Louis Claude Frédéric Masson (8 March 1847, Paris – 19 February 1923, Paris) was a French historian.

Life and career

His father, Francis Masson, a

solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...

, was killed on 23 June 1848 when he was a major in the ''garde nationale''. Young Masson was educated at the college of Sainte Barbe, and at the lycée Louis-le-Grand, and then travelled in Germany and in England. From 1869 to 1880 he was librarian at the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...

. At first he devoted himself to the history of

diplomacy Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of State (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international syste ...

, and published between 1877 and 1884 several volumes connected with that subject. Later he published a number of more or less curious memoirs illustrating the history of the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

and of the

empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

. But he is best known for his books connected with

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. In ''Napoléon inconnu'' (1895), Masson, together with Guido Biagi, brought out the unpublished writings (1786-1793) of the future emperor. These were notes, extracts from historical, philosophical and literary books, and personal reflections in which one can watch the growth of the ideas later carried out by the emperor with modifications necessitated by the force of circumstances and his own genius. But this was only one in a remarkable series: *''

Joséphine de Beauharnais Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 Janua ...

, 1763-1796'' (1898) *''Joséphine, impératrice et reine'' (1899) *''Joséphine répudiée 1809-1814'' (1901) *''L'Impératrice Marie Louise'' (1902) *''Napoléon et les femmes'' (1894) *''Napoléon et sa famille'' (9 vols., 1897-1907) *''Napoléon et son fils'' (1904) *''Autour de l'Île d'Elbe'' (1908). These works abound in details and amusing anecdotes, which throw much light on the events and men of the time, laying stress on the personal, romantic and dramatic aspects of history. The author was made a member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

in 1903. From 1886 to 1889 he edited the review ''Arts and Letters'', published in London and New York. A bibliography of his works, including anonymous ones and those under an assumed name, has been published by Georges Vicaire (''Manuel de l'amateur des livres du XIX siècle'', tome v., 1904). ''Napoléon et les femmes'' has been translated into English as ''Napoleon and the Fair Sex'' (1894). Another translation by J. M. Howell appeared under the title: ''Napoleon: lover and husband'' (1894). His personal library, his papers, his collection of paintings and objects about Napoléon are conserved now in the

Fondation Dosne-Thiers The Fondation Dosne-Thiers is a history library located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris at 27, place St-Georges, Paris, France. It is open to researchers who obtain recommendations from a member of the Institut de France. Description The foun ...

, 27 place Saint-Georges, 75009 Paris (France).

References

External links

Frédéric Masson
on data.bnf.fr * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Masson, Frederic 19th-century French historians 20th-century French historians 1847 births 1923 deaths Writers from Paris Members of the Académie Française Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Members of the Ligue de la patrie française French biographers