Private Lives

Napoleon Bonaparte was a workaholic and a military genius who rose through the ranks to become Emperor of the French. Through a series of wars, he acquired an empire on a scale not seen since ancient Rome. But a string of military failures, first in Russia and lastly in Waterloo, decimated France as well as his legacy. To understand Napoleon, the man, we visit the palaces from where he ran his empire, uncover his private relationships, and reveal how the "man of destiny" coped with humiliating defeat.

Dr. Tracy Borman travels to Paris to reveal Napoleon's relationships, from nervous first encounters with a prostitute to his all-consuming love for Josephine, and visits their former home, Malmaison. She also visits the Palace of Fontainebleau to see Napoleon's throne room and reveal the secrets to his extraordinary success, and calamitous downfall.