Bonhams to Sell Napoleon Bonaparte’s Autographed Fiction Novel and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Letter to Amelia Earhart

The only work of fiction autographed by Napoleon Bonaparte is available in the upcoming Fine Books & Manuscripts Auction, presented by Bonhams. It is an extract from Clisson et Eugénie (circa 1795), a romantic, autobiographical fiction by Napoleon. Clisson et Eugénie is about the affairs of Clisson, a war hero who meets and falls for a girl named Eugénie at a public bath. After marrying and having children, Clisson is called back to war, where he gets injured. He sends a friend to tell Eugénie, who unfortunately begins an affair. Heartbroken, Clisson engineers his death in battle. The script is written in a narrow column with corrections and ink blots, possibly from Napoleon’s pen, in part translated: “It became a story of love, the most ardent and the most respectful that had steered the heart of any man.” The cover is crushed red Morocco by Pomey with imperial arms stamped in gilt on the covers.

Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928. Earhart’s groundbreaking journey lasted for 20 hours, 40 minutes. When she landed in Oakland, she was greeted by a vigorous crowd of 5,000 people. A congratulatory letter to Amelia Earhart on her solo flight from Hawaii to California, noting the contributions of women throughout American history from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is a notable lot in the auction. Roosevelt’s historic letter begins, “You have scored again…you have shown even the ‘doubting Thomases’ that aviation is a science which cannot be limited to men only.” He continues by comparing her to the female pioneers who were instrumental in the westward expansion of American civilization. A copy of the first book appearance of the Israeli National Anthem, originally titled Tikvatenu, from the poet to the creator of the modern Hebrew language Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, is also on offer. View the complete catalog for this Fine Books & Manuscripts Auction and register to bid on Bonhams’ website.