Abraham Lincoln raved that this series of historical biographies gave him just that knowledge of past men and events which I need. I have read them with the greatest interest. To them I am indebted for about all the historical knowledge I have. Considered what we would now call young adult literature, this collection, first published between 1848 and 1871, was designed to present a clear, distinct, connected narrative of the lives of the great figures of world history, those people who have been most influential, at least as American pastor and historian JOHN STEVENS CABOT ABBOTT (1805-1877) saw it from his 19th-century perspective. Wildly popular and republished many times under different collected names, this replica set mimics the 1904 reprint known as the Makers of History series. It will delight students of history as well as show the scholar how history telling has changed over the last few centuries. More than 30 other volumes in the series are also available from Cosimo Classics. This volume, dating from 1869, covers Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), brother of Napoleon I and king of Spain, Naples, Sicily, including his early life, the burdens of his crown, war in Spain, his exile, and much more.