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Novels of the Napoleonic EraFor news on the latest additions to this website, see the blog. Jump to: Napoleon, Josephine, and their Families 
The Napoleonic period begins with Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power as a general for the French Revolutionary government. He married Josephine de Beauharnais in 1796 and, days later, led the French army when it invaded Italy. He took over the reins of power in France in 1799 and was crowned Emperor in 1804. He conquered much of Europe before the setback of his disastrous 1812 campaign in Russia. The British finally defeated him at Waterloo in 1815, after which he was exiled to the island of St. Helena. The personal lives of Napoleon, Josephine and their relatives were full of drama and have been the subject of many novels. This period also offers a particularly rich setting for novels about warfare at sea and on land, as well as novels about life in Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. In the Caribbean, Toussaint Louverture, sometimes called "the Black Napoleon," led a successful slave uprising in Haiti: for novels set in the Caribbean during this period, see the Latin America page. Novels in a series are generally listed in chronological order by setting rather than by date of publication. Lengthy series about naval and land warfare have been written by Bernard Cornwell, C.S. Forester, Adam Hardy, Alexander Kent, Dewey Lambdin, Patrick O'Brian, Dudley Pope and Richard Woodman, as well as shorter series by other authors.
Napoleon, Josephine, and their Families
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Napoleon Bonaparte, Clisson and Eugénie (written in 1795, first published edition in the original French 2007, Gallic Books paperback edition in English 2013), a novella by Napoleon that seems to have autobiographical elements; technically not a historical novel, since it is set in Napoleon's own time. Review Lorenzo Borghese, The Princess of Nowhere (2010), about Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister, and her tempestuous marriage to Prince Camillo Borghese, to whom she was frequently unfaithful. Thomas B. Costain, The Last Love Carolly Erickson, The Secret Life of Josephine: Napoleon’s Bird of Paradise (2007), about Josephine, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Max Gallo, The Sun of Austerlitz Max Gallo, The Emperor of Kings Max Gallo, The Immortal Man of Saint Helena
Sandra Gulland, Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe (1998), about Josephine, the wife of Napoleon, during the years of his rise to power; #2 in the Josephine trilogy. Sandra Gulland, The Last Great Dance on Earth (2000), about Napoleon’s wife Josephine during the difficult years leading up to their divorce and his exile; #3 in the Josephine trilogy.
Frank Wilson Kenyon, The Emperor's Lady Frank Wilson Kenyon, My Brother Napoleon: The Confessions of Caroline Bonaparte Simon Leys, The Death of Napoleon, a humorous novella in which Napoleon escapes from St. Helena and is compelled to live as an ordinary French citizen while plotting his return to power. Norah Lofts, A Rose for Virtue (1971), about Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Josephine Bonaparte and stepdaughter of Napoleon, who married Napoleon's brother and became the mother of Napoleon III. Edgar Maass, Imperial Venus: A Novel of Napoleon's Favorite Sister Diane Scott Lewis, Elysium Michelle Moran, The Second Empress (2012), about Napoleon's second wife, Marie-Louise, and his sister Pauline. Patrick Rambaud, The Battle (1997 in French; English translation 2000), about the Battle of Essling, Napoleon’s first defeat; #1 in the Napoleonic trilogy. Patrick Rambaud, The Retreat (2000 in the original French, English translation 2004), about Napoleon’s Russian campaign; #2 in the Napoleonic trilogy. Patrick Rambaud, Napoleon's Exile (English translation 2006), about Napoleon’s exile in Elba and his scheme to escape; #3 in the Napoleonic trilogy. Annemarie Selinko, Desiree (1953), about Désirée Clary, the daughter of a French silk merchant, and her romance with the young Napoleon Bonaparte. Gaby von Schönthan, The Roses of Malmaison: The Turbulent Life of the Beautiful Josephine Gaby von Schönthan, Madame Casanova Heather Webb, Becoming Josephine (2014), about Rose Tascher, the Creole woman from Martinique who would become the Empress Josephine.
Spies, Seafaring and Warfare at Sea and on Land
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G.S. Beard, Lieutenant Fury M.M. Bennetts, Of Honest Fame Mark E. Benno, This Wonderful Year
Robert Challoner, Give Fire! Robert Challoner, Into Battle!
