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Napoleon

Andrew Roberts

Tom Burke

Rob Brydon

Kenneth Cranham

Alice Krige

Laura Greenwood

Alex Lowe

Richard McCabe

Gina Bellman

Roger Ashton-Griffiths

Darren Queralt

Anthony Higgins

David Notman-Watt

David Barrie

Napoleon: Episode 1

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Factual: Life Stories

Factual: History

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Episode 1

BBC Two - Napoleon, Episode 1

Charts Bonaparte's rise from lowly Corsican Army officer to leader of the French nation.

Documentary. From lowly Corsican Army officer to first consul of France, this episode charts the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte to leader of the French nation in the late 1790s.

The first of three documentaries telling the story of Napoleon. With access to a unique archive of Napoleon's personal letters, many of which have never been published before, historian Andrew Roberts journeys through the history and geography of Europe to bring this story vividly to life as he retraces the footsteps of the legendary leader himself. The films shed new light on Napoleon as an extraordinarily gifted military commander, a mesmeric leader whose private life was, contrary to popular belief, littered with disappointments and betrayals. 

From lowly Corsican Army officer to first consul of France, this episode charts the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte to leader of the French nation in the late 1790s. It tells of Napoleon's military triumphs in Italy, Egypt and against anti-revolutionaries on the streets of Paris, his marriage to Josephine Beauharnais and leadership of the military coup of 1799 that swept him into power. 

It shares in his ambition as an army officer and his highly progressive modernisation of the country during the early years of his dictatorship, but then also an acute sensitivity in the man, a personality trait that in later years would prove to be an Achilles heel to his power. 

The film is presented by British historian Andrew Roberts, and shot on location in St Helena, France and Italy.

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Historian Andrew Roberts brings the story of Napoleon vividly to life

Historian Andrew Roberts journeys through the history and geography of Europe to bring the story of Napoleon vividly to life as he retraces the footsteps of the legendary leader himself

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