THE STORY OF NAPOLEON _Uniform with this Volume_ THE STORY OF NAPOLEON By HAROLD F. B. WHEELER, F.R.Hist.S. THE STORY OF NELSON By HAROLD F. B. WHEELER, F.R.Hist.S. THE STORY OF WELLINGTON By HAROLD F. B. WHEELER, F.R.Hist.S. FAMOUS VOYAGES OF THE GREAT DISCOVERERS By ERIC WOOD. THE STORY OF THE CRUSADES By E. M. WILMOT-BUXTON, F.R.Hist.S. STORIES OF THE SCOTTISH BORDER By Mr and Mrs WILLIAM PLATT. HEROES OF THE MIDDLE AGES By E. M. TAPPAN, Ph.D. HEROES OF MODERN EUROPE By ALICE BIRKHEAD, B.A. THE CONQUERORS OF PERU Retold from Prescott by HENRY GILBERT. THE NORTHMEN IN BRITAIN By ELEANOR HULL. STORIES FROM DUTCH HISTORY By ARTHUR H. DAWSON. THE STORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION By ALICE BIRKHEAD, B.A. THE CONQUERORS OF MEXICO Retold from Prescott by HENRY GILBERT. STORIES FROM GERMAN HISTORY By FLORENCE ASTON. THE STORY OF LORD ROBERTS By HAROLD F. B. WHEELER, F.R.Hist.S. [Illustration: Napoleon I., Emperor of the French From the painting by David _Fr._ ] THE STORY OF NAPOLEON _BY_ HAROLD F. B. WHEELER F.R.HIST.S. JOINT-AUTHOR OF ‘NAPOLEON AND THE INVASION OF ENGLAND’ AND ‘THE WAR IN WEXFORD’ AUTHOR OF ‘THE MIND OF NAPOLEON’ ETC. ‘_There was an eye to see in this man, a soul to dare and do. He rose naturally to be the King. All men saw that he_ was _such_.’ CARLYLE LONDON GEORGE G. HARRAP & COMPANY 2 & 3 PORTSMOUTH STREET KINGSWAY W.C. DEDICATED TO WINIFRED AND JOAN _Printed in Great Britain by Turnbull & Spears, Edinburgh_ Foreword There is no more marvellous story in human history than that of Napoleon I., Emperor of the French. His career is one long demonstration of the reality of the proverb, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” So fascinating are the details of a life in which so much was attempted and accomplished that many thousands of volumes have been published dealing with its various phases. The demand is by no means exhausted, the supply continuous, as witness the present work. Busy pens are still employed in reviewing the almost superhuman activities of the once obscure Corsican, whose genius for war and conquest upset many a throne, secured for him the Overlordship of Europe, and eventually consigned him to an island prison. Indeed, there seems little likelihood of a lull in interest while the chief source of instruction and amusement of human nature is humanity--in other words itself. Most of us are content to be pupils in the school of experience, willing to sit at the feet of such a master as Napoleon, and learn the lessons he has to teach. The result cannot be other than profitable.