Napoleon arrived on St Helena in October 1815 aboard the British 74-gun warship HMS Northumberland. For the first six weeks he stayed at the Briars, a property in the Upper Jamestown Valley where he enjoyed the hospitality of the Balcombe family. By the end of December, the re-building work on his destined home, Longwood, was completed, and Napoleon accompanied by his entourage moved there, much to Napoleon's annoyance. He found the site bleak, inhospitable, and considered it conducive to rheumatism. The British Government was paranoid about Napoleon being rescued and maintained a large military presence on the island, and numerous warships anchored offshore. This paranoia extended to the new Governor, Sir Hudson Lowe. He ran a typrannical and petty campaign against the residents at Longwood and had violent arguments with Napoleon, who refused to cooperate with him. This book is one of the best accounts of Napoleon's five-and-a-half years' imprisonment, which ended with his death from a stomach ulcer. It details all of the personalities, Napoleon's household, the domestic arrangements, the island residents, the military residents and the long-standing feud between Plantation House and Longwood. It also covers Betsy Balcombe, the Deadwood Races, Napoleon's habits and his garden and much, much more. The book has eighty colour and black & white illustrations.

About the Author
Mabel Balcombe Brookes (1890-1975), was born in Australia and brought up in a wealthy bookish household. Her great-grandfather had been William Balcombe, Napoleon's host at the Briars. In 1957 she visited St Helena, bought the Briars site, and later in a ceremony in Paris, she donated it to the French nation. Along with Longwood and the site of Napoleon's tomb, the Briars is now a mini-dominion of France on St Helena. Mabel Brookes wrote this book in 1960 and it was first published as St Helena Story.


Book Information
ISBN 9781781551714
Author Mabel Brookes
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Fonthill Media Ltd
Publisher Fonthill Media Ltd