«Napoleon Bonaparte» of A.Z. Manfred esteemed by readers
Chudinov Dmitry
The article is devoted to one of the works of one of the leading Soviet historian, a specialist in the history of France Albert Zakharovich Manfred (1906-1976) - the fundamental biography «Napoleon Bonaparte», which was published in 1971, and the related correspondence with the author's readers. The author draws attention to the peculiarities of A.Z. Manfred’s monograph and its differences from the book of academician E.V. Tarle «Napoleon», which was published in the 1930s. The article analyzes the letters from the personal archives of Manfred to him, that were written after the book «Napoleon Bonaparte» had been published. The authors of these letters were not only professional historians, but also representatives of nonhumanitarian professions. They wrote not only words of gratitude to the author of the biography of Napoleon, but also reviews of the book, pointed to Manfred’s admitted mistakes and inaccuracies, asked to advise on the Napoleonic theme, etc. These letters didn’t remain without answer; example of this is given in the article - Manfred’s response letter to the reader of his book. The study of these archival documents will complement the creative history of the creation of Manfred's book, which has become a kind of «Soviet bestseller» not lost its relevance even after 30 years after its publication.