The French Emperor stoked great hopes in the Poles – in exchange for their courage and blood spilled on many continents, he promised to help them the independence they yearned for. Was he a true ally, or merely a cynical player? This question raises a flurry of discussion to this day, and not only among historians. The fatal attraction that Poles have for Napoleon to this day is a key to understanding Polish history of the past two hundred years. Leśniewski’s book is an engaging tale of the Napoleonic times and the role Poles played in it. In his deft and accessible manner, the author shows a faultless sense of the character of the times, outlining the creation of the Polish armed forces and their tumultuous fate; he describes the field of the most important battles during the campaigns in Prussia, Spain, Russia, and France, sketching lively pictures of leaders and military men – based, in part, on memoirs and diaries from 1796–1815. Despite his undisguised sympathies for Napoleon, the author is unafraid to set out the negative aspects of the collaboration, the errors in the campaigns, and the reluctance and mistrust the brilliant strategist stoked in some circles.