8 h 24 minAudiobook7 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 the saddle is also the last to see his own mistakes?
Etienne Gerard has no doubts about his sword, his horsemanship or his glory. In Arthur Conan Doyle's linked adventure stories, the old hussar tells of his service in Napoleon's wars. Spies, duels, chases and narrow escapes test his courage—and give his boundless pride plenty of room to cause trouble.
Gerard adores Napoleon and respects the Duke of Wellington as a worthy opponent. But great commanders share the stage with a soldier's world of horse and sabre, quick decisions and desperate bluffs. Across these tales of vanity, loyalty and the comedy of honour, Gerard's bravery shines even when his judgement fails him.
What you’ll discover
- A hero's greatest admirer Meet a narrator whose faith in his own brilliance makes every boast part of the fun.
- Horse and sabre adventures Follow Gerard through chases, duels and narrow escapes where a soldier must act fast.
- Courage tangled with pride Discover how real bravery and ridiculous vanity can live comfortably in the same man.
- An emperor through loyal eyes See Napoleon through Gerard's devotion, with imperial favour the highest prize he can imagine.
- Warmth beneath the wit Enjoy the gap between Gerard's grand account of himself and the mistakes he cannot see.
Who will love it
For readers who love fast adventure with a smile, Napoleonic history with a lighter touch, and a vain but lovable narrator whose tales brim with spies, duels and narrow escapes.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Meet Gerard, hero and chief admirer
- A soldier's world of horse and sabre
- Wit and nerve get him out of trouble
- Napoleon and the great men in the background
- Vanity, loyalty and the comedy of honour
- How Doyle builds the stories
Who’s who
- Etienne GerardA colonel of hussars and the teller of every tale, brave and quick, proud of his sword, his horse and his glory.
- NapoleonThe Emperor whom Gerard serves and adores, whose favour is the highest prize the hussar can imagine.
- The Duke of WellingtonThe British commander whose armies face Gerard's, and who is seen by him with respect as a worthy opponent.
- The HussarsGerard's fellow cavalrymen, whose dash and loyalty form the background of his adventures and his pride.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 8 h 24 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Le imprese del Brigadiere Gerard
by Arthur Conan Doyle · 1896
With horse and sabre, Gerard faces spies, duels and narrow escapes, certain his courage and cleverness will prevail.
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Meet Gerard, hero and chief admirer
The first thing to know about the book is its voice. Etienne Gerard tells every story himself, and he tells it as an old soldier would to listeners who have heard of his fame and want more. He does not hide his pride. He lists his qualities with total sincerity, and he rarely allows that any other officer might have done as well.
This voice is the engine of the whole collection. Doyle lets Gerard praise himself while the events around him show a more complicated picture. A reader soon learns to enjoy the gap between what Gerard says and what actually happens. He means every boast, and that is exactly why the boasts are funny and also oddly touching.
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What is The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard about?
It is a collection of linked adventure stories about Etienne Gerard, a French hussar officer in Napoleon's army. He tells them as an old man, and they mix war, daring missions, comic vanity and narrow escapes.
Who is Brigadier Gerard?
Gerard is a fictional French cavalry colonel invented by Arthur Conan Doyle. He is brave, loyal to Napoleon and very proud of himself, and he is the narrator of every tale in the book.
Is Brigadier Gerard a true story?
No, Gerard is invented, though the wars, the Emperor and many of the settings are real. Doyle drew on the memoirs of Napoleonic officers. The stories first appeared in magazine form in the 1890s.
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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