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Who Was Napoleon?
Learn more about Napoleon Bonaparte, the decorated French military leader who conquered much of Europe in the early nineteenth century.
Born in the Mediterranean island of Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte felt like an outsider once his family moved to France. But he found his life's calling after graduating from military school. Napoleon went on to become a brilliant military strategist and the emperor of France. In addition to greatly expanding the French empire, Napoleon also created many laws, which are still encoded in legal systems around the world.
Born in the Mediterranean island of Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte felt like an outsider once his family moved to France. But he found his life's calling after graduating from military school. Napoleon went on to become a brilliant military strategist and the emperor of France. In addition to greatly expanding the French empire, Napoleon also created many laws, which are still encoded in legal systems around the world.
112 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2018
121 people are currently reading
365 people want to read
About the author
Jim Gigliotti
154 books25 followersJim Gigliotti is a freelance writer who lives in Southern California with his wife and two children. A former editor at the National Football League, he has written more than two dozen books, mostly for young readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 9, 2024
Who Was ...? biography series for middle grade brings intriguing character of Napoleon Bonaparte – who is considered one of the greatest military commanders.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born in Ajaccio, Corsica. A year earlier, Genoa sold Corsica to the French. Thus, at the time the island was heavily influenced by Italians.
Napoleon had four brothers and three sisters. He was the most temperamental one and was called a troublemaker. From childhood, he loved playing war battles with his friends and he was always in charge. He loved reading history, especially about famous battles and military heroes, such as Alexander the Great. He dreamed of becoming a conquering hero just like Alexander.
Napoleon’s father was a lawyer and became involved in the island government. In 1777, he was sent to France to represent Corsica. He arranged scholarships to military school for his two oldest sons.
At nine, Napoleon was sent to military school in Brienne where he spent five years. It was a time when social classes were very important. Napoleon disliked it. At the school, there were mostly children from upper class who picked on him as he was from lower class. He spent many hours at the library reading and studying.
In 1784, he was one of the five students who were chosen to continue their military studies at the Ecole Militaire in Paris, which was a great achievement. After his graduation, he became an officer in the French army.
Four years later, the French Revolution started. At Toulon, he distinguished himself in leading his men. Afterwards, he got promoted to general. And it was only possible to the changing situation in France were social classes were abolished.
Battle after battle, he continued to distinguish himself with his military tactics. Before every battle, he gave inspiring speech. After the battle, the soldiers were rewarded with gold and valuables.
In 1799, after conquering Egypt, he became the ruler of France. He made changes for a better life for the French people by creating the Napoleonic Code which is still used in the greater part of the world.
His downfall was invading the Russia, and the constant expansion of the empire. The French were tired of fighting. They wanted peace.
This biography demonstrates a man who was a conqueror at heart, battlefield was his home. He studied the art of conquering by studying Alexander the Great, which served him well until the moment when he didn’t know where to put a stop to his conquests. It seems as he didn’t learn this lesson from Alexander. He abolished monarchy, only to crown himself an emperor. He isn’t someone who I’d name noble, but he certainly made his mark with the Napoleonic Code which among other things abolished the feudal system in France.
This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences and enriched with insightful inserts.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born in Ajaccio, Corsica. A year earlier, Genoa sold Corsica to the French. Thus, at the time the island was heavily influenced by Italians.
Napoleon had four brothers and three sisters. He was the most temperamental one and was called a troublemaker. From childhood, he loved playing war battles with his friends and he was always in charge. He loved reading history, especially about famous battles and military heroes, such as Alexander the Great. He dreamed of becoming a conquering hero just like Alexander.
Napoleon’s father was a lawyer and became involved in the island government. In 1777, he was sent to France to represent Corsica. He arranged scholarships to military school for his two oldest sons.
At nine, Napoleon was sent to military school in Brienne where he spent five years. It was a time when social classes were very important. Napoleon disliked it. At the school, there were mostly children from upper class who picked on him as he was from lower class. He spent many hours at the library reading and studying.
In 1784, he was one of the five students who were chosen to continue their military studies at the Ecole Militaire in Paris, which was a great achievement. After his graduation, he became an officer in the French army.
