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    The Last Great Dance On Earth
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    The Last Great Dance On Earth
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    The Last Great Dance On Earth
    Ebook462 pages5 hours

    The Last Great Dance On Earth

    By Sandra Gulland

    4.5/5

    ()

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    Unavailable in your country

    About this ebook

    The final installment in the acclaimed trilogy lays bare the rise and fall of a great empire and a steadfast love that outlasts treachery, exile and even death. Napoleon is now Emperor, but his passionate union with Josephine is severely troubled. This is a shattering climax to a completely engrossing and tragic love story.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 17, 2012
    ISBN9781443409377
    Unavailable
    The Last Great Dance On Earth
    Author

    Sandra Gulland

    Sandra Gulland is the author of the Josephine Bonaparte series, Mistress of the Sun, and The Shadow Queen. She lives in Killaloe, Ontario and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

    Read more from Sandra Gulland

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    Reviews for The Last Great Dance On Earth

    4.5/5

    9 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A very good, if sad, ending to this Trilogy. Well worth a read to see the events of the Revolution (Book 1) and the ensuing period of Napoleon's rule. Gives a very different perspective to this period and to Napoleon. As they say the victors write the history! (Just look at the case of Richard III to illustrate this). Glad I didn't have his family, and you wonder how much of his demise was of their doing and whether events may have been different if he'd stayed married to Josephine. She does come across as a remarkable woman who had a very interesting life.
    • 4/5
      A very engaging third part of the trilogy of historical fiction about Josephine Bonaparte. The story of love and political intrigue is very well presented.
    • 4/5
      The final volume of the magnificent Josephine & Bonaparte trilogy. Wonderful historical fiction writing.Read April 2004
    • 5/5
      I'm almost embarrassed to have enjoyed this book as much as I did. After reading the first two volumes, this one really paid off and I didn't want it to end.
    • 5/5
      The Last Great Dance on Earth, by Sandra Gulland (Third book of the Jospehine B. Trilogy)...Josephine and Bonaparte have just gotten married...I'm often asked if it’s possible to read this book without having read the previous two. First of all, the three volumes in the trilogy are a continuation of eachother. So, in order to appreciate the story in full, you need to read all three. Josephine's life takes such dramatic turns that it almost seems as though she lived three lives in one. Almost like three powerful novels culminating in The Last Great Dance on Earth. This one, I felt, was truly a touching and emotional read.As the first two, the third volume is also written in diary form. In this book however, Sandra Gulland, develops the memoirs even further, without ever altering them. For me, this brought Josephine to life, closer than imaginable. From the beginning of this book, Gulland lures the reader further and further in, until you become totally captivated by Josephine’s life.It was impossible not to befriend Josephine. Her letters called out to me and I often thought myself to be her priveleged confidante. Gulland skilfully captures our emotions throughout these letters. This can be seen in: Josephine’s unsuccessful and painful ordeals to have Napoleon’s baby; Bonaparte’s family’s disdain for her as well as their scheming plans to rid themselves of her; Josephine’s loneliness; Her pain and humiliation while enduring Bonaparte’s affairs; Her resilience, sacrifice and surrender for the name of love and a greater purpose…and more.I was able to feel Josephine’s emotions throughout the book. At certain points, I even became angry at her for accepting Napoleon’s affairs; but this didn’t last for long. Despite my views, somehow, I made exceptions for Josephine. I understood her reasons and also came to accept them. She understood Napoleon’s greater purpose and all that it entailed. She understood that he was a man like no other, “Je le veux”- and he conquered. Her voice, feelings and motives came through clearly throughout this historical novel. Very often, I become teary-eyed when reading about the lives of historical figures- but with Josephine, I caught myself sobbing…several times (as though I’d learned about this for the first time). Josephine’s love, tenderness, understanding and total devotion to Napoleon, her man, came first, above all else.Besides her great love for Napoleon, Josephine’s tremendous love for her children is constant throughout the book. The detail in portraying Josephine as a caring and encouraging mother who stood by her children in their every decision, made her all the more endearing to me. The way Josephine cared for Hortense through her painful family tragedy and marital problems - Her willingness to take care of her grandchildren when Hortense needed her most- her children could always depend on her to be there.Eugene and Hortense’s letters to her are filled with caring words that reveal love and concern. There is a clear sense of their close and loving relationship in the way they all interact with eachother. They are together and united in every decision, regardless of their own personal feelings; the Divorce being a perfect example of this, as well as, their unity in accepting and welcoming Bonaparte’s decision to marry Marie Louise.These unbelievably difficult situations which must have required an enormous sense of loyalty, love and acceptance, continuously surface the story to emphasize the passionate life that Josephine lived. And in the end, Eugene’s touching letter announcing the death of his beloved mother to Bonaparte, addressed: Sire, Emperor (Papa), completely moved me to tears. I know it’s history, and I’ve read this all before; Even so, The Last Great Dance on Earth is now forever sealed within my heart.Up until her death, Josephine only wanted what was best for her Bonaparte, the man who “had inspired her to believe once again in heroes, in destiny, but above all in the miracle of love”. p.4Passionate times, beautiful details, sorrowful moments, love beyond boundaries- Bringing history to life, The Last Great Dance on Earth is an exceptional book.…Not difficult to see why this is my favourite Josephine historical novel.
    • 4/5
      Loved this series. You really develop feelings for Josephine as a person, she was the only person who truly loved Napoleon. I also learned alot about the french revolution and other historical facts about Napoleon's reign.
    • 4/5
      The final volume in Sandra Gulland's Josephine B. Trilogy.This was the perfect end to the series. The diary style contines to work well; instead of a straightforward, traditionally linear narrative, we get a story made up of hundreds of smaller layers. Each small piece works with all the others to give us not just a story but a moment in time. The book really captures the early 19th century and its people. It feels very real and very human. The characterization remains superb; Gulland does a wonderful job of portraying Josephine as a sympathetic, very human character. I really felt for her, and cried my eyes out when things started going wrong for her. The other characters are also very nicely developed; though we only see them through Josephine's eyes, the simple descriptions and telling details really make them come alive.Overall, I highly recommend this entire series. Start with the first book, though; this is more of a longer novel published in three volumes.
    • 4/5
      Great story-telling and a fantasticly quick read. Combines history and speculation on one of the more interesting characters in female history. I would definitely recommend the trilogy to anyone interested in historical fiction.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful. I can find no flaws in any part of this trilogy. The life of Josephine pulls the reader along easily, with Gulland's beautiful, simple prose to back it up. She evokes real feelings towards these characters, drawing them as humans (when they deserve it). Josephine and Napoleon have come alive to me as never before. These three books fit together so well that they should be read in a row in order to gain the full effect.This book is flawless, and I cannot describe it, or recommend it, any better than that.