A horny English Spy in Napoleons court (The Launching of Roger Brook - Dennis Wheatley)

Member Name: darren55

Product:	The Launching of Roger Brook - Dennis Wheatley
Date:	07/09/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The times and napoleon

Disadvantages: None

The launching of Roger Brook is the first novel in Dennis Wheatley series of novels using the character Roger Brook as a tool to write about the Napoleonic wars. In the later Brooks is an established Englsih spy in the centre of Napoleons court, he has fluent french and is a attache to the French Emperor.

However, in this novel we are introduced to Roger for the first time and we are given an immediate indication for the series, he's tall, good looking and has an eye for the lady - you can see where this is going. He also has been to university and is fluent in French, he chances to meet the English PM William Pitt who presses him into service to go over to France and get to know the new up and coming general Napoleon.

The book then tells of his successes and failures and along the way he meets a beautiful girl called Georgina Thursby, through her he becomes embroiled in a plot, and in the exectution of the plot he meets certain key French politicians, generals and power brokers. He also meets lots of beautiful french women, these French women seem to fall for this tall dashing Englishman.

In general this is a classic introductory novel, we are introduced to Roger and his skills in being an Englishman in France, he's a corteous good looking man and has a way with everyone he meets. He interacts with his Frenchmen he's ultimately deceiving and through out worries over should he be deceitful to such delightful men.

If you like adventure novels, and want to know more about the Napoleonic wars then the Roger Brook series are a decent starting point for a gentle intro to this fascinating period of European history. We are given in vivid decriptions of the times and fashions of the time, here women wear elaborate gowns and jewels flash everywhere, there are balls, battles, duels, tight trousers and pominated wigs.

Finally we meet the key men of the age, Wellington, Pitt, Napoleon, Talleyrand and Nelson. They will be our constant companions in the latter books.

Summary: A decent bit of historical fun