Roy Clews, The Drums of War Tom Connery, A Shred of Honour, #1 in the Markham of the Marines trilogy; Tom Connery is a pen name of David Donachie. Tom Connery, Honour Redeemed, #2 in the Markham of the Marines trilogy; Tom Connery is a pen name of David Donachie. Tom Connery, Honour be Damned, #3 in the Markham of the Marines trilogy; Tom Connery is a pen name of David Donachie. Joseph Conrad, The Rover, about a French pirate who returns home just as the Napoleonic Wars begin and finds he must make one last voyage.
Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Triumph, Sharpe hunts down a treasonous British officer; #2 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series (covers his early years of soldiering in India). Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Fortress, the newly promoted Sharpe discovers that an old enemy of his is plotting treason; #3 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series (covers his early years of soldiering in India). Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Trafalgar (2001), Sharpe is aboard a ship captured by a French warship carrying a stolen treaty that could set off a new war with India; #4 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Prey, against his better judgment, Sharpe goes to Copenhagen on a mission to bribe the Danes into turning their fleet over to the British to prevent the French from capturing it; #5 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Rifles, new to his command, Sharpe must lead his mistrustful men through the enemy-infested mountains of Spain; #6 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Havoc, stranded behind enemy lines in Portugal, Sharpe tries to find and rescue the missing daughter of an English wine shipper; #7 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Eagle, after a cowardly officer causes the regiment to lose its colors, Sharpe sets out to redeem their honor by capturing a French eagle standard; the first Sharpe novel written and published, but #8 chronologically by setting. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Gold, Wellington's bankrupt army needs a cache of Portuguese gold only Sharpe is capable of stealing; #9 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Escape, as the British retreat into Portugal, Sharpe finds himself trapped behind enemy lines with a beautiful English governess; #10 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Fury, Sharpe is trapped in the Spanish capital after a British attack miscarries; #11 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Battle, Sharpe must lead an untrained Irish ceremonial battalion based in a crumbling Spanish fort against an elite French brigade; #12 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Company, Sharpe must capture a fortress in which his wife and baby are trapped; #13 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Sword, during Wellington's Salamanca Campaign, a French assassin gets a second chance to kill Sharpe; #14 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Skirmish, a short story in which French raiders attack the Spanish fort where Sharpe is guarding a Commissary Officer; #15 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Enemy, at a mountain pass, Sharpe is confronted with attacks from both directions; #16 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Honour, as the alliance between Britain and Spain frays, Sharpe must deal with an old enemy and a beautiful spy; #17 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Regiment, during a lull in the war with France, Sharpe discovers a scheme in which regimental soldiers are being sold as though they were slaves; #18 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Siege, when a raid on a French fort turns disastrous, Sharpe finds him stranded with an unlikely ally from Marblehead, Massachusetts; #19 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Revenge, with the French on the verge of defeat, Sharpe must defend himself from the charge of stealing Napoleon's personal treasures; #20 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Waterloo (also titled Waterloo), Sharpe's experience of the Battle of Waterloo; #21 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Devil, in 1820, years after Waterloo, Sharpe is called back from retirement to sail to Chile and look for an old friend who has disappeared; #22 (chronologically by setting) in the Sharpe series. Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe's Christmas, a pair of short stories, one set near the end of the Peninsular War, the other after Waterloo.
R.F. Delderfield, Seven Men of Gascony (1949), about seven comrades in the French army during the Napoleonic Wars who finally meet their fate at Waterloo. R.F. Delderfield, Too Few for Drums (1964), about a young British ensign and his men behind enemy lines during Napoleon's Peninsular Campaign and the clever Welsh camp follower who assists them.
