On December 2, 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France at a magnificent ceremony in Notre Dame. He created an empire greater than any seen in Europe since the days of Rome. Little more than 10 years before, however, Napoleon Bonaparte had been a penniless captain in the French army. What led to his dramatic rise to absolute power?

In the early 5th Century, the fate of much of Europe and Asia lay in the hands of one man: Attila, the Scourge of God. He was one of the most feared warriors of all time. He was a barbarian who impaled his enemies on a stake and killed his own brother. For five years, he rampaged through the late-Roman Empire, looting, destroying cities, and stealing gold. Starring Rory McCann (Game of Thrones).

In 73 BC, a deserter from the Roman Army was sold in the slave market. A few months later, he led his fellow slaves and gladiators in a bid for freedom that turned into one of the biggest rebellions Rome had ever faced. The story of Spartacus was immortalized on celluloid by Stanley Kubrick, but behind the myth, the real story is more remarkable than anything depicted on film.

In February, 1519, a young Spanish lawyer named Hernan Cortes landed on the coast of Mexico and, in a famous act of bravado, sank his own ships to cut off any chance of retreat. His extraordinary ambition was to conquer the Aztec Empire with just 300 men. Heading deep into the jungle, Cortes embarked on what has been called 'the greatest adventure of all time'.

Almost a thousand years ago, Richard the Lionheart of England arrived in the Holy Land to fight in the Crusades, the first religious wars the world had ever seen. His impact was immediate. Leading from the front and always in the thick of the fight, he beat Saladin in a series of key battles. As the conflict progressed, however, Richard's luck began to change.

Tokugawa Ieyasu is Japan's most famous warrior leader, the greatest Samurai general of them all. A rebel, a usurper, and a unifier, his achievements would match those of Caesar and Napoleon. He was as cunning as he was brave, founding a dynasty which would rule Japan for 250 years, and whose ruthless philosophy of loyalty and sacrifice would shape it until our modern age.