New episode! Josephine was the great love of Napoleon's life, but in late 1809, he had their marriage annulled -- how had it come to this? www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 131 is now available ad-free to Patreon subscribers. The free version will be out shortly www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

New episode! We examine Napoleon's private life, with a special focus on the most important person in it: the charming and controversial Empress of the French, Josephine. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 130 is now available ad-free to Patreon subscribers. The free version will be out shortly. www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

New episode! In the summer of 1809, General Sir Arthur Wellesley led a small British army into Spain. While the war raged on, Napoleon was also picking a political fight with a powerful enemy: the Roman Catholic Church. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 129 is now available to paid subscribers. The free version will be released shortly. www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

New episode! Iberia, 1809: the Aragonese capital of Zaragoza was under siege once again. To the west, the French prepared another invasion of Portugal. Meanwhile, in London, the British leadership debated a renewed commitment in this theater of the war. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

New episode! Iberia, 1809: the Aragonese capital of Zaragoza was under siege once again. To the west, the French prepared another invasion of Portugal. Meanwhile, in London, the British leadership debated a renewed commitment in this theater of the war. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 128 is now available ad-free to Patreon supporters. The free version will be out shortly. www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

@ageofnapoleon.bsky.social it's old and you can literally feel the print but damn it's good and written by a man who fought in the Peninsular War, though he really hates Beresford

New episode! Throughout 1809, small groups of brave (or foolish) German patriots tried to stir up nationalist uprisings against France. Meanwhile, in Iberia, a very ugly war dragged on with no end in sight. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 127 is now available ad-free to Patreon subscribers. The free version will be out shortly. www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

New episode! In late 1809, Napoleon negotiated a punitive peace treaty with Austria and survived a strange assassination attempt. Meanwhile, the British launched a surprise invasion of the continent and dealt with political controversies at home. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 126 is now available ad-free to Patreon supporters. The free version will be out shortly. www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

New episode! After his victory at Wagram, Napoleon pursued the Austrians. Peace was in the air, but the war would end on an almost unbelievably dramatic note in the middle of a Bohemian thunderstorm. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 125 is now available ad-free to Patreon subscribers. The free version will be out shortly www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

I posted a sad personal update on Patreon. Townes the cat, the source of the occasional errant feline noise in the background of the show, has died. www.patreon.com/posts/rip-to...

In the summer of 1809, Napoleon crossed the Danube again to confront Archduke Charles and the Habsburg field army and avenge his defeat at Aspern-Essling. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 124 is now available to Patreon subscribers. The free version will be out shortly www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

In case you missed it, I just released another subscribers-only bonus episode. We now have 33 of these: there are hours of Napoleonic history content available for just $2/month. www.patreon.com/ageofnapoleon

New episode! As the War of the Fifth Coalition raged on, anti-French rebels rose up in the Alps and a remarkable Royal Navy captain fought one of the era's strangest battles on the Atlantic. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 123 is now available to Patreon subscribers. The free version will be out shortly. www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

Austria, 1809: Napoleon was stunned after the first defeat of his career at Aspern-Essling and the death of his best friend and closest confidant, Marshal Lannes. But all across the continent, the war raged on... www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 122 is now available ad-free to Patreon subscribers. The free version will be out shortly. www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

New episode! On May 21st, 1809, the Austrians attacked Grande Armée at the towns of Aspern and Essling. The ensuing two days were the hardest test of Napoleon's career to date. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

New episode! On May 21st, 1809, the Austrians attacked Grande Armée at the towns of Aspern and Essling. The ensuing two days were the hardest test of Napoleon's career to date. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Only a few days until Christmas, so I'll remind you that you can buy gift subscriptions on Patreon. If you're shopping for someone interested in the Napoleonic era, you have the opportunity to give them hours of history content for only a few dollars: patreon.com/ageofnapoleo...

André Masséna was one of the greatest French commanders of the Revolutionary Era, but Napoleon found him difficult to work with: "he has military talents to which we may well doff our hats; we must forget his foibles; every man has some."

In our most recent bonus episode, we covered some of the most unusual soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars: the ski troops of the Norwegian Jaeger Corps. Join us on Patreon if you want to learn more www.patreon.com/posts/dispat...

The 30th of our patrons-only bonus episodes is now available to subscribers. You can get access to all bonus content, plus ad-free versions of the regular episodes for just $2/month www.patreon.com/posts/dispat...

New episode! In April, 1809, the Austrians finally launched their long-awaited invasion of the Napoleonic Empire. The French were taken by surprise, but Napoleon had a plan to turn the tables. www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect...

Episode 120 is now available ad-free to Patreon subscribers. The free version will be out shortly. www.patreon.com/posts/episod...

New episode! During his 15 years in power, Napoleon put an indelible mark on his adopted city: Paris. The First Empire was a formative period in the history of the city, but what did it mean for average people? t.co/rBWfq2ftoz

After seeing the actor François-Joseph Talma play Julius Caesar on the stage, Napoleon corrected him: "Emperors aren't like that. You use your arms too much: men in power are more restrained in their movements; they know that a gesture is an order, a look is death."

On this day in 1769, a son was born to two minor Corsican nobles, Carlo and Letizia Buonaparte, at their family home in Ajaccio. They gave him a traditional family name: Napoleone.

On this day in 1806, British forces in Buenos Aires surrendered to a force of mostly locally-raised militia under Santiago de Liniers -- a shocking victory that would prove to be an important early milestone on Argentina's road to independence.

On this day in 1792, French revolutionaries carried out the "second revolution," storming the Tuileries Palace and massacring the guards. Napoleon himself witnessed these events, and would later call it the worst battlefield he had ever seen.

On this day in 1796, Napoleon led the Army of Italy to victory over the Austrians at the Battle of Castiglione. Despite being outnumbered by the enemy, with the fortress of Mantua unconquered in his rear, Bonaparte was able to pounce on an isolated Austrian column.

On this day in 1798, a British fleet under Horatio Nelson shattered the French Mediterranean fleet at the Battle of the Nile, one of the most spectacular naval victories of the age. Nelson's triumph left Napoleon and the Army of the Orient stranded in Egypt.

New episode! Napoleon's new treaty with Russia had totally transformed European geopolitics. What did it mean for the future of the continent? For France? For Napoleon himself? https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/1E7F5E/traffic.megaphone.fm/ARML3384239850.mp3?updated=1690854777

I just finished recording episode 104, "Man of the Century," it should be out tomorrow.

229 years ago today, one of the most singular and controversial figures of modern political history, Maximilien Robespierre, was executed in Paris, just a day after his arrest.

On this day in 1794, the legislature of revolutionary France turned against the country's de-facto ruler: Maximilien Robespierre. He and his key allies were arrested by the National Guard. What historians call the "Thermidorian Reaction" was in full swing.

We just passed 1.5 million downloads since the beginning of the year. Thank you to everyone who has helped make the show a success, especially those of you who have helped spread the word or contributed financially. I love this job and I couldn't do it without you!

On this day in 1799, Napoleon and the Army of the Orient won one of the most devastating victories of the Egyptian Campaign, annihilating an Ottoman army at the Battle of Abukir.

On this day in 1783, the great liberator of Spanish America, Simón Bolívar, was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He spent many of his formative years in France. His fascination, then disillusionment with Napoleon would have a profound impact on his political beliefs.

We're now on BlueSky!