Napoleon Bonaparte, born in then Italian Corsica in 1769, was the dominant personality of his time. He died in exile on the lonely British South Atlantic island of St. Helena in 1821. But though he was a shell of his former self living in isolation in the middle of nowhere, his life cast a long shadow, and his influence continued for decades after his death. His military philosophy and tactics are still taught throughout the world, for though the weapons of today are much different than those used by his armies, the tactics he used on the battlefield are timeless: speed, audacity, and surprise being foremost among them.