The Real War Of Thrones: Napoleon

Forced to flee Corsica, the Bonaparte family relocates to Marseille. Despite his heroics during the Siege of Toulon, the future of Napoleone Buonaparte - as he is still known-remains uncertain. Soon, Paul Barras, leader of the Directory, will propel the young Corsican general-a deserter battling depression-back into the spotlight through military glory. Who is this man?

Of all Napoleon’s brothers, Lucien Bonaparte is his closest match: ambitious, fiery, and relentless. Yet the two clash incessantly. Lucien, a shrewd politician supported by a devoted wife, contrasts with Napoleon, a rigid military icon betrayed by Josephine.

Now First Consul, Napoleon is France’s most powerful man. But royalist assassination plots and ongoing wars raise a dire question: What if he dies? Within the Bonaparte clan, eldest brother Joseph maneuvers ruthlessly to secure his place as heir apparent. He isn’t the only one vying for the title, however, as familial rivalries threaten to fracture the dynasty.

Napoleon crowns himself Emperor, and his territorial conquests surge unchecked. Victorious France installs his siblings on thrones across Europe-except for Caroline, his youngest sister. Hungry for a crown, she schemes to manipulate her brother, conspiring with her husband, Joachim Murat, to prove her indispensability and claim her prize.

Napoleon rules a constellation of European states, with his siblings as puppet monarchs. Yet infighting and betrayals plague the clan. Desperate to secure his legacy, Napoleon divorces Josephine and weds Marie-Louise of Austria, daughter of his sworn enemy. Their long-awaited heir is born-but his disastrous Spanish campaign and march on Moscow provoke Russia’s wrath, endangering the empire.

With his army crushed in Russia and a sixth European coalition uniting against him, Napoleon faces cascading betrayals. The Bonaparte clan splinters to avoid sinking with him. After abdicating, Napoleon watches as the monarchy is restored-but have the French truly abandoned their emperor?