Napoleon: A Life

Yes, one of the major selling points of Roberts's 2014 biography is his extensive use of Napoleon's personal correspondence, including approximately 33,000 letters that had only recently been compiled and published by the Fondation Napoléon in Paris. This allowed Roberts to challenge long-standing claims, particularly the idea that Napoleon was short—Roberts confirms he was actually about 5'6", average for his era.

Roberts's biography is generally regarded as more sympathetic than Vincent Cronin's or the classic anti-Napoleon works but more balanced than Max Gallo's hagiographic French biographies. It has been praised for its military detail and is considered one of the most comprehensive single-volume English-language biographies of Bonaparte, running over 900 pages.

Yes, Roberts covers the major campaigns in detail, including Austerlitz (1805), the Peninsular War, the disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812, Leipzig (1813), and Waterloo (1815). Roberts, who previously wrote 'Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Gamble,' is particularly strong in his military analysis, though some critics have argued he is too forgiving of Napoleon's strategic blunders.

Roberts conducted extensive research at the French national archives and the military museum at Les Invalides in Paris, where Napoleon's tomb is located. He also visited dozens of battlefields across Europe, a practice that gives his military chapters unusual topographical vividness and credibility.