Three-part study of Napoleon with the words of the man himself -- conversations, person letters, and public proclamations -- to give the reader an inside look at the self-crowned Emperor who conquered half of Europe. In the next section, those who actally knew Napoleon -- from his valet to Czar Alexander I -- provide eyewitness descriptions of Napoleon at work and at war, as a charismatic leader, a respected enemy, and a tough, even ruthless ruler. Finally, collected essays by such leading authorities as Madelin, Taine, and Lefebvre, each of which offers another key to the maze of myth, fact, and opinion which surrounds the figure of Napoleon.