Four years later, the French Revolution started. At Toulon, he distinguished himself in leading his men. Afterwards, he got promoted to general. And it was only possible to the changing situation in France were social classes were abolished.
Battle after battle, he continued to distinguish himself with his military tactics. Before every battle, he gave inspiring speech. After the battle, the soldiers were rewarded with gold and valuables.
In 1799, after conquering Egypt, he became the ruler of France. He made changes for a better life for the French people by creating the Napoleonic Code which is still used in the greater part of the world.
His downfall was invading the Russia, and the constant expansion of the empire. The French were tired of fighting. They wanted peace.
This biography demonstrates a man who was a conqueror at heart, battlefield was his home. He studied the art of conquering by studying Alexander the Great, which served him well until the moment when he didn’t know where to put a stop to his conquests. It seems as he didn’t learn this lesson from Alexander. He abolished monarchy, only to crown himself an emperor. He isn’t someone who I’d name noble, but he certainly made his mark with the Napoleonic Code which among other things abolished the feudal system in France.
This illustrated biography series for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences and enriched with insightful inserts.
July 3, 2020
So, who was Napoleon?
Napoleon is such an iconic figure---short of stature, striking poses, brilliant at war, egotistical---in popular culture that it is difficult to know what is true. So I seek a book to fill me in and separate truth from fiction.
The Who Was series of books is an incredibly popular series of biographies for elementary kids, and I can see why. The books are heavily illustrated and focus on sharing the most fascinating of fascinating information about the most fascinating figures in history.
So what did I learn about Napoleon? Yes, short of stature, but not markedly so. He was actually average height for his day. He did love to strike a pose; he was one of the first leaders to work hard to heighten his own public image. He played war over and over as a child, and he studied war as a teen. He tried novel approaches to battle that changed war completely. And he was egotistical, with an exaggerated view of his own worth.
Napoleon is such an iconic figure---short of stature, striking poses, brilliant at war, egotistical---in popular culture that it is difficult to know what is true. So I seek a book to fill me in and separate truth from fiction.
The Who Was series of books is an incredibly popular series of biographies for elementary kids, and I can see why. The books are heavily illustrated and focus on sharing the most fascinating of fascinating information about the most fascinating figures in history.
So what did I learn about Napoleon? Yes, short of stature, but not markedly so. He was actually average height for his day. He did love to strike a pose; he was one of the first leaders to work hard to heighten his own public image. He played war over and over as a child, and he studied war as a teen. He tried novel approaches to battle that changed war completely. And he was egotistical, with an exaggerated view of his own worth.
February 19, 2023
My dad said that if he was studying Napoleon, he would probably study this book just to get started. This book was fantastic.
June 8, 2025
I learned...
Napoleon was one of the first military leaders in history to see how important it was to have the public opinion on his side. He shaped the narrative, wrote into newspapers, got his portrait done. The hand and the coat thing was for his portraits to show that he was very relaxed.
Napoleon's army was stranded in Egypt when the British destroyed their ships, and then Napoleon and his group found the Rosetta Stone. The British took the stone two years later.
The monarchy and class system had been abolished by the Republic, but the government wasn't doing well, so in Napoleon swooped in he actually helped unify the country and promoted equality and public infrastructure.
Britain started the perception that Napoleon was short in their political cartoons against him.
Napoleon's downfall started when he tried to attack Britain's trade by outlying trade with Britain, but the places he conquered depended on them for their economy so they ignored that rule. He had 44 palaces and raised taxes to fund all the wars. So it ended up being basically the same as the monarchy.
Napoleon invaded Russia and it was a disaster. Russia itself had burned Moscow to the ground. The countries he had under his control rebelled after that battle, and bringing the war home turned France against him too.
Napoleon stepped down from being emperor, and then the younger brother of the former King Louie of France became the King. History literally repeated itself:
Monarchy (Louis 16)→ Revolution (1789) → Republic → Napoleon →
Monarchy (Louis 18) → Revolutions → Republic → Napoleon III → Stable Republic.
