THE DEATH OF JOACHIM MURAT 1815 and the Unfortunate Fate of One of Napoleon’s Marshals

This volume offers a superb examination of the famed French marshal. While Murat’s cavalry exploits, his role in Napoleon’s ascent, his disputes with fellow marshals, his marriage to Caroline Bonaparte, his elevation to the Neapolitan throne, and his eventual betrayal of the Emperor have been extensively documented, far less attention has been given to his final journey and death. Jonathan North addresses this gap with a meticulously researched study of the last phase of Joachim Murat’s life. Without revealing the book’s key revelations, it is enough to note that readers will likely be surprised by the identities of the two individuals who attempted, at considerable personal risk in one case, to secure Murat’s escape. That he declined this opportunity is no less remarkable.