"Napoleon: A Life" by Andrew Roberts

While traveling in Italy last summer I kept coming across signs and placards making reference to Napoleon. It was then that I realized my high school history left a major gap in my education. Other than knowing he was exiled to Elba and ran into major issues in Russia, I knew so very little about Napoleon Buonaparte. I did some research on best biographies about Napoleon and this one by Andrew Roberts was highly regarded. I understand why. It is comprehensive. Within it's 800 plus pages, all aspects of Napoleon's life are discussed in depth. This is truly one of the most intriguing and impressive figures of all time. He raised himself up from more or less simple beginnings to the greatest of heights and, all accomplished, at a very young age. I am mostly taken aback by the breadth of his accomplishments. It would have been quite an experience to hold a conversation with this learned and charismatic man.