I am looking for well researched historical fiction about Napolean. I love Sharon Penman and Colleen McCullough and am looking for someone like this who writes about this era. Any suggestions?

It seems there are a lot more books written about his wives/mistresses than there are about the man himself.  I have not read them but there is a quartet of books about Napolean by Max Gallo that seem to have gotten pretty good reviews on Goodreads.

Carolyn   the hands down best books I have read was about Napoleon are by Simon Scarrow, Young Bloods http://www.amazon.com/Young-Bloods-Revolution-Simon-Scarrow/dp/075532434X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_11 Which is really about Napoleon and Wellington from young men to  the men who changed the world of the 19th century, and how parallel their lives were. 

The Generals http://www.amazon.com/Generals-Revolution-2-Simon-Scarrow/dp/0755324366/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Fire and Sword http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Sword-Revolution-Simon-Scarrow/dp/0755324382/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Field of Death http://www.amazon.com/Fields-Death-Revolution-Simon-Scarrow/dp/0755324390/ref=pd_sim_b_2

"A Rose for Virtue" by Norah Lofts - told from the perspective of Napoleon's stepdaughter.

Sandra Gulland has written an excellent trilogy about Josephine.  Napolean is in 2 of them. The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., The Last Great Dance on Earth and Tales Of Passion Tales Of Woe.

This is not a book specifically about Napoleon, but

The Passion
Author: Jeanette Winterson
ISBN-13: 9780679724377 - ISBN-10: 0679724370

Is one of my keepers and a favorite books of all time. I actually stayed up all nite to read it, more than once.

<<am looking for someone like this who writes about this era>>

Are you looking for Napoleon himself, or the Napoleonic Wars?  Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series is set during the Napoleonic Wars, and he certainly does his research homework.  Sharpe's Rifles is first in that series.

I second the nomination for Sandra Gulland's series too.  You'll want to read the series in order, and it is an interesting look from Josephine's perspective.

I was wracking my brain to remember what I read recently with Napoleon in it, then I remembered it was our Read Along Book Secret History of the Pink Carnation, wasn't it?  But I don't think that is the caliber of writing that Carolyn is looking for!  LOL!

....Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series is set during the Napoleonic Wars, and he certainly does his research homework. Sharpe's Rifles is first in that series.

Or you could watch the DVDs:

(You know me -- I'll use any excuse to post Sean's pictures.)

(You know me -- I'll use any excuse to post Sean's pictures.)

That was exactly what I was thinking when I first saw your comment!  LOL!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have a friend who loves the Sharpe's series and was looking for something in the same time period but maybe without so many technical sailing terns. 

Carolyn, you might consider Naomi Novik's Temeraire series.  It is alternative history/ fantasy, rather than strict HF, but it is very much like Sharpe with dragons for an air force.  It is set during the Napoleonic Wars, and Napoleon himself appears and plays a large role in at least 1 book.  The main character is a British naval officer who becomes the captain of a dragon.  Novik does her homework on the historical aspects and they are well researched.  The dragons are well-drawn as characters and have personalities that add to the story.

My husband is a huge Sharpe fan (we've got all the books in print and audio, and all the videos in VHS and DVD), and he loves Novik's series (as do I).

The first book is His Majesty's Dragon (or Temeraire in the UK editions).  There are 6 books currently in print, book 7 is going to press and scheduled to be 9 books total, so if s/he enjoys it, there will be plenty to keep them occupied.