If you're looking for a comprehensive biography that's accessible, engaging, and insightful, Andrew Roberts's Napoleon: A Life is definitely the place to start. This masterwork takes listeners through every facet of its subject's life, delving into his military brilliance, statesmanship, personal relationships, and more. An accomplished historian, Roberts makes good use of primary documents, drawing on Napoleon's thousands of published letters as well as his memoirs. This is a vivid portrait of one of history's most fascinating people and a must-hear for anyone interested in Napoleonic history.

Listeners willing to embark on an epic journey will want to start with Michael Broers's two-volume Napoleon biography. Like Roberts, Broers draws on Napoleon's published correspondence, using his own words to illustrate the public and private lives of a brilliant and volatile leader. The first volume, Soldier of Destiny takes listeners through the events of 1807, at which point Napoleon had conquered a huge swath of Europe. Audie Award-winning narrator Simon Vance matches the author's enthusiasm for his subject as well as his authority.

If you're looking for an entry point into the history of the French Revolution, Europe between 1789 and 1814, and Napoleon's reign, this collection of 48 lectures is an outstanding choice. Historian Dr. Suzanne M. Desan provides an entertaining and thorough exploration of the era that helped shaped modern Europe. Part of The Great Courses series, the lectures have the feel of a great book (or a novel—the events recounted are often wildly surprising), while offering listeners a way to dip and in and out of the material without becoming overwhelmed.

While viewed by many at the time as a queen with nearly unlimited wealth and power, the reality for Josephine Bonaparte was complicated. Listeners craving more insight into Napoleon's alluring older wife will not be disappointed with this in-depth biography. Josephine delves into the darker side of her marriage, exploring how Napoleon's power and public image affected his most intimate relationships. Carolly Erickson's inviting prose, brought to life by narrator S. Patricia Bailey, offers a full portrait of a resilient woman and her tumultuous life.

Few women scholars have written extensively about Napoleon, a fact Ruth Scurr explores in this intricate and unconventional biography. Instead of tracking Napoleon's life through his many military campaigns and famous battles, she untangles his life and legacy through the lens of plants and the natural world. She explores the many gardens, green spaces, olive groves, and other natural landscapes Napoleon cultivated and interacted with throughout his life. The result is a powerful portrait of the man himself and the many ordinary people—from gardeners to mapmakers—who were caught up in his orbit.

Steven Crossley's steady and straightforward narration of all 35 hours of this extensive history will keep military history buffs easily engaged. Alexander Mikaberidze's definitive account of the Napoleonic wars traces the major and minor battles, from Russia to Waterloo, that defined Napoleon's empire. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the ins and outs of Napoleon's military strategy, and for listeners looking for a comprehensive introduction to how the wars played out in Europe and America.

Many of the audiobooks on this list are long—for good reason! If you're looking for a shorter but still excellent book about Napoleon, try this listen about his time in exile. In The Invisible Emperor, Mark Braude focuses exclusively on Napoleon's 10-month confinement on the tiny island of Elba and his eventual escape, which led to his recapture of Paris and eventual defeat at Waterloo. At just over nine hours, it's an in-depth look at this important period of Napoleon's life and has the thrilling pacing of a dramatic adventure.

Nonfiction certainly isn't the only way to learn more about Napoleon. If you prefer historical fiction, Simon Scarrow's four-book series on Napoleon and his nemesis Arthur Wesley, the future Duke of Wellington, is a fantastic gateway. The quartet of novels tells the intersecting life stories of these two men—a French rebel and a British nobleman—and their calling to lead dueling empires. Switching between their two points of view, Young Bloods begins as both Napoleon and Wellington enter into military service for their respective countries. Jonathan Keeble's excellent narration only heightens the inherent drama.