David Donachie, A Shot Rolling Ship (2005), about a pressganged sailor on a ship whose mission is to capture and destroy French privateers; #2 in the John Pearce series; later novels in the series are set during the Napoleonic Wars. David Donachie, An Awkward Commission (2006), about a British naval officer separated from his men, who have been forced to serve on a different ship under a flogging officer; #3 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, A Flag of Truce (2008), about a British naval officer who sets out, against advice, to have the captain who once illegally pressganged him and his men tried for the crime; #4 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, The Admirals' Game (2008), about a British naval commander whose victory over the French at Toulon leads to a bloody struggle to defend the port; #5 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, An Ill Wind (2009), about a British naval commander in 1793 during the evacuation of Toulon, and his confrontation with the man who press-ganged him into the navy; #6 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, Blown Off Course (2011), about a British naval officer tempted to solve his numerous difficulties by taking on the illegal but potentially lucrative mission of fetching a contraband-laden ship back from France; #7 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, Enemies at Every Turn (2011), about a British naval officer sent on a dangerous mission to support a revolt in France's Vendee region; #8 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, A Sea of Troubles (2012), about a British naval officer coping with a variety of dangers, including smugglers bent on revenge, whose adventures on the Mediterranean bring him to the attention of Horatio Nelson; #9 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, A Divided Command (2013), about a British naval officer forced to give up his position to an incompetent admiral; #10 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, The Devil to Pay (2014), about a British naval lieutenant sent on a suicide mission by his superior officers; #11 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, The Perils of Command (2015), about a British naval officer who, sailing to Naples to see the woman he loves who is still married to one of his sworn enemies, learns she is pregnant; #12 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, A Treacherous Coast (2016), about a British naval officer who accepts a mission to France and, once underway, learns it is far more dangerous than he anticipated; #13 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, On a Particular Service (2017), about a British naval officer on his way home to England, where his crew members face the risk of being hanged for desertion; #14 in the John Pearce series. David Donachie, A Close Run Thing (2018), about a British naval officer who must evade enemies on his way back to England, where a mission to Spain awaits him; #15 in the John Pearce series.
Alexandre Dumas, The Last Cavalier: Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon (first published in 2005 in the original French, after Dumas scholar Claude Schopp completed the novel Dumas left unfinished on his death in 1870; English translation 2008), about a French aristocrat seeking vengeance in the time leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar. Frank Eccles, The Mutiny Run, naval warfare set in 1797; in the Thomas Dunne series. Frank Eccles, The Barbary Run J.C. Edwards, Fletcher's Fortune J.C. Edwards, Fletcher’s Glorious First of June, about warfare at sea between the U.S. and Britain; sequel to Fletcher’s Fortune; not readily available.
C.S. Forester, The Gun (1933), a stand-alone novel about Spanish guerillas fighting against Napoleon’s occupying armies. C.S. Forester, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (1950), a collection of short stories about a fictional midshipman in the British navy, Horatio Hornblower; #1 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Lieutenant Hornblower (1952), Horatio Hornblower, the youngest officer on the Renown, faces a challenge when its captain goes insane; #2 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Hornblower and the Hotspur (1962), set in 1803, as newly married, 27-year-old Horatio Hornblower commands the Hotspur on a reconnaisance mission just as war with France breaks out; #3 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Hornblower and the Atropos (1953), Hornblower's first assignment as captain of the Atropos is to serve as the flagship for Lord Nelson's funeral procession; #4 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Beat to Quarters (1937; titled The Happy Return in the UK), as captain of the 36-gun frigate Lydia, Horatio Hornblower sails for Spain and Nicaragua to cut Napoleon's lines; #5 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Ship of the Line, in 1810 Hornblower takes command of his first ship of the line and sails to Spain with a rag-tag crew to take on Napoleon's warships; #6 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Flying Colours (1938), condemned to execution, Hornblower and his lieutenant are brought to Paris for the sentence to be carried out; #7 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Commodore Hornblower (titled The Commodore in the UK), Hornblower's orders are to protect the Baltic trade and stop Napoleon's empire from spreading to Sweden and Russia; #8 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Lord Hornblower (1946), in 1813, the orders given to Commodore Hornblower will end with a death sentence; #9 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Hornblower in the West Indies (1958; also titled Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies), after the Napoleonic Wars are over, Hornblower contends with pirates, revolutionaries and a hurricane; #10 (chronologically by setting) in the Horatio Hornblower series. C.S. Forester, Hornblower During the Crisis (1967; also titled Hornblower and the Crisis), an unfinished novel about Horatio Hornblower shortly before he is promoted to captain, plus short stories about him in youth and old age; #11 in the Horatio Hornblower series.
Iain Gale, Keane’s Company (2013), about a British officer given the special task of forming an intelligence unit to operate behind enemy lines during the Peninsular Campaign; #1 in the Keane series. Iain Gale, Keane’s Challenge (2014), about the captain of a British intelligence unit during the Peninsular Campