“After speaking to the Admiral he turned to me, and then I understood for the first time in my life, what was the meaning of the phrase ‘A born ruler of men.’ I had been taught to hate the French as I hated the devil; but when Napoleon looked at me there was such power and majesty in his look that if he had bade me lie down that he might walk over me, I would have done it at once, Englishman although I was. The look on Napoleon’s face was the revelation of the man and the explanation of his power. He was born to command.” And there you have part of the secret of Napoleon’s career. HAROLD F. B. WHEELER Contents CHAP. PAGE I. NAPOLEON THE BOY 15 II. THE SCHOOLDAYS OF NAPOLEON 21 III. NAPOLEON AS OFFICER AND AUTHOR 29 IV. NAPOLEON AND THE CORSICAN VOLUNTEERS 41 V. THE EVE OF THE REIGN OF TERROR 47 VI. NAPOLEON’S FIRST FIGHT WITH THE ENGLISH 57 VII. NAPOLEON THE SOLDIER OF FORTUNE 65 VIII. “THE SPARK OF GREAT AMBITION” 74 IX. THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN 82 X. THE EXPEDITION TO EGYPT 91 XI. FROM CAIRO TO FRÉJUS 99 XII. HOW NAPOLEON SEIZED THE REINS OF GOVERNMENT 106 XIII. THE PASSAGE OF THE ALPS 111 XIV. BLESSINGS OF PEACE 124 XV. THE DAWN OF THE EMPIRE 131 XVI. THE THREATENED INVASION OF ENGLAND AND ITS SEQUEL 138 XVII. THE WAR OF THE THIRD COALITION 146 XVIII. THE PRUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 155 XIX. THE POLISH CAMPAIGN 168 XX. FRIEDLAND AND TILSIT 174 XXI. NAPOLEON’S COMMERCIAL WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN 181 XXII. THE GENESIS OF THE PENINSULAR WAR 192 XXIII. GLORY AT ERFURT AND HUMILIATION IN SPAIN 206 XXIV. THE AUSTRIAN CAMPAIGN 219 XXV. THE AUSTRIAN CAMPAIGN--_Continued_ 233 XXVI. THE WAR IN POLAND AND TYROL 241 XXVII. A BROKEN FRIENDSHIP AND WHAT IT BROUGHT 253 XXVIII. THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN 265 XXIX. THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO MOSCOW--AND AFTER 276 XXX. THE MARCH OF HUMILIATION 284