Napoleon was one of the first military leaders in history to see how important it was to have the public opinion on his side. He shaped the narrative, wrote into newspapers, got his portrait done. The hand and the coat thing was for his portraits to show that he was very relaxed.
Napoleon's army was stranded in Egypt when the British destroyed their ships, and then Napoleon and his group found the Rosetta Stone. The British took the stone two years later.
The monarchy and class system had been abolished by the Republic, but the government wasn't doing well, so in Napoleon swooped in he actually helped unify the country and promoted equality and public infrastructure.
Britain started the perception that Napoleon was short in their political cartoons against him.
Napoleon's downfall started when he tried to attack Britain's trade by outlying trade with Britain, but the places he conquered depended on them for their economy so they ignored that rule. He had 44 palaces and raised taxes to fund all the wars. So it ended up being basically the same as the monarchy.
Napoleon invaded Russia and it was a disaster. Russia itself had burned Moscow to the ground. The countries he had under his control rebelled after that battle, and bringing the war home turned France against him too.
Napoleon stepped down from being emperor, and then the younger brother of the former King Louie of France became the King. History literally repeated itself:
Monarchy (Louis 16)→ Revolution (1789) → Republic → Napoleon →
Monarchy (Louis 18) → Revolutions → Republic → Napoleon III → Stable Republic.
January 22, 2019
3.5
Some good, but very basic info about one of the more interesting figures in history.
Some good, but very basic info about one of the more interesting figures in history.
March 13, 2024
Napoleon was a really confident dwarf
October 10, 2025
My kids love these books so I thought I’d read this one with them since I’m reading war and peace right now and becoming acquainted with Napoleon. And now I’m obsessed with him!! Fascinating life.
March 4, 2020
Some of you may ask, "Eman, why did you read a children's chapter book on Napoleon when there are an array of adult biographies?"
Well, we all have to start somewhere and this was a great way to get a concise history of Naploeon's life without loquacious, long-winded paragraphs. And it did the job. I enjoyed the quick read and learned a lot about this man who conquered many places before experiencing his, some say "much deserved," downfall. Although, you'd have to be the judge on whether he deserved it or not.
Some fun facts about Napoleon
- he didn't learn French until he was about 9 years old
- that was because he actually grew up speaking Italian since he was raised in the small Italian island of Corsican, which later France conquered
- his father changed their name from Bounaparte to Bonaparte since it sounded more French
- as a kid, he would trade his lunch of white bread with a soldier's stale rations since he thought he better get used to that type of food if he wanted to be a military man
- he was 5'7", not quite as short as he is typically depicted
- he would put his hand in his coat during portraits since he wanted to be portrayed as a "relaxed" person
See, you can learn so many things from biographies meant for children!
Well, we all have to start somewhere and this was a great way to get a concise history of Naploeon's life without loquacious, long-winded paragraphs. And it did the job. I enjoyed the quick read and learned a lot about this man who conquered many places before experiencing his, some say "much deserved," downfall. Although, you'd have to be the judge on whether he deserved it or not.
Some fun facts about Napoleon
- he didn't learn French until he was about 9 years old
- that was because he actually grew up speaking Italian since he was raised in the small Italian island of Corsican, which later France conquered
- his father changed their name from Bounaparte to Bonaparte since it sounded more French
- as a kid, he would trade his lunch of white bread with a soldier's stale rations since he thought he better get used to that type of food if he wanted to be a military man
- he was 5'7", not quite as short as he is typically depicted
- he would put his hand in his coat during portraits since he wanted to be portrayed as a "relaxed" person
See, you can learn so many things from biographies meant for children!
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May 2, 2022Hace algunos días viste el Musée de l'Armé en Paris, Francia. Ahi reside la tumba de Napoléon Bonaparte. Contemple la tumba más grande y opulenta que había visto en mi vida. Me hizo preguntarme quién fue y qué hizo hacer esta persona para ser venerado de tal manera. Confíe en que este libro infantil podría encontrar la respuesta. Adjunto imagen.
Napoleon es considerado uno de los mejores comandantes militares de la historia. En su apogeo controlo casi toda Europa occidental y central. Reconocido por todos en virtud de su habilidad para la política y ambición. Específicamente en Francia, es venerado principalmente por sus logros nacionales. Después de La Revolución Francesa, Francia estaba en caos. Sufría de luchas de poder, estaba en bancarrota y el gobierno era corrupto e ineficiente. Se ejecuta el golpe de estado, Napoleon se convierte en la persona mas poderosa de Francia y dirige al país a una época repleta de guerras pero también de progreso. Sus principal logros fueron, defender a Francia de los otras monarquías de Europa y El Código Napoleónico. Este código civil estableció equidad ante la ley, derecho a la propiedad abolio el sistema feudal, libertad de religion, etc. En la actualidad parece que este código defendía lo mínimo indispensable. Sin embargo, este código se establece en 1804 y fue el primero de su especie. Revoluciono en todo el mundo lo que se entendía como lo mínimo indispensable. El código se encuentre todavía en vigor en Francia. Sin embargo, Napoleon también privo a las mujeres de derechos individuales, restableció la esclavitud en Francia, produjo millones de muertes con sus guerras de expansion, etc.
No recomiendo el libro. Aunque sí menciona algunos de estos eventos, el autor no hace mas que eso, mencionarlos. Tuve que apoyarme en recursos adicionales para responder esta pregunta.
Napoleon es considerado uno de los mejores comandantes militares de la historia. En su apogeo controlo casi toda Europa occidental y central. Reconocido por todos en virtud de su habilidad para la política y ambición. Específicamente en Francia, es venerado principalmente por sus logros nacionales. Después de La Revolución Francesa, Francia estaba en caos. Sufría de luchas de poder, estaba en bancarrota y el gobierno era corrupto e ineficiente. Se ejecuta el golpe de estado, Napoleon se convierte en la persona mas poderosa de Francia y dirige al país a una época repleta de guerras pero también de progreso. Sus principal logros fueron, defender a Francia de los otras monarquías de Europa y El Código Napoleónico. Este código civil estableció equidad ante la ley, derecho a la propiedad abolio el sistema feudal, libertad de religion, etc. En la actualidad parece que este código defendía lo mínimo indispensable. Sin embargo, este código se establece en 1804 y fue el primero de su especie. Revoluciono en todo el mundo lo que se entendía como lo mínimo indispensable. El código se encuentre todavía en vigor en Francia. Sin embargo, Napoleon también privo a las mujeres de derechos individuales, restableció la esclavitud en Francia, produjo millones de muertes con sus guerras de expansion, etc.
No recomiendo el libro. Aunque sí menciona algunos de estos eventos, el autor no hace mas que eso, mencionarlos. Tuve que apoyarme en recursos adicionales para responder esta pregunta.
May 3, 2020
I read Who Was Napolean written by Jim Gigliotti. It is a children's biography written for eight to twelve-year-olds. This book reviews Napoleon's life, including his birth, school and military school accomplishments, military and government positions and achievements, marriages, and exile. The book's focus is on his military strategies and battles, and how he became a hero in France. The book covers a lot of details, but not too many details to overwhelm the reader. The level of reading is appropriate for this age range. Even though the book describes a lot of facts, the book is very appealing to the reader due to it's interesting details about Napolean. For example, when they discuss how he eats and does chores with his soldiers helps the reader relate and understand more about him. Throughout the book, pictures can be found on almost every page to keep the reader engaged; however, the pictures are in black and white to stay with the time period of the book. The timeline at the end of the book helps the reader check that they understood the events correctly. The book describes Napolean as a hero and does not state anything negative about him which may be appropriate for this age. I would recommend this book for teachers to teach about Napolean's life and France's history.
October 16, 2019
I am a huge fan of this series of books, and most of my reviews of them (you can be sure there will be more) will all say mostly the same stuff. It's a fantastic 1-hour crash course with enough information to hold a dinner conversation about Napoleon and the events surrounding his life. While you won't be a Napoleon expert, you will have the facts, context, and random tidbits to answer those pesky Jeopardy! questions you wouldn't have known otherwise. These books are a fantastic starting point to learning more about a person as well. For example, this book tells you that Napoleon's last battle was Waterloo, and when that battle took place. That information alone is probably enough to get the history piece in Trivial Pursuit, but now you will have questions about Waterloo that will aid you on any further research you want to conduct. Who fought at Waterloo? Why were the two sides fighting? What was the previous battle? The aftermath? etc.
My favorite part of these books is how re-readable they are. I consider myself a fairly slow reader and I can knock these books out in an hour. It's a great way to keep your memory sharp. And once you've read it two or three times, your local library LOVES these books as donations, and kids love them too.
My favorite part of these books is how re-readable they are. I consider myself a fairly slow reader and I can knock these books out in an hour. It's a great way to keep your memory sharp. And once you've read it two or three times, your local library LOVES these books as donations, and kids love them too.
February 11, 2021
Full 5 stars for the concise, straight forward plot organization and vivid illustrations of the children's book on the biography of the greatest military commander, the emperor of French EmpireⅠ, Napoléon Bonaparte.
Interesting fact concerning the governance of Napoleon:
In France, Napoleon is a national hero whose conquests brought power and glory to the nation. Under his rule, lasting changes such as the Napoleonic Code, the bank of France, and freedom of religion were established.
Napoleon's first being back to France with 600 French soldiers from the island of Elba confronting the dispatched army by Louis ⅩⅧ:
King Louis XVIII discovered that Napoleon was back in France, and he sent his army to stop him. When the soldiers came close, Napoleon walked toward them alone. He invited any of the men to shoot him if they wanted. But he knew the king’s soldiers still admired him. They shouted, “Long live the emperor!” and escorted him to Paris.
Interesting fact concerning the governance of Napoleon:
In France, Napoleon is a national hero whose conquests brought power and glory to the nation. Under his rule, lasting changes such as the Napoleonic Code, the bank of France, and freedom of religion were established.
Napoleon's first being back to France with 600 French soldiers from the island of Elba confronting the dispatched army by Louis ⅩⅧ:
King Louis XVIII discovered that Napoleon was back in France, and he sent his army to stop him. When the soldiers came close, Napoleon walked toward them alone. He invited any of the men to shoot him if they wanted. But he knew the king’s soldiers still admired him. They shouted, “Long live the emperor!” and escorted him to Paris.
January 22, 2022
“Who Was Napoleon” by Jim Gigliotti is a children’s book about Napoleon Bonaparte’s life. My son owns so many of these books, and while he was cleaning his room I picked this up off his shelf and read it cover to cover.
It’s written very easily - obviously. There are some pictures as well. While I knew some basic facts about Napoleon, I definitely learned a few new things while reading this. For instance, I didn’t know that he and his troops discovered the Rosetta Stone in Egypt. I didn’t know that he divorced his first and fathered a son with his second. I also didn’t know that his second reign of France was so short-lived. It was a fun little book. It was a refresher of facts and history.
I’d recommend this to kids of late elementary age who enjoy history. I rated it a 4/5 stars because I would have liked a little more detail in a few areas, but I know this is meant for kids!
It’s written very easily - obviously. There are some pictures as well. While I knew some basic facts about Napoleon, I definitely learned a few new things while reading this. For instance, I didn’t know that he and his troops discovered the Rosetta Stone in Egypt. I didn’t know that he divorced his first and fathered a son with his second. I also didn’t know that his second reign of France was so short-lived. It was a fun little book. It was a refresher of facts and history.
I’d recommend this to kids of late elementary age who enjoy history. I rated it a 4/5 stars because I would have liked a little more detail in a few areas, but I know this is meant for kids!
October 5, 2025
"At first, Napoleon was buried on Saint Helena. Then, in 1840, the British agreed to move his body back to Paris. Napoleon's body now rests in the Dome des Invalides, a large church that is the burial site of some of France's most famous war heroes. " pg 103
"The king fled the city. As soon as the coalition of nations found out that Napoleon was back in Paris, it sent forces to defeat him. It didn't take long. Napoleon put up a fight, winning several battles. But on June 18, 1815, he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo (in what is now Belgium). "
"The king fled the city. As soon as the coalition of nations found out that Napoleon was back in Paris, it sent forces to defeat him. It didn't take long. Napoleon put up a fight, winning several battles. But on June 18, 1815, he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo (in what is now Belgium). "
January 17, 2020
Quick read on one of the greatest military leaders of all time. There were some great facts on Napoleon’s early life and the book highlighted some of the positive things he did for France, like create the Napoleonic code, established the national bank of France, and allow for freedom of religion throughout Europe. Even though he made a few bad decisions on the battle field, he is still hailed today as an amazing general in war.
November 21, 2021
Cartea este una pentru copii, cu un stil de scriere ușor de înțeles. Cu informație nici prea multă, nici prea puțină.
Chiar și așa, nu strică nimănui un strop de cultură generală.
Mi-a plăcut formatul cărții, cu ilustrații și mici informații suplimenatre.
Personal m-am simțit ca un copil căruia i se citește o poveste, dar mi-a plăcut.
"Un roman este o poveste inventată. Napoleon, însă, a trăit totul de-adevăratelea."
Chiar și așa, nu strică nimănui un strop de cultură generală.
Mi-a plăcut formatul cărții, cu ilustrații și mici informații suplimenatre.
Personal m-am simțit ca un copil căruia i se citește o poveste, dar mi-a plăcut.
"Un roman este o poveste inventată. Napoleon, însă, a trăit totul de-adevăratelea."
April 12, 2020
I'm in the middle of listening to The Count of Monte Cristo audio book and all the references to Napoleon got me interested in learning more about him. Who Was Napoleon? was another excellent Who Was series book that gave an overview of Napoleon's life and accomplishments. This is a great book for grade school-kids or adults who want want a simple and easy-to-follow introduction to Napoleon.
June 10, 2021
Napoleon is not one of my favorite people in the world but he was a very intuitive person when it came to military strategy. This book was a little on the slow side for my taste. I learned quite a lot of information on Napoleon but the story did not keep my attention like others in this collection.
July 11, 2022
As usual the "who was" series has created another perfectly adequate overall bio for younger kids. This one gave the highlights of Napoleon's life along with wonderful illustrations and easily digestible information for little ones. If you have kids that love history then this is a wonderful series to get them hooked on.
October 2, 2023
Absolutely enjoyed reading this book with my sons, and enjoyed watching the fascination and curiosity about European history come alive in my youngest through the story of Napoleon's life, conquests, and the power struggles he endured and instigated.
Loving bed time history reading with my kids, and highly recommend this book and this series.
Loving bed time history reading with my kids, and highly recommend this book and this series.
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February 28, 2023Who Was Napolean? (Who Was?)
My review of the book
- It was a really good book
- I am doing a book report
- It explained a lot about his life
- And why he got exiled
And I thank you...
My review of the book
- It was a really good book
- I am doing a book report
- It explained a lot about his life
- And why he got exiled
And I thank you...
September 19, 2023
Excellent, concise, and to-the-point biography on Napoleon. I learned so much about him that I never knew before. Now I would like to read the 900 page biography on him that was in the bibliography.
Great job condensing his entire life into 100 pages!
Great job condensing his entire life into 100 pages!
September 17, 2024
Much like Julius Caesar, it’s hard to do justice to the story of a man both great and evil in the “who was” format. And yet kids must be introduced to Napoleon at some point, and the book ably does that job
November 12, 2025
I’m going to read the count of Monte cristo soon, so I wanted to learn a little about napoleon since I didn’t know much but didn’t want to read a whole big novel about him. This was a super easy read to get a good general overview of his life. Loved it
December 9, 2018
Designed for young readers but definitely a primer for further reading. Fascinating figure : history truly is written by the victors.
January 28, 2019
I liked it
January 28, 2019
I liked it.
February 25, 2019
Very well-written and pleasantly surprised that it highlighted uncommon aspects, emphasizing childhood and minimizing battles and exploits. I think I learned a lot here.
August 4, 2019
A cute boy who grew into a tyrant.
August 6, 2019
Very well researched and put together book. I enjoyed Jim Gigliotti's writing style. Napoleon was a very interesting person and quite the military man. Interesting life he lead also.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews