Napoleon is known today as one of the greatest, if not the greatest leader in history. Born in Ajaccio, Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte appeared to be just an average boy. His parents were not too wealthy, but they were doing fine. Napoleon went off to school in France at the age of ten. He attended three different schools, and he graduated with a class rank of 42nd, the class being of just under 60 students. It seemed he was not destined for anything too prestigious. However, he would soon prove the opposite. Napoleon read books voraciously, mostly historical books. Later in his life he mentioned it was because of the books, that he felt like he had the ability as did the others he read about, to do great things and earn himself a spot in history. Napoleon read a lot of books pertaining to military strategy, especially books about firepower. Napoleon became obsessed with artillery, and he believed it was the key to winning any battle. Napoleon was a very intelligent and inspired man, with a very good memory and knack for mathematics, which would eventually lead to a career in artillery. He began his military career as the second lieutenant of artillery. Napoleon sped through the ranks of the military while the French Revolution was taking place. He gained a lot of military knowledge during his studying at Brienne and at Ecole Militaire, and later he applied it to the defense of the Revolution at the Battle of Toulon in 1793. He masterminded a brilliant attack, and he and his men won against all odds. In this battle, he lead his troops fearlessly. In combat, he lead many of the charges himself. By taking the greatest risks himself, his men were more willing to follow and fight for him. Bringing him a lot of national attention, this would lead to his promotion, making him a general at the young age of 24. Napoleon was a brilliant general, winning a series of battles against larger Austrian armies. By the age of 28, he was the greatest general France had seen in centuries. He was moved to head of the army of Italy, and began a military campaign in Egypt. Many aspirations arose from this, as he saw himself following the footsteps of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar.