Napoleon Bonaparte: The romantic novelist?

French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the greatest military leaders of history, whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century, had a romantic side too.

A novel, Clisson et Eugénie, set to be released in English, has revealed the French leader's talent as a man of letters and a romantic novelist, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported.

It all dates back to 1795 when Napoleon, an ambitious young soldier, aged 26, penned his romantic manuscript shortly before he made his name by smashing a royalist coup in Paris in the same year.

In fact, the inspiration for the novel was the general's love affair with Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary, whose sister married his brother Joseph.

In one extract, Napoleon's beloved Eugénie writes: "I am worried and unhappy. I feel numb. Come to me without delay. Only the sight of you will cure me. Last night, I dreamt you were on your deathbed."

"The life had gone out of your beautiful eyes, your mouth was lifeless, you had lost all your colour. I threw myself on your body -- it was icy cold. I wanted to bring you back to life with my breath, to bring you warmth and life. But you could no longer hear me. You no longer knew me."

When Napoleon died in exile on St Helena, aged 51, his possessions included the manuscript of his novella, the pages of which were scattered as souvenirs. But the fragments have been pieced together over the years.

Jane Aitken, director of Gallic, the book's publisher, said the book will show Napoleon to be "an accomplished writer of fiction". "Although the piece of writing is short, it does cast an extraordinary light on Napoleon, who is someone we all think we know."