The youngest of the Bonaparte brothers, Jerome emerges from this biography as a considerably more capable and interesting person than has generally been the consensus of history. Albeit by no means as competent and intelligent as his elder brothers, Jerome seems to have performed ably on a number of occasions. Lamar particularly points out that Jerome proved a highly capable naval officer, a career for which he seems to have had a natural bent. To be sure his imperial brother provided him opportunities during his year or so of naval service, that were hardly available to men of less exalted kindred, but he nevertheless did perform with considerable skill. When Napoleon tried to make him a general, Jerome proved much less able. A valuable addition to the literature of the Bonapartes.