The little corporal who conquered Europe and couldn't stop talking about it.
Season 1 • Episode 4
LatestThe downfall of Napoleon, including the invasion and subsequent retreat from Russia, and his final battles, in which all of Europe is arrayed against him. Exiled to Elba, he returns to France after just ten months, only to be defeated for the last time at Waterloo. Napoleon spends his final days exiled on an island far out in the Atlantic, where he writes his memoirs and reinvents his legend.
Napoleon's extraordinary rise from obscure military man to hero of the French people convinces him that he is destined for greatness.
Production
Lavish reenactments that make PBS look surprisingly expensive.
Writing
McCullough's narration could make a grocery list sound profound.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
David McCullough recorded all narration in a single week despite having no prior Napoleon expertise — he learned on the job.
Released months before the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's rise to First Consul, this helped spark a late-90s Napoleon revival in popular history.
US
