Book description
The lost final novel by the master of the epic swashbuckling adventure
stories: The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.
The last cavalier is Count de Sainte-Hermine, Hector, whose elder
brothers and father have fought and died for the Royalist cause during
the French Revolution. For three years Hector has been languishing in
prison when, in 1804, on the eve of Napoleon's coronation as emperor of
France he learns what is to be his due. Stripped of his title, denied
the honour of his family name as well as the hand of the woman he loves,
he is freed by Napoleon on the condition that he serves in the imperial
forces. So it is in profound despair that Hector embarks on a succession
of daring escapades as he courts death fearlessly. Yet again and again
he wins glory - against brigands, bandits, the British, boa
constrictors, sharks, tigers and crocodiles. At the Battle of Trafalgar
it is his bullet that fells Nelson. But however far his adventures take
him - from Burma's jungles to the wilds of Ireland - his destiny lies
always with his father's enemy, Napoleon. 'Dumas is a master of
ripping yarns full of fearless heroes, poisonous ladies and
swashbuckling adventurers.'
The Guardian
'Absolutely wonderful…Alexandre Dumas remains, now as ever, the
Napoleon of storytellers.' Washington Post, Top Ten Book for 2007
'This first English translation of the last, previously unknown novel
by Dumas offers a stunning completion to his fictional mapping of French
history…This capacious account of the Napoleonic era represents vintage
Dumas and an intensely personal vision of the time.' Publishers Weekly
'A gallant romp through post-revolutionary French history.' New York
Times Book Review
'A hit from the vaults: Dumas père's final work…a grand tale of
adventure. A big book, and a pleasure for anyone who thrills at the
likes of D'Artagnan and company.' Kirkus Review
'Reviews have been unanimous in praising “The Last Cavalier”: The novel
is a reminder that readers are always willing to make time for epic
storytelling when the narrative is in the hands of a master.' Los
Angeles Times
'It isn't every publishing season that one gets to welcome a new book
by the author of “The Three Musketeers”, “The Count of Monte Cristo”,
and “The Man in the Iron Mask”. Or, consequently, to lose oneself afresh
- for hundreds of headlong pages - in a state that one can only
characterise as narrative bliss, borne along on a stream of daring
adventures that courses from dishonour to glory, with all sorts of
diverting hurdles and obstacles along the way…with enough plot and
passion for a dozen novels, “The Last Cavalier” is sheer delight.'
Barnes and Noble Review
'“The Last Cavalier” reads like a Dumas classic. James Bond, Indiana
Jones, and many others owe a deep debt to Dumas, who stuffs his tales
with thrilling exploits and exotic locales. No one with a pulse will be
able to resist Dumas' lost classic.' Christian Science Monitor
Frequently imitated but rarely surpassed, Dumas is one of the best known
French writers and a master of ripping yarns full of fearless heroes,
poisonous ladies and swashbuckling adventurers. His other novels include
The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron
Mask, which have sold millions of copies and been made into countless TV
and film adaptation.
