In Engilsh feet, he is 5 foot 6.5 inches tall.

5.' 6.5" tall.

He was 5'6" that a good 1 to 2 inches taller than the average in France or for that matter the world. Saying he was short was obviously an attempt at defamation. Remember he stared as an expert artillery officer and closely worked with Rene' Descartes to establish accurate coordinates. A note here. Know why England ruled the seas? Well they found a way to fire their naval cannon immediately rather than using a delay fuse. (both wheellocks and percussion devices) This allowed immediate discharge rather than a second or so of roll. Wasn't until the 1840's the other navies of the world discovered methods too. And England had been employing it a full century. As much a tyrant as Napoleon is accused of being. He played a great role in unseating the monarchies of Europe and the Church. The result was a developing freedom under a Republic. And people were elevated from being serfs to having some degree of equality and opportunity.

1) "British propaganda of the time depicted Napoleon as of smaller than average height (see contemporary caricature right) and the image of him as a small man persists in modern Britain. However, because the French inch of the time equalled 2.7 centimetres, while the Imperial inch is 2.54 centimeters, some have argued he was 1.68m and others 1.58m. This equates to average height for the time or slightly shorter." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_in_popular_culture 2) "Contrary to popular belief (perpetuated by the above-mentioned caricatures), Napoleon was not especially short. After his death in 1821, the French emperor's height was recorded as 5 feet 2 inches in French feet. This corresponds to 5 feet 6.5 inches in Imperial (British) feet, or 1.686 meters, making him slightly taller than an average Frenchman of the 19th century http://www.napoleon.org/en/essential_napoleon/faq/index.asp . The metric system was introduced during his lifetime, so it was natural that he would be measured in feet and inches for much of his life. A French inch was 2.71 centimetres http://www.historydata.com/miscellaneous.html#linear%20measure , whereas an Imperial inch is 2.54 centimetres. In addition to this miscalculation, his nickname le petit caporal adds to the confusion, as non-francophones mistakenly take petit as meaning "small"; in fact, it is an affectionate term reflecting on his camaraderie with ordinary soldiers." Source and further information: http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/napoleon-i-of-france/misconceptions-about-napoleon's-height.html