A comprehensive account of the life and enduring influence of the early 19th-century French emperor covers his rise to prominence, the ways his life reflected his time, and the lingering impact of his death on national stability.

Paris, 1840 -- Corsican beginnings -- Son of the revolution -- Bonaparte in Italy -- Lure of the Orient -- First consul -- From consulate to Empire -- Quest for glory -- A vision of civil society -- The reinvention of monarchy -- From the peninsula to Leipzig -- The hundred days -- Years of exile -- Life after death.