In 1803, he was mocked in British newspapers as a short-tempered small man.[2] According to some historians, he was actually 5 feet 7 inches tall, an inch or so above the period's average adult male height, depending on the source chosen.[3] Other historians assert that he was 5 feet 2 inches because he was measured on a British island 28 years after the French adopted the metric system.[4] Napoleon was often seen with his Imperial Guard, which contributed to the perception of his being short because the Imperial Guards were tall men.