My name is Jack Stanley, I have studied history for many years. This blog is about history in a more raw view, not over done. I often use original materials to bring a historic event or story to life or an interview I may have done with the person mentioned. If you cook a vegetable too long it loses much. The same can be said of many histories. They are the history of the history written before it. Over done history. THIS IS HISTORY IN THE RAW. Comments send to phonograph78@hotmail.com
Friday, October 19, 2007
Ok so how tall was Napoleon? Was he really so short that it gave him a complex?
I am really getting tired of hearing how short Napoleon was. He was not short, he was of average height. He was 5 feet six inches tall. Before beginning his autopsy on the body of Napoleon, Dr. Antommarchi measured it. It came to 1.686 metres.
Now five feet six inches is not that short at all. In American history John Adams was around five feet six inches, as was his son, John Quincy. President James Madison was only five feet four inches. I think there has been many issues that have messed up our understanding of Napoleon's height.
First off the measure of Napoleon was done in French metres. Secondly, Genl. Tom Thumb, who worked with P.T. Barnum, was always dressed like Napoleon. Since Tom Thumb was very small the image began to sink into the public that Napoleon must have been very short too. Well that is not so. He was of normal height for the times.
So perhaps someone who has a Napoleon complex may have to think about it a bit. Maybe they might have a James Madison complex.