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Title: Napoleon's Last Island

Author: Thomas Keneally

Narrator: Edwina Wren, David Tredinnick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-19-16

Publisher: Sceptre

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A masterful account of Napoleon's final years in exile by Booker Prize-winning author Thomas Keneally.

On the island of St Helena in the South Atlantic ocean, Napoleon spends his last years in exile. It is a hotbed of gossip and secret liaisons, where a blind eye is turned to relations between colonials and slaves. The disgraced emperor is subjected to vicious and petty treatment by his captors, but he forges a relationship with an unexpected ally: a rebellious British girl, Betsy, who lives on the island with her family and becomes his unlikely friend.

Based on fact, Napoleon's Last Island is the surprising story of one of history's most enigmatic figures and a British family who dared to associate with him. It is a tale of vengeance, duplicity and loyalty and of a man whose charisma made him dangerous to the end.

Members Reviews:

Napoleon's last years given a human touch

Napoleonâs Last Island is a Historical Fiction Novel centred on Napoleonâs last years when he was exiled to St Helena Island in the South Atlantic. Historical fictions are difficult novels in the sense they draw on a historical record that is biased from the start. Historical records about Napoleon written from a French point of view differ markedly from those of a British point of view. This novel is written by an Irish Australian, like myself, so there is likely to be an anti-British bias by the author.

The novelâs main interest is the characters of Napoleon and the narrator Betsy the teenage rebellious daughter of the supplier of goods to Napoleonâs party. Napoleon comes across as someone with a personality that is broad and fluid. He is loved and admired by all that meet him from little children to otherwise boring adults. He brings a lot out of people. An example of this is when his religion is discussed. Napoleon says he is Protestant, like her, when talking to Betsy but his aides say he has shown Catholic or Moslem sympathies when talking to others.

To add to the, admitted flawed, major historical record a credible series of events and bit characters is also difficult. Keneally was generally successful but some incidents especially the orgy or charades near the end of the book stretched credibility a step too far for me.

I appreciated Keneallyâs description of the island to the extent I almost thought I was there at times. His descriptions of events such as the Island ball were also very detailed and moving. I found however that some of the lesser characters were limited in their exposure.

Concerning Sir Hudson Lowe the Duke of Wellington said (Wikipedia quote) that he was "a very bad choice; he was a man wanting in education and judgment. He was a stupid man, he knew nothing at all of the world, and like all men who knew nothing of the world, he was suspicious and jealous."

Unusual and fascinating historical tale

I am keen to learn about St Helena because we are visiting there later this year so I have been seeking out books that can inform me. I have liked other Thomas Keneally's books which focus on real historical characters and events and turns them into very readable novels, and this one did not disappoint. It is unusual in its style, being written as the journal of by a rebellious but intelligent and questioning young girl on the island who befriends the exiled Napoleon.