Of the vast library of books devoted to the deeds and personality of Napoleon Bonaparte, none has had such an immense popular success as Emil Ludwig's vibrant biography. The reason is not far to seek. Upon the framework of historical fact, Ludwig has re-created the whole miraculous cycle of Napoleon's life and has imbued it with the passion and imagination that motivated the career of the little Corsican. It is a book of courage and violence and adventures for enormous stakes; it is a story as vivid and as stirring as Napoleon's victories and ultimate humiliation.