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Recollections of the Revolution and the Empire

Gelesen von Barbara Baker

(4,071 Sterne; 7 Bewertungen)

An aristocratic Frenchwoman's personal record of the dazzling extravagance of the Ancien Régime, of the court of Marie Antoinette, of the Revolution, of her life in exile (partly in Upstate New York) and of the court of Napoleon Bonaparte. This famous historically valuable memoir, written for her son, ends with Napoleon's return from Elba in 1815. (Summary by barbara2) (0 hr 36 min)

Chapters

Part 1 Ch 1: Childhood of Mlle Dillon

15:53

Read by Barbara Baker

Part 1 Ch 2: Death of Mme Dillon

16:51

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Part 1 Ch 3: Visits to Languedoc

20:12

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Part 1 Ch 4: Matrimonial Projects

12:47

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Part 1 Ch 5: The Marriage Preliminaries

8:34

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Part 1 Ch 6: Marriage and Presentation at Court

17:13

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Part 1 Ch 7: First Season in Society

15:40

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Part 1 Ch 8: Eve of the Revolution

21:44

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Part 1 Ch 9: Fall of the Bastille

19:07

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Part 1 Ch 10a: Versailles Invaded by the Mob

23:12

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Part 1 Ch 10b: Versailles Invaded by the Mob

19:03

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Part 1 Ch 11: Visit to Switzerland

26:01

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Part 1 Ch 12a: Residence in Holland

15:30

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Part 1 Ch 12b: Residence in Holland

13:06

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Part 1 Ch 13: Flight to Bordeaux

25:45

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Part 1 Ch 14: Life at Bordeaux

21:33

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Part 1 Ch 15: Decision to Leave France

19:22

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Part 1 Ch 16: Voyage to Boston

18:37

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Part 2 Ch 1: Arrival in America

23:29

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Part 2 Ch 2: The Farm near Albany

26:07

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Part 2 Ch 3: Country Life

22:42

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Part 2 Ch 4: A Visit to New York

26:55

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Part 2 Ch 5a: Departure for Europe

18:23

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Part 2 Ch 5b: Departure for Europe

16:53

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Part 2 Ch 6: Visit to Paris

31:15

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Part 2 Ch 7a: Exile in England

19:31

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Part 2 Ch 7b: Exile in England

18:33

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Part 2 Ch 8: Life at Richmond

16:47

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Part 2 Ch 9: Return to Paris

26:17

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Part 2 Ch 10: Life at Le Bouilh

18:15

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Part 2 Ch 11: The Emperor at Bordeaux

21:21

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Part 2 Ch 12: The Prefecture at Brussels

29:43

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Part 2 Ch 13: Visit of the Emperor

17:55

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Part 2 Ch 14: An Audience with Napoleon

27:55

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Part 2 Ch 15: Return of the King

24:27

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Part 2 Ch 16: The First Restoration

20:18

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Postscript

19:13

Read by Barbara Baker

Bewertungen

good reading

(4 Sterne)

I can understand the other reviewers frustration with the French but a) I got to page 65 before I found a spoken phrase that might have been translated and b) from decades of reading French I know that the two biggest problems with demanding translations are the impossibility of finding one English word that actually equates to the French (spirituelle does _not_ mean spirited) and the large number of times translators fall into "false friends" mistakes that my high school teacher of French warned us about nearly 50 years ago. Finally, if you are going to read about France, have a little gumption and learn some of the language instead of insisting that somebody a century ago cater to modern ignorance of languages. And French, too, which every high school "teaches". It's much easier listening to Ms. Baker than listening to somebody who knows nothing about French butchering liaison.

Sneak Peek Into History

(4 Sterne)

This was a nice look into different eras of French history through the eyes of one in high society. However, I really wish the translator had done his job more thoroughly. The original was written in French. It was translated in the early 1900s. At that time, one would have the bright idea that not everyone understands French, yet he still left all dialogue untranslated. Important dialogue! So those of us with no French knowledge walk away missing important parts of the narrative. :( I know LV records text as written, but this is one case in which I really wish we allowed translation of parts that were left in the original language. The reader is excellent. Thanks for the hard work putting this together!

fascinating

(5 Sterne)

What a story! The reader and the text are well paired.

very interesting

(5 Sterne)

lovely reader great story