The Barbed Crown: An Ethan Gage Adventure (Ethan Gage Adventures)

In The Barbed Crown , the sixth tale of rogue and adventurer Ethan Gage by William Dietrich, our hero returns to Paris and London. Against a background of imperial pomp and the gathering clouds of war, Gage plots revenge on Napoleon Bonaparte for the kidnap of his son. Paris, the “City of Lights,” shines – but alongside its splendor is great squalor. Heroic patriotism rubs against mean ambition, while grand strategy and back-alley conspiracy are never far apart. While Ethan spies on the French court, his wife, Astiza, works to sabotage NapoleonвЂTMs coronation using the Crown of Thorns, a legendary relic said to have come from the Crucifixion itself. But when Napoleon is crowned nonetheless, they flee to England. At Walmer Castle on the English coast, Gage joins a daring campaign by Smith, Fulton, rocket inventor William Congreve and smuggler Tom Johnstone to halt NapoleonвЂTMs intended invasion of England – a campaign which leads Ethan to take a role in the Battle of Trafalgar itself… Review “Ethan Gage is not a man to let the grass grow under his feet. A non-stop page-turning adventure of wit, entertaining history, and characters who roll with the punches of fate.” (Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series ) “Utilizing his trademark combination of wit, wile, and homespun American common sense, Ethan successfully integrates himself into the sophisticated intrigue of the Old World.” ( Booklist ) “Rich in historical detail. . . . The battle of Trafalgar is narrated magnificently. There are also plots, twists, and counterplots along with searches for religious relics . . . Historical fiction fans will relish this over-the-top romp as they wallow in the color and the history.” ( Library Journal ) “Brilliantly conceived and crafted from the first word. Dietrich puts great characters in seemingly impossible scenarios on every page. A fun, fast, exhilarating read. I havenвЂTMt read a historical novel this good since Ken FolletвЂTMs Pillars of the Earth .” (Robert Dugoni, author of The Conviction ) “DietrichвЂTMs creation Ethan Gage is no typical action hero. . . . Dietrich has the Gage series down to a formula, blending history with entertaining tall tales and a good deal of irreverence.” ( Kirkus Reviews ) “I am a big fan of William DietrichвЂTMs Ethan Gage novels and The Barbed Crown is a great addition to the series. Gage is a rascal and heвЂTMs in trouble again. . . . An exciting, funny, and educational read.” (Phillip Margolin, author of Capitol Murder ) “What a blast! The Barbed Crown is as funny as it is smart. . . . It is impossible not to love Ethan Gage. It is impossible not to love this book!” (Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain ) “Exuberant . . . . Along the way readers will be treated to DietrichвЂTMs fascinating historical detail and GageвЂTMs infectious personality, one part humble global servant and two parts self-directed opportunist who simply has to be where the action is.” ( Publishers Weekly ) From the Back Cover In this latest adventure by New York Times bestselling author William Dietrich, Ethan Gage is out to foil Napoleon's coronation as emperor, play double agent between France and England, and turn the tide of war—while attempting to save his own life and his marriage. Gage fought beside Napoleon Bonaparte in Egypt and was his agent in Italy, America, and Greece. But this relationship, which at the best of times was uneasy, has gone sour, and now Ethan wants to make Napoleon pay for kidnapping his son, Harry, and nearly killing his wife, Astiza. Smuggled into France with a beautiful royalist agent, Gage is determined to thwart Bonaparte's ambitions to take Europe. Surprises abound as a conspiracy collapses, Astiza reappears at Gage's side, and agents on all fronts try to recruit Ethan to their cause. Desperate, he devises a mad plan to sabotage Napoleon's coronation by replacing the power-hungry emperor's crown of golden laurel with a religious relic—the Crown of Thorns purportedly worn by Christ at his crucifixion. It is a scheme that requires a daring theft, perfect timing, and trust among the plotters; when it goes awry, Gage is soon on the run to England. There Ethan joins a circle of brilliant renegades, including Robert Fulton, designer of the first submarine; rocket artillery pioneer Sir William Congreve; and smuggler Tom Johnstone. As two empires face off at sea, Gage is plunged into the decisive and lethal Battle of Trafalgar, trapped on board a French ship as Nelson's Victory bears down on him. Moving from the glittering boulevards and squalid back alleys of Napoleonic France to the high seas of Regency England, filled with romance, danger, intrigue, and glory, The Barbed Crown is a thrilling romp that sees Ethan Gage once again embroiled in European history . . . and the fate of the modern world.

In this latest adventure by New York Times bestselling author William Dietrich, Ethan Gage is out to foil Napoleon's coronation as emperor, play double agent between France and England, and turn the tide of war-while attempting to save his own life and his marriage.

Gage fought beside Napoleon Bonaparte in Egypt and was his agent in Italy, America, and Greece. But this relationship, which at the best of times was uneasy, has gone sour, and now Ethan wants to make Napoleon pay for kidnapping his son, Harry, and nearly killing his wife, Astiza.

Smuggled into France with a beautiful royalist agent, Gage is determined to thwart Bonaparte's ambitions to take Europe. Surprises abound as a conspiracy collapses, Astiza reappears at Gage's side, and agents on all fronts try to recruit Ethan to their cause. Desperate, he devises a mad plan to sabotage Napoleon's coronation by replacing the power-hungry emperor's crown of golden laurel with a religious relic-the Crown of Thorns purportedly worn by Christ at his crucifixion. It is a scheme that requires a daring theft, perfect timing, and trust among the plotters; when it goes awry, Gage is soon on the run to England.

There Ethan joins a circle of brilliant renegades, including Robert Fulton, designer of the first submarine; rocket artillery pioneer Sir William Congreve; and smuggler Tom Johnstone. As two empires face off at sea, Gage is plunged into the decisive and lethal Battle of Trafalgar, trapped on board a French ship as Nelson's Victory bears down on him.

Moving from the glittering boulevards and squalid back alleys of Napoleonic France to the high seas of Regency England, filled with romance, danger, intrigue, and glory, The Barbed Crown is a thrilling romp that sees Ethan Gage once again embroiled in European history . . . and the fate of the modern world.

La nouvelle aventure d'Ethan Gadge. Un conteur-n, qui fait voluer d'une main de matre ses personnages sur l'chiquier de l'Histoire. Steve Berry 1239. Saint Louis fait l'acquisition auprs de l'empereur de Constantinople de plusieurs reliques sacres, qu'il fait entreposer Notre-Dame. Parmi celles-ci, des morceaux de la sainte Croix, de la sainte lance et la couronne d'pines pose sur la tte de Jsus avant sa crucifixion. 1804. Ethan Gage, qui a accompagn Napolon dans ses expditions en Terre sainte avant d'entrer dans sa lgion secrte, tient le futur empereur pour responsable de la mort de sa femme et de la disparition de son fils. Bien dcid se venger, il rejoint les Anglais et les monarchistes franais pour conspirer sa chute. Au cur du complot qu'il imagine : la sainte Couronne du Christ. Du sacre de Napolon la bataille de Trafalgar, William Dietrich nous propose un roman d'aventures d'une redoutable efficacit, ponctu de nombreux mystres sotriques et historiques. To make Napoleon pay for kidnapping his son and nearly killing his wife, spy, adventurer and treasure hunter Ethan Gage, after his plot to sabotage Napoleon's coronation is foiled, flees to England where he and a group of brilliant renegades devise a daring plan as the French set sail for invasion.