Digvijay

THE NOVEL BEGINS WITH THE NAPOLEAN`S ENTRY IN THE POLITICAL SCENARIO AND HIS ROLE AS A COMMANDER. IT PROGRESSES WITH HIS VICTORIES OVER THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, HIS UNSUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN IN RUSSIA, HIS DEFEAT IN THE BATTLE OF LEIPZIG, HIS EXILE ON THE ISLAND OF ELBA, HIS LAST DEFEAT AT THE WATERLOO AND HIS TWILIGHT DAYS IN THE BRITISH IMPRISONMENT. THE POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE IN THE NOVEL IS FULL OF INTRIGUES AND INTRICACIES, THE STRATEGIES AND DIPLOMACIES, GRID AND ANGER, LOYALTY AND DECEPTIONS, WAR AND PEACE. THE AUTHORS HAVE BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED NAPOLEAN`S TENDER, DELICATE LOVE AFFAIRS AND THE PROMISES AND COMPROMISES HE HAD TO MAKE. THE DESCRIPTIONS OF HIS DEFEAT AT THE WATERLOO, HIS UNSUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN IN RUSSIA AND HIS LONELY LAST DAYS ON SAINT HELENA ISLAND ARE EXTREMELY TOUCHING. NAPOLEAN HAD A VERY SHORT STATURE COMPARED TO AN AVERAGE EUROPEAN, HE WAS NEITHER AN EXPERT HORSE RIDER NOR A SHARP SHOOTER, STILL HE WON 40 BATTLES. HE KNEW WHERE TO ATTACK. THE AUTHORS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED HIS AMAZING PRESENCE OF MIND, HIS FAST CALCULATIONS IN HANDLING THE ARMY AND HIS POSITIVE APPROACH TOWARDS CHALLENGES. SO IT IS RIGHTLY SAID THAT `HE CAME, HE SAW.. AND HE CONQUERED!` HE HAD TREMENDOUS WILL POWER, SELF CONFIDENCE AND EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP QUALITIES. HE NEVER GUIDED HIS ARMY FROM THE BACKGROUND BUT ALWAYS KEPT HIMSELF ON THE FOREFRONT. THE AUTHORS HAVE DONE JUSTICE TO NAPOLEAN BY DEPICTING HIM NOT MERELY A POLITICAL LEADER OR A GENERAL BUT ALSO AS A SOCIAL REFORMER, THE FOUNDER OF THE FAMOUS `CIVIL CODE` AND THE `CENTRAL BANK OF FRANCE.` THOUGH HE HAD FAILED IN CONQUERING THE WHOLE WORLD, HE CONQUERED THE MINDS OF HIS SOLDIERS AND THE FRENCHMEN....'इटलीचीच काय; पण कोणतीही मोहीम हाती घ्यायची धडाडी असलेला असा एकच जनरल फ्रान्समध्ये आहे. त्याची उंची असेना का कमी; पण त्याच्या महत्त्वाकांक्षेची झेप विशाल आहे. त्याचा स्वत:चा नेम नसेना का चांगला; परंतु चढाई नेमकी कुठे आणि केव्हा करायची, हे तो उत्तम जाणतो. त्याची घोड्यावरची मांड कशी का असेना; पण संपूर्ण सैन्यावर त्याची विलक्षण पकड आहे. तो ओढीना का सारखा तपकीर; परंतु शत्रूच्या मात्र तो नाकी दम आणू शकतो!... ...नेपोलियन बोनापार्टसारखा जनरल आपल्या हाती आहे, हे मी आपलं भाग्य समजतो. या माणसाच्या हाती आपण सैन्याची सूत्रं देऊ या. अन्यथा उद्या तो ती स्वत:हून आपल्या हातांत घेतल्याशिवाय राहणार नाही!' प्रेम-विरह, फितुरी-हेरगिरी, डाव-प्रतिडाव, युद्ध-शांती अशा विविध अंगांनी नटलेली नेपोलियन बोनापार्ट याच्या जीवनावरील पिता-पुत्रांनी संयुक्तरीत्या लिहिलेली अद्भुतम्य, रससिद्ध कादंबरी : दिग्विजय!