In [Napoleon's] early days, he was anti-Emperor. It was only after crowning himself Emperor (in 1804) that he began to sympathise with Caesar ... It is this later imperial phase that Diana Rowell explores so revealingly in her highly cogent, detailed and persuasive account of the neglected Roman side of Napoleon.

Andy Martin, University of Cambridge, UK, International Journal of the Classical Tradition

…a guide to the rich heritage that lies behind Napoleonic Paris. Given the continued centrality in Paris of the monuments discussed by Rowell, this book should be of interest not just to specialists, but also to general readers wishing to understand more deeply the history and monuments of the city. Rowell does a marvelous job of interpreting the Napoleonic motifs found in the dense historical fabric that is the city of Paris, demonstrating convincingly that these motifs were woven from a myriad of ancient and modern threads.

David O'Brien, University of Illinois, H-France Review