The Man Behind the Iron Mask [Paperback]

John Noone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1994

"For more than three hundred years the legend of 'the man in the iron mask' has held a place on the stage of human enquiry and debate. From the time of his incarceration during the reign of Louis XIV right through to our modern day, the awful fate of the man condemned to live a lifetime with his face encased in iron has inspired, depending on the era, anger, horror, pity and fascination." So opened the New York Times review of the first edition of The Man Behind the Iron Mask. John Noone's masterful account of the mystery presents all the known facts of the prisoner's existence chronologically as they have been discovered, including the famous legend immortalized in the nineteenth century by Alexander Dumas in his sequel to The Three Musketeers, and into modern times with the supposed discovery of his skeleton in an old tower in Cannes in 1977. Noone also offers his own intriguing solution to the identity of the Man in the Iron Mask, telling the story of this mystery of enduring strength like no one else has.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A highly readable account . . . So wild, at times lurid, are the many twists of plot . . . that there is something to satisfy all tastes in the history of this powerfully tenacious French obsession.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Highly enjoyable.” —Today

“. . . The ultimate book on the prisoner who enthralled millions . . . An engrossing non-fiction tale of mystery, money, greed, intrigue, cover-up and myth.” —The Trenton Times

About the Author

John Noone lectured for ten year in the Universities of Alexandria and Kyoto before writing his first novel, The Man with the Chocolate Egg.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (September 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312123450
• ISBN-13: 978-0312123451
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great writing but wrongo deductions, January 2, 2001

By 

"aivana8866" (Elmhurst, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Behind the Iron Mask (Paperback)

This is one of the most complete compendia of theories as to who was the Man in the Iron Mask. However, at the end, Noone totally negates all theories in favor of his own: that the MITIM was...well I will let you find out for yourselves. It is a silly end to a great book.

The MITIM is one of the enduring mysteries of French History, in itself fascinating even without the secret that has been hidden for 350 years. Will someone ever solve it? Perhaps.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A New Look at An Old Mystery, November 17, 2004

By 

Gloria Mundi - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Behind the Iron Mask (Hardcover)

John Noone deserves much credit for originality. His proposed solution to the riddle of the "Masked Man" is, without a doubt, the most ingenious (and darkly hilarious) theory to date. Like all the earlier "solutions" to the riddle of this unfortunate man's identity, his theory is based largely on conjecture, but the tale he spins is so outrageous and unexpected it is, curiously, the most convincing answer yet. I would love to see other "Maskologists" do their own research into Noone's theory to see if it could be either strengthened or refuted.

Whether you personally find his conclusions compelling or not, the background information Noone relates, with its many peculiar twists and turns (such as the stories of the still-mysterious "James de la Cloche" and France's most unwelcome dinner guest, the Marquise de Brinvilliers,) make lively reading for anyone interested in history's more dark and perverse corners.

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Did Dumas really know who the man in the iron mask was?, March 10, 2000

By 

Kevin G. Kamphaus (Fremont, Nebraska USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Man Behind the Iron Mask (Paperback)

Excellent! This book is a must for anyone interested in the "Man in the Iron Mask". Mr. Noone reveals some very interesting theories and possibilities as to who the MITIM really is. I STRONGLY recommend it!