They rose through blood and brilliance, commanding empires and shaping history. But behind their medals lay ambition, rivalry, and in some cases, betrayal.

Napoleon Jones-Henderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1943, to Minnie Maxine Washington and Woodrow Lewis Henderson.

In the slaveholding South, ancient Egypt and its pharaohs became a way to justify slavery. For abolitionists and African Americans, biblical Egypt served as a symbol of bondage and liberation.

Hell’s Kitchen is about to lose one of its most stubbornly old-school dining rooms. Chez Napoléon — the tinyFrench restaurant ...