Louis Antoine Fauvelet de BourrienneLouis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne (1769-1834) was a French diplomat, politician, and writer, best known for his friendship with Napoleon Bonaparte and his memoirs of the Emperor. Bourrienne was born in Sens, France, and studied law in Paris. He bean his career as a civil servant under the Ancien Régime, but he was dismissed from his position for his revolutionary sympathies. He then became a secretary to the French ambassador to Germany, where he met Napoleon, who was then a young officer. Bourrienne and Napoleon became close friends, and Bourrienne served as his private secretary during his rise to power. He accompanied Napoleon on his campaigns in Italy and Egypt, and was appointed Minister of State and Minister of the Interior under the Empire. After Napoleon's fall, Bourrienne went into exile in Germany and England. He returned to France after the Bourbon Restoration, but he was forced to flee the country again during the July Revolution of 1830. Bourrienne is best known for his Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, which he began writing in 1829. The Memoirs were widely read and praised for their intimate portrayal of Napoleon, but they were also criticized for their partiality and lack of objectivity. Bourrienne died in Caen, France, in 1834. His Memoirs remain an important source of information about the life and career of Napoleon Bonaparte. Read More Read Less