Book
The people's emperor: the unlikely rise and spectacular fall of Napoleon III
On the shelf? Just pop in.
Born into imperial splendour, Louis-Napoléon - the nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte - grew up far from power after the defeat at Waterloo. In exile, he repeatedly plotted, unsuccessfully, to restore his uncle's empire. Few took him seriously. But what followed is one of the most astonishing, impossible stories in history. Aged 40, Louis-Napoléon would be elected president of France. Three years later, he seized power to become emperor. Napoleon III's story is one of self-belief, political skill and radical innovation - the first person to master mass democratic politics and populism. Yet, despite being one of the most important trailblazers of the 19th century, he is largely misunderstood today, if not totally forgotten. His strange rise and catastrophic fall is a story of both tragedy and farce, set during some of France's most tumultuous decades.
More like this
Elizabeth: an intimate portrait
Gyles Daubeney Brandreth · 2026
The man who walked out of the sun: a lifetime of summers with Garry Sobers
Duncan Hamilton · 2026
Emperor of the seas: Kublai Khan and the making of China
Jack Weatherford · 2026
The countess: seduction, power and the extraordinary life of Emily Cowper
Jehanne Wake · 2026
Mr Moonlight: Brian Epstein and the making of the Beatles
Philip Norman · 2026
The escape: the Tour, the cyclist and me
Pippa York · 2026
The generals: 69 generals, 69 authors, 69 lessons in history
Iain Dale · 2026
The four wives of Windsor: rivalries, influence and the real power behind the crown
Simon Vigar · 2026
Stolen revolution: betrayal and hope in modern Iran
Yeganeh Torbati · 2026
The traveller: the revolutionary life of George Forster and his search for humanity
Andrea Wulf · 2026
The royal insider: my life with the queen, the king and Princess Diana
Paul Burrell · 2026
With my own hand: the secret life of Marie Maitland, Scotland's sixteenth-century Sappho
Ashley Douglas · 2026