The Story of Napoleon

Napoleon is a world-historic figure whose name is familiar to millions. Yet behind the military genius who found fame and glory through his bold strategies and hard-won victories, there was a human face with a human heart. It’s this Napoleon, the one forged from flesh and blood and not mythology, who is the subject of Harold Wheeler’s engaging and probing biography. Napoleon was a soldier to the bone — he relished the camaraderie of the camp and the fellowship of men who charged, fought, and died together.

Napoleon once said, “The cries of the dying, the tears of the hopeless, surrounded my cradle from the moment of my birth.” Yet there is so much more to his life story than that of a mere military man. Napoleon’s life story is a classic example of “Truth being stranger than fiction.” In his quest to get to the essence of Napoleon, Wheeler leaves no stone unturned, or avenue unexplored. Written 90 years after his death, the book does not eulogize or condemn Napoleon. Instead, it offers the readers a purely historical account of a man destined to leave his mark on the world. It is a fitting testament.