FREEThe Second Funeral of Napoleon
by Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863
"The Second Funeral of Napoleon" by William Makepeace Thackeray is a historical narrative composed during the mid-19th century. This work captures the sentiments and events surrounding the disinterment of Napoleon Bonaparte’s remains from St. Helena and their journey back to France, emphasizing the pomp and pageantry associated with his second funeral. The narrative unfolds with a mix of personal observations, reflections on history, and commentary on the role of individuals in shaping historical events. At the start of this engaging narrative, Thackeray adopts an epistolary style, addressing a character named Amelia while philosophizing about the nature of history and the various interpretations of historical figures. He contrasts the grandiose portrayal of great men in history with the mundane realities of their lives and actions. The opening portion recounts the initial arrangements and decisions surrounding Napoleon’s disinterment at St. Helena, the preparations for transporting his remains back to France, and the significant figures and debates that shaped the ceremony. Through a combination of humor, social critique, and historical detail, Thackeray provides readers with a vivid backdrop to Napoleon's legacy and the reverence with which the French nation regarded him, all while maintaining a candid and often irreverent tone. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Automated conservative edition review 2026-10-20T07:43:29.411Z (historical-original-en-v2), Philippines scope. English historical author Thackeray, William Makepeace, died 1863; original-language author allowlist, matching sole EPUB/catalog creator, no credited contributors, no extra artwork, no flagged editorial/translation/copyright cues in isolated text. US public-domain source label and retained Gutenberg license; EPUB CRC passed. This is rule-based screening, not a worldwide rights opinion or a claim of manual review. Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2645; Philippine term reference https://www.ipophil.gov.ph/copyright/. EPUB SHA256 85073e5de5fcf792eeb145d0ce69dc3b1f5088982577ec9274de9a4a54d4bd93; RDF SHA256 3e8079e7cf707d5a058b026baff748375ee4124a776ab4de0c0fbe67b1b37ca3.
View source & edition information ↗