-campus students
Two hundred years on, Napoleon Bonaparte and the Napoleonic Legend continue to captivate historians, novelists, filmmakers, and the general public. More works have been written with Napoleon in the title than days have passed since his death. Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, released in November 2023, had the tagline, “He came from nothing. He conquered everything.” This course aims to dissect the modern image of Napoleon and separate the man from the myth. The first part of the course will examine Napoleon, the man, within the tumult of the ancient régime, the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic Period. The second part of the course will focus on the creation, manipulation, cooptation, and reification of the Napoleonic legend through a discussion of various films, books, and an examination of Napoleonic monuments. Students will be required to watch three historical films, including Ridley Scott’s Napoleon (2023), a highlight reel of Abel Gance’s 1927 silent epic Napoléon, and Antoine de Caunes’ Monsieur N (2003). Gance and Caunes’ films will be provided by the instructor.
Course Area: History
Level: Upper Level Undergraduate
Dates: 05-26-2026 - 06-29-2026
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- Instructor: James C Lavelle
- Local Course ID: 26SU_BIN_HIST381A_01
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