Napoleon A Life

More than a century after he stormed across Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte still enthralls. Now this towering figure receives a fresh and eloquent reassessment from the distinguished historian Paul Johnson. With masterly sweep, Napoleon follows its subject from the barren island of Corsica to his early training in Paris, from his meteoric victories and military dictatorship to his exile on St. Helena and eventual death. In Napoleon's insatiable quest for power, Johnson sees a realist unfettered by patriotism or ideology. And he sees Bonaparte's violent legacy in the totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century. The result is a magnificent work that bears witness to one individual's ability to work his will on his age. Book jacket.

Paul Johnson is an acclaimed historian and the author of many bestselling books, including Modern Times, A History of the American People, and The History of Christianity. He is a frequent contributor to the New York Times,Wall Street Journal, and Spectator.