Isolated in the vastness of the South Atlantic and fortress-like in appearance, the Island of St Helena was important for centuries only as a victualling station for ships of the British East India Company, on their long voyages to and from India via the Cape of Good Hope. It was on one of these journeys that Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, took note of the island's remote impregnability. It was Wellington who suggested St Helena as Napoleon Bonaparte's place of imprisonment and exile after his defeat at Waterloo in 1815. Until his death in 1821, the former Emperor spent his final years under constant British guard. His exile transformed a speck on the maritime map into the most famous island in the world.
Les mer
Napoleonic historian Johannes Willms visits this strange colonial survivor and unearths both a past and present that disturbs and delights with observations far beyond the ghost of Bonaparte.
'Willms is a wry, entertaining commentator, properly suspicious of hagiography' -- Sara Wheeler The Guardian 20080816

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781905791545
Publisert
2008-10-12
Utgiver
Vendor
Haus Publishing
Vekt
400 gr
Høyde
168 mm
Bredde
125 mm
Dybde
13 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
240

Forfatter
Oversetter

Biographical note

Johannes Willms, born 1948, is a historian and journalist. He was in charge of the editorial office at ZDF (German TV Channel) and later the feature section at the Suddeutsche Zeitung. He now works for the Suddeutsche Zeitung as the culture correspondent in Paris. His previous works includes book on German and French history. His latest book is Napoleon. A Biography.