Recommended by
- Larry Ellison: "Ellison's favorite history book, read several times: the Durants' account of Napoleon as the outsider who was told he would never amount to anything." source ↗
Summary
Will and Ariel Durant's eleventh volume in their Story of Civilization series, covering Europe from the French Revolution through Napoleon's rise, his military campaigns across the continent, and his eventual defeat. The Durants place the period in intellectual, cultural, and social context, examining not just battles and treaties but the art, philosophy, and daily life of the era — the hallmark of their comprehensive approach to history.