Napoleon Bonaparte played a central role in 18th and 19th Century world affairs. This is the compelling portrait of the man who almost rose to become Emperor of Europe, and whose influence can still be felt in the modern age.
From the day he was born, Napoleon appeared destined for greatness, despite his below-average scholarly record. When he came of age and joined the military, Napoleon discovered a remarkable ability to impress influential people.
Marriage to Josephine Rose de Beauhamais did little to quell Napoleon's vaulting ambition. His early military campaigns in Italy and Egypt demonstrated his burgeoning military talent and ingratiated him in the minds of French soldiers.
As the world entered the 19th Century, Napoleon's career was in full swing. By 1804, his rise to the status of Emperor, combined with remarkable military victories, left Napoleon a short step from proclaiming himself Emperor of Europe.
Prior to 1807, Napoleon had experienced almost uninterrupted success, but change was in the air. The Emperor's determination to impose the Continental System on the whole of Europe was the main impetus behind The Peninsular War.
With the Peninsular War still raging, Napoleon made a fateful decision in 1812 to invade Russia. Nothing could have prepared he and his men for what awaited them as they marched towards Moscow, nor the appalling horrors upon their retreat.
The final chapter in Napoleon Bonaparte's life begins with his exile on the island of Elba where he imagined returning to France. When he did once again step foot on home soil, his people were waiting, but Waterloo proved his undoing.
