7 h 33 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the bravest man in Napoleon’s army is also the least reliable judge of his own glory?
In Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Gerard, Etienne Gerard faces near-impossible missions with courage, luck and boundless faith in himself. A French cavalry officer devoted to Napoleon, he wants honor and the Emperor’s praise. Across Europe’s campaigns, danger gives him every chance to prove his bravery—and display his vanity.
Gerard tells these stand-alone tales as an old soldier, often among friends in a café. His cheerful boasting brings the dust and danger close, while the reader spots jokes he misses. Napoleon commands his loyalty, his fellow hussars share the risks, and pride turns daring adventure into dry comedy.
What you’ll discover
- Meet Gerard, glorious in his eyes Spend time with a brave, vain hussar whose confidence never seems to falter.
- A soldier’s extraordinary luck Follow difficult missions where courage and wild luck carry Gerard through the danger.
- Napoleon behind every tale See the Emperor through the eyes of a soldier hungry for his praise.
- Honor meets comic pride Enjoy the gap between Gerard’s proud account and what you can see for yourself.
- Old friends at the café Settle into a relaxed storytelling frame that lets each adventure stand on its own.
Who will love it
For readers who love quick adventure, dry humor and a vivid historical backdrop, and for fans of Doyle beyond Sherlock Holmes. These comic Napoleonic war stories bring together cavalry exploits, dangerous missions and a hero full of courage and vanity.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Meet Gerard, hero of his own tale
- A soldier's luck carries him through
- Napoleon stands behind every tale
- Honor, vanity and the comedy of pride
- How Doyle tells the stories
- Why the stories still work today
Who’s who
- Etienne GerardA brave, vain French hussar who tells the tales himself and wants honor, glory and the Emperor's praise.
- NapoleonThe Emperor of the French, whom Gerard adores and serves, and who sends him on difficult missions.
- The HussarsGerard's fellow cavalrymen, dashing and reckless, who share the dangers and the glory of the campaigns.
- The old men of the caféThe listeners who hear Gerard's memories in his old age and give the tales their relaxed frame.
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- Audiobook
- 7 h 33 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Le avventure di Gérard
by Arthur Conan Doyle · 1903
A boastful French hussar rides into Napoleon's dangerous missions with courage, luck and his honor at stake.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Meet Gerard, hero of his own tale
The first thing to know is the voice. Gerard speaks in the first person, and he speaks as an old soldier who has told these stories many times. He is proud of his sword, his moustache, his horsemanship and his standing among the ladies. He is also proud of being a Frenchman, and he treats the Emperor with something close to worship.
Gerard serves with the Hussars, the light cavalry that rode in front of the army and carried the glamour of the age. He is a colonel and later a brigadier, and he is proud of every step of the climb. The hussar was meant to be dashing, quick and a little reckless, and Gerard fits the type to the letter. Doyle takes the type and turns it up until it becomes funny.
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What is The Adventures of Gerard about?
It is a collection of adventure stories told by Etienne Gerard, a boastful French hussar who serves Napoleon. Each tale sends him on a dangerous mission, where courage, luck and vanity decide how things go.
Who is Brigadier Gerard?
Etienne Gerard is a fictional French cavalry officer created by Arthur Conan Doyle. He is brave, loyal and very vain, and he tells his stories as an old man looking back on the Napoleonic wars.
Is The Adventures of Gerard a true story?
No. Gerard is invented, though the setting is the real Napoleonic age and Napoleon himself appears. Doyle published the stories in 1903 after a first Gerard book, using careful historical research.
The author
Arthur Conan Doyle
1859–1930 · British detective novelist
Arthur Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician born in Edinburgh in 1859. He practised medicine in England and wrote novels, short stories and histories. His Sherlock Holmes stories began with A Study in Scarlet in 1887. He also wrote The Lost World in 1912. He died in Crowborough, England, in 1930.
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