Napoleon

Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, this important new biography weaves together the development of Napoleon as individual with the complex world in which he lived Volume I reveals the inner Napoleon, the man: what he thought, how he felt and what he lived, ending in 1799 with Napoleon's participation in the dramatic coup that brought him to power This definitive biography of Napoleon will set the standard for many years to come

Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power was neither inevitable nor smooth; it was full of mistakes, wrong turns and pitfalls. This book examines the evolution of Napoleon's character and the means by which at the age of thirty he became head of the most powerful country in Europe and skilfully fashioned the image of himself.Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power was neither inevitable nor smooth; it was full of mistakes, wrong turns and pitfalls. During his formative years his identity was constantly shifting, his character ambiguous and his intentions often ill-defined. He was, however, highly ambitious, and it was this ruthless drive that advanced his career. This book examines the extraordinary evolution of Napoleon's character and the means by which at the age of thirty he became head of the most powerful country in Europe and skilfully fashioned the image of himself that laid the foundation of the legend that endures to this day.