Military historian Asprey presents the second volume of his biography of Napoleon, completing the work begun in his The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte . This volume follows Napoleon as he attempted to consolidate the empire immediately following his victory of Austria at Austerlitz; through his loss of the throne, exile on the island of Elba, and brief return to power; to his eventual death on the island of St. Helena at the age of 51. As is to be expected from a military historian, the bulk of the material focuses on Napoleons diplomatic wrangling and military conflicts with the other European nations, but some discussion of his efforts to produce an heir and other personal information is included. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)