He was born at Chambéry (Savoie). His father had been one of Napoleon's officers. The son studied philosophy and history in Paris and wrote historical works of an anti-clerical and rationalizing tendency. These included:

• L'Église et les philosophes au dix-huitième siècle (1855; new edition, with a notice of the author by E. de Pressensé, 1879)
• Essai sur la révolution française (1858)
• Histoire politique des papes (1860)
• Lettres d'Evérard (1860), a novel in the form of letters
• Le Rétablissement de la Pologne (1863)

His magnum opus was his Histoire de Napoleon I (5 vols., 1867–1875 and 1886; Eng. trans., 4 vols, 1871–1879), which ceased at the end of 1811 with the preparations for the Russian campaign of 1812. This book, based on the emperor's correspondence published in 1858-1870, attempted the destruction of the legends which had grown up around his subject, and sought by a critical examination of the documents to explain the motives of his policy.^[1]

In his desire to refute current misconceptions and exaggerations of Napoleon's abilities, Lanfrey unduly minimized his military and administrative genius. A staunch republican, he was elected to the National Assembly in 1871, became ambassador at Bern (1871-1813), and life senator in 1875. He died at Pau on the 15 November 1877.^[1]

Attribution

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lanfrey, Pierre" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.; Endnotes:

• Œuvres complètes were published in 12 vols. (1879 seq.)
• Correspondance in 2 vols. (1885).