The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte [Hardcover]

Jerry Labriola M.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2007

The controversial death of Napoleon is examined in a suspense novel that combines equal parts mystery and rich historical detail.

American historian and international treasure hunter, Paul D'Arneau, is licking his wounds after his iconoclastic views and unconventional research methods cost him his lofty university position. When a mysterious invitation from Gens de Verite, an ancient and secretive organization formed in France after the fall of Napoleon in 1815, arrives to offer Paul a chance to solve history's greatest and most controversial mysteries, he is intrigued. Was the emperor murdered or did he die a natural death?

Renowned for his expertise in forensics, esteemed for his rectitude in the shadowy world that trades in cultural artifacts, Paul seizes the opportunity. He quickly realizes his efforts to penetrate the secrets hidden in musty documents and oral histories of Napoleonic lore could cost him his life. He struggles to understand why the truth about Napoleon's death poses such a threat to the warring factions that zealously guard their historical turf, and little known details about Napoleon's life emerge.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While the odd circumstances of Napoleon Bonaparte's death on St. Helena would seem a promising starting point for a whodunit, Labriola (The Budapest Legend with forensic expert Henry C. Lee) fails to make good use of his material. Paul D'Arneau, a Yale history professor, has just been ousted from his post because of his theory that the famed diplomat Talleyrand poisoned the emperor with arsenic when he serendipitously receives an e-mail from a shadowy French group offering him a six-figure fee and all expenses paid to solve the mystery of Bonaparte's death. For reasons never adequately explained, D'Arneau's subsequent probes attract unwelcome attention and place his life and those of his colleagues in danger. This effort to beef up the action may strike some readers as especially jarring in the light of the far-fetched solution to the case.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

While the odd circumstances of Napoleon Bonaparte's death on St. Helena would seem a promising starting point for a whodunit, Labriola (The Budapest Legend with forensic expert Henry C. Lee) fails to make good use of his material. Paul D'Arneau, a Yale history professor, has just been ousted from his post because of his theory that the famed diplomat Talleyrand poisoned the emperor with arsenic when he serendipitously receives an e-mail from a shadowy French group offering him a six-figure fee and all expenses paid to solve the mystery of Bonaparte's death. For reasons never adequately explained, D'Arneau's subsequent probes attract unwelcome attention and place his life and those of his colleagues in danger. This effort to beef up the action may strike some readers as especially jarring in the light of the far-fetched solution to the case. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --Publishers Weekly

The author of seven mystery novels and co-author of three forensic medicine books, physician Jerry Labriola turns his writing talents to a fictionalized account of the mysterious death of Napoleon Bonaparte that has intrigued researchers and historians for the better part of the last two hundred years. "The Strange Death Of Napoleon Bonaparte" is the story of American historian and international treasure hunter Paul D'Arneau whose iconoclastic views and unconventional research methods lost him his university position. When he receives an unexpected invitation from the executive committee of 'Gens de Verite' (an ancient and secretive organized formed in France after the Fall of Bonaparte in 1815), he seized the chance to solve one of history's most famous 'cold cases'. This carefully crafted novel draws upon its author's years of experience in forensic medicine to give the reader a superbly detailed mystery that leads to an unexpected but quite plausible conclusion regarding the death of the exiled Napoleon, a man who'd once made the nations of Europe tremble -- but ended his days on a remote and isolated island under guard. "The Strange Death Of Napoleon Bonaparte" is an original and highly recommended read! --Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 329 pages
• Publisher: Strong Books; First Edition edition (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1928782701
• ISBN-13: 978-1928782704
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,792,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend for lovers of a good mytery.., November 4, 2007

By 

Linda Merlino "Linda Merlino" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte (Hardcover)

Labriola has done a masterful job of weaving this tale, a fictional Bonaparte who-dun-it. Blending fact with fiction, the fabric of the story is so tight it is difficult to determine what is real and what is imagined.

I highly recommend lovers of a good mystery to purchase a copy of Jerry Labriola's "The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History and fiction mixed up just right, October 15, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte (Hardcover)

In The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte you are taken on an adventure to try and solve a 200-year-old mystery. How did Napoleon Bonaparte die? Was it a natural death due to stomach cancer as many believe--or was it murder? And if it was murder who did it, how, and why?

You will follow Dr. Paul D'Arneau on this suspense-filled mystery. He is a Napoleonic history buff who was recently fired from his job as a history professor at Yale, who then became a stolen artwork detective. He is contacted by a secret French organization called the Gens de Verite that for a generous fee wants him to uncover what really happened to Napoleon.

The author, Jerry Labriola, spins a tale of history mingled with fiction. In this book you will come across conspiracies as old as the mystery itself, as well as love affairs, hidden relationships, spies, attempted murder, and empty tombs. Dr. D'Arneau will work with other Verite members to analyze Napoleon's military battles and strategies, explore St. Helena's where Napoleon was exiled, and Elba where he was buried. With hard-to-come-by information given to him by a group called the Historians, and help from people who are as knowledgeable about Napoleonic history as he is, this case is eventually cracked and history has to be rewritten.

This book is an easy read, and you do not have to know history or be a Napoleon specialist to understand it. Labriola gives you enough of Napoleon's story and background information without boring you with troves of history. I feel like those who liked The Da Vinci Code are sure to like this book because it is written in a similar fashion. Both deal with a mystery that has been covered up for long periods of time while two different secret organizations contribute by helping or impeding the main characters quest through history to solve the mystery.

The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte uses accurate history with a suspenseful fictional twist that keeps you wanting to know: What really did happen to Napoleon?

Armchair Interviews says: A grand mix of history and fiction to keep you on the edige of your reading chair.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An original and highly recommended read!, November 4, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte (Hardcover)

The author of seven mystery novels and co-author of three forensic medicine books, physician Jerry Labriola turns his writing talents to a fictionalized account of the mysterious death of Napoleon Bonaparte that has intrigued researchers and historians for the better part of the last two hundred years. "The Strange Death Of Napoleon Bonaparte" is the story of American historian and international treasure hunter Paul D'Arneau whose iconoclastic views and unconventional research methods lost him his university position. When he receives an unexpected invitation from the executive committee of 'Gens de Verite' (an ancient and secretive organized formed in France after the Fall of Bonaparte in 1815), he seized the chance to solve one of history's most famous 'cold cases'. This carefully crafted novel draws upon its author's years of experience in forensic medicine to give the reader a superbly detailed mystery that leads to an unexpected but quite plausible conclusion regarding the death of the exiled Napoleon, a man who'd once made the nations of Europe tremble -- but ended his days on a remote and isolated island under guard. "The Strange Death Of Napoleon Bonaparte" is an original and highly recommended read!