Born into imperial splendour, Louis-Napoléon - the nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte - grew up far from power after the defeat at Waterloo. In exile, he repeatedly plotted, unsuccessfully, to restore his uncle's empire. Few took him seriously.
But what followed is one of the most astonishing, impossible stories in history. Aged 40, Louis-Napoléon would be elected president of France. Three years later, he seized power to become emperor.
Napoleon III's story is one of self-belief, political skill and radical innovation - the first person to master mass democratic politics and populism. Yet, despite being one of the most important trailblazers of the nineteenth century, he is largely misunderstood today, if not totally forgotten.
His strange rise and catastrophic fall is a story of both tragedy and farce, set during some of France's most tumultuous decades.
