Napoleon, to his supporters, is the personification of the self-made man, the ones who emerge from humble origins to become great by force of will or ability. What is it about Napoleon that provokes such emotion more than 200 years after his death?

He pointed out that historians like himself had multiple witness accounts from those who were there to depend upon as well as Napoleon’s own accounts in crafting their books about his life. Then how do you know?” Napoleon’s most prominent contemporary biographer, Andrew Roberts, said by that criteria there could be no historians as they couldn’t write about events unless they directly witnessed them. Scott fired back at his critics with a now notorious statement. Napoleon is depicted in the film firing cannons at the Pyramids in Egypt and leading the charge with his men into battle.

Historians have also trashed the film for its inaccuracies.

The satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaîné described it as the “Waterloo of cinema”. French critics, according to the New York Times, consider it “lazy, pointless, boring, migraine-inducing, too short and historically inaccurate”. Unfortunately, the latest starring Joaquin Phoenix has not been well-received by critics. There are many more biopics about Napoleon or aspects of his life. He is the subject of a new eponymous biopic by the British film director Ridley Scott. In short, and he was not short, Napoleon is one of the most famous men who ever lived. Napoleon (1769-1821) was, to give him his official title during his pomp as the conqueror of most of Europe “by the grace of God and the constitution of the Republic, Emperor of France, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine states, mediator of the Swiss Confederation”.

Napoleonic