This book is the dairy of a French girl who lived in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte. She was a real person. So were others who come into her story. Their names appear in the history books of Europe; but there they are dead people ----- and in Desirees diary they are alive. Here we can see, through a womans eyes, how history was made. She was there. She knew the men and women who made it. She almost married Napoleon himself.

No one really understood him. Not even Desiree. She hated his wars; but she never hated the man. “He has no heart,” she said. And she was sorry for him, because love and peace had no place in his life. In her own life she found true love, with Jean Bernadotte. But in those days a soldiers wife had little peace, especially if her husband dared to quarrel with Napoleon.

Some people write their diaries every day. Others only write then when something important happens. Desirees diary is of the second kind. It only covers the most important times in her life. The first half of her story is told in this book. Chapter 1March 1794: the Police Have Arrested My Brother

Chapter 2Next day: At The Town Hall Chapter 3The Same Evening: A Young Man Brought Me Home Chapter 4A Day Later: I Have Met Napoleon Chapter 5August 1974: Napoleon Is In Prison Chapter 6September 1794: Julies Marriage Feast Chapter 7September 1795: I Have Run Away From Home Chapter 8Next Day: I always Jumped Off The Bridge…

Chapter 9The Same Evening: …But someone Stopped Me Chapter 10 April 1798: I Have Met Napoleon Again Chapter 11 A Month Later: The Happiest Day Of My Life Chapter 12 Autumn 1798: Now I am A Soldiers Wife Chapter 13 July 1799: Oscar Is Born Chapter 14 November 9, 1799: Napoleon Governs France

Chapter 15 March 1804: The Noble Families Have Returned Chapter 16 May 1804: France Has An Emperor Chapter 17 December 1, 1804: The Imperial Princesses Chapter 18 December 2, 1804: The coronation Chapter 19 Two weeks Later: A Dance At The Opera House Chapter 20 June 1807: "One Of Our Marshals Was shot"

Chapter 21 June 1807: At Marienburg Castle Chapter 22 October 1809: Jeans Strange Conversation with Talleyrand Chapter 23 December 1809: The Empress Josephine Has Lost Her Battle Chapter 24 June 1810: What Did those Swedish officers Really Want? Bernadottes new position now takes Desiree to the royal court of Sweden. Life there is very hard for the silk merchants daughter who almost married Napoleon in Marseilles. She is happier in Paris, even without her family. But Napoleon is still jealous of her husband. When he and Desiree meet, there is always trouble. And when war comes again, the two men are on opposite sides.

Napoleon does at last, on the island of St Helena. "He had terrible faults," said Desiree. "But he was my first love--- and Im not ashamed of those days in Marseilles." She goes back to Sweden and there she is crowned: the first Queen of the royal family of Bernadotte. Chapter 25 September 1810: The New Crown Prince

Chapter 26 Next Morning: Shall I go to Sweden? Chapter 27 The Same Day: A Murder Story Chapter 28 The Same Day: My Good-looking Equerry Chapter 29 The Next Day: We Arent French Any Longer Chapter 30 September 30, 1810: How Do You Pronounce "Lowenhjelm" ? Chapter 31 December 21, 1810: At The castle In Elsinore

Chapter 32 December 22, 1810: Oscar And I Have Arrived In Sweden Chapter 33 New Years Day, 1811: Weve Reached Stockholm At Last Chapter 34 The same Evening: The Royal Swedish Court Chapter 35 March 1811: A Royal Tea Party Chapter 36 The Same Evening: Ive Decided To Go Home Chapter 37 June 1811: At Drottningholm Castle

Chapter 38 New Years Day, 1812: Ive Held The King Of Rome In My Arms Chapter 39 September 1812: The Road To Moscow Chapter 40 December 19, 1812: The Russian winter Has Defeated Napoleon Chapter 41 April 1813: A Toy Soldier Chapter 42 A Week Later: Maries Pierre Has Come Home Chapter 43 November 1813: The Battle Of Leipzing Chapter 44 March 29, 1814: Jean Has Disappeared Chapter 45 April 9, 1814: I Have Met The Tsar of Russia Chapter 46 April 13, 1814: The Victory Procession Chapter 47 April 25, 1814: Napoleon Has Gone To Elba Chapter 48 March 21, 1815: Napoleon Has Come Back! Chapter 49 June 23, 1815: After The Battle Of Waterloo Chapter 50 Jun 29, 1815: The Emperors Sword Chapter 51 July 1821: The Queen Of Sweden And Her First Love Chapter 52 June 1822: Oscar Needs A Beautiful Wife Chapter 53 May 1829: The Last Wish Of Princess Sofia Chapter 54 A Week Later: Ive Met Persson Again Chapter 55 August 21, 1829: The Queen Of Sweden Has Been Crowned 由易爾山譯註的《德希蕾日記》是由1475的常見單詞寫成的，生詞的出現率低，任何一個高中學生都可以看懂的。本書記錄了一位善良剛強，熱愛人民與和平的馬賽姑娘成為貝納多特元帥夫人和瑞典王后的歷程。由於她與拿破崙的特殊關係，書中主要記敘了整個拿破崙時代的一些重大歷史事件，反映了拿破崙政治生涯和個人生活的許多側面。故事中的人物也都是歷史上真實人物。 原書德文寫就，由Arnold Bender E． W． Dickes譯成的英語，再由A． G． Eyre簡化和改寫，分成兩冊（《貝爾納多特元帥夫人德西蕾》和《瑞典皇后德希蕾》），書名改為《德希蕾日記》。由於改寫者的匠心，使這部日記語言質樸生動，內容引人入勝，人物栩栩如生；結構嚴密，情節緊湊，一氣呵成，把三十來年間的重大歷史事件融為一體。因此又很強的可讀性。 Jean Bernadotte 讓．貝納多特法國陸軍部長，元帥，蓬特－科沃親王； 瑞典王儲，反法同盟軍總司令，瑞挪聯邦國王查理十四世。 Desiree Clary德希蕾．克拉里貝爾納多特之妻，蓬特－科沃公主；瑞典王妃，王后。 Oscar奧斯卡貝爾納多特之子，瑞典王儲，後為瑞挪聯邦國王奧斯卡一世。 Napoleon Bonaparte拿破崙．波拿巴法國皇帝拿破崙一世。 Josephine約瑟芬拿破崙的第一個妻子，皇后。 Marie Louise瑪麗．路易絲拿破崙的第二個妻子，皇后，羅馬王（拿破崙二世）之母 Joseph約瑟夫拿破崙之兄，先後為那不勒斯，西班牙國王 Julie朱莉德希蕾之姐，約瑟夫之妻，先後為那不勒斯，西班牙王后 Lucien路西安拿破崙大弟，議會議長 Louis路易拿破崙二弟，荷蘭國王，拿破崙三世之父 Hortense奧汀絲約瑟芬前夫之女，路易之妻，荷蘭王后 Jerome熱羅姆拿破崙三弟，維斯特法利亞國王 Letitia萊蒂西亞拿破崙之母。太后 Eugene歐仁約瑟芬前夫之子，意大利總督，奧斯卡的岳父 Josephine小約瑟芬歐仁之女，奧斯卡之妻 Talleyrand塔列朗外交大臣， 侍從長，本尼凡親王 Fouche福歇警務大臣，奧特朗托公爵 Lafayette拉法葉特大革命中任巴黎國民自衛軍司令，主持《人權宣言》的起草工作 Charles查理瑞典國王查理十三世 Hedvig黑德維查歷十三世之妻，瑞典王后 Alexander亞歷山大俄國沙皇亞歷山大一世