A series of comic short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. These comic shorts were written in 1884-1885 and are set during the Napolenonic wars, 1807-1814. They first appeared in issues of the famous Strand magazine.
Our hero, Etienne Gerard, is a Hussar in the French army. His vanity is all encompassing; he is utterly convinced that he is the bravest soldier, most masterful swordsman and horseman throughout the whole of France, not to mention being a much in demand and gallant lover! Conan Doyle's humour is satirical, artful and instrinsic, and makes for an entertaining listen.
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"Not bad! Some derring do, some boasting, a few close shaves and choice escapes... Doyle does a nice job of giving a scathing look at his own society from the eyes of a Frenchman. I was well pleased to see Gerard, was, of course, a Gascon! Worth a read if you like swash with your buckle." — Thomas (4 out of 5 stars)
"Not bad! Some derring do, some boasting, a few close shaves and choice escapes... Doyle does a nice job of giving a scathing look at his own society from the eyes of a Frenchman. I was well pleased to see Gerard, was, of course, a Gascon! Worth a read if you like swash with your buckle."
" This is okay. Short of like Sharpe for the French side, but more tongue in cheek, and yet less fun all the same. "
" Rediculous to a modern reader "
" Would never have expected Conan Doyle to write about the male dumb blonde stereotype. A few good laughs...but I far prefer Holmes. :-) "
" reading this as an ebook from feedbooks.com "
" plain fun "
" Fabulous. Gerard is a fantastic character, and the stories are highly entertaining. However, I think I gain the most amusement thinking of Conan Doyle writing in England in the 1890s about France in the 1810s, starring a character who would not be out of place in stories of the 800s. "
" A funny, charming book. "
" An amazing collection of Brigadier Gerard during the Napoleonic Wars. How he gets in grave danger of being killed on every corner however outwitting his enemy and saving life of others. Great writing by Doyle - I liked it. "
" Awesome, fun little stories set during the Napoleonic Wars, from the perspective of a fierce small, somewhat stupid Frenchman, the famous Etienne Gerard. One of my favorite books of all time "
" Wow! Brigadier Etienne Gerard is almost the complete antithesis of Sherlock Holmes - emotional, blockheaded, and totally gullible (although just as egotistical as the great consulting detective). He's also French. "
" Wonderful series of short stories about a French cavalry officer remembering his many adventures. Funny, witty, and exciting story telling. Among Doyle's best writings. "
" I think the following line sums up Brig Etienne Gerard, who thinks he is a humble man, "[Despienne] was a tiny fellow, about three inches short of the proper height for a man - he was exactly three inches shorter than myself...." An enjoyable read. "
" Funny. You can tell that Conan Doyle loved his creation of a pompous Frenchman, and the stories are quite fun to read. I was rooting for Gerard even as I laughed at (with?) him. "
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was born of Irish parentage in Scotland. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, but he also had a passion for storytelling. His first book introduced that prototype of the modern detective in fiction, Sherlock Holmes. Despite the immense popularity Holmes gained throughout the world, Doyle was not overly fond of the character and preferred to write other stories. Eventually popular demand won out and he continued to satisfy readers with the adventures of the legendary sleuth. He also wrote historical romances and made two essays into pseudoscientific fantasy: The Lost World and The Poison Belt.
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