Napoleon: Life of an Emperor

From childhood dreams of joining the British Royal Navy to a dotage spent riding on a seesaw to improve his health, the true story of Napoleon Bonaparte is every bit as bizarre and fascinating as it is controversial.

Napoleon rose up out of the chaos and horror of the French Revolution to offer a shattered nation dreams of future glory, honor and a place once more at the forefront of Europe. After he seized power through a mixture of propaganda and rigged elections, Napoleon’s armies waged a seemingly never-ending war throughout Europe, from Portugal to Imperial Russia. Many hundreds of thousands died in battle, or of disease and starvation. France itself would lose 50,000 soldiers on average during every year under Napoleon’s control. Napoleon claimed to be furthering the libertarian values of the Revolution to free the continent, but then he had himself crowned Emperor, began moves to reinstate a hereditary monarchy and had slavery reintroduced throughout the French Empire.

Extensively illustrated, this new biography by bestselling author Mike Lepine offers a fresh and unforgettable portrait of a true military legend.

Mike Lepine is a Sunday Times No1 best-selling author. He has written thirty-five books and has been published throughout the world. He has also worked extensively in television in programming as diverse as the arts, consumer rights and comedy. For many years the editor of the Aviation & Military Video Club, Mike was instrumental with DD Home Entertainment in bringing much rare archival film footage to the public for the very first time.