Napoleon: From Emperor to Exile (Very Short History Book 11)

By December 1805, His Imperial Majesty Napoleon I seemed invincible. He had triumphed at the Battle of Austerlitz, employing a daring and perfectly executed battle plan to defeat the Russian and Austrian forces ranged against him; it seemed that no one would be able to prevent him from continuing his victorious sweep across Europe. However, just ten years later, Napoleon's reign as Emperor of France would be over, with the Corsican defeated by the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo and exiled to Saint Helena.

This Very Short History looks at the causes of Napoleon's spectacular downfall, and examines the contradictions underlie his life: while celebrated as one of the most successful battlefield commanders, he is best known for his most significant defeat; while his legal code put in place the principle of equality that forms the basis of many modern legal systems, he is often described as the precursor to a host of modern dictators who had no regard for concerns of human rights; the inhabitant of royal palaces was at the same time never happier than when he was dining with his men on a muddy battlefield.

The Very Short History series gives the reader a clear, concise, and very short, account of the people and events that have shaped world history. Each book provides an entertaining and engaging narrative, allowing the reader to master the subject in the shortest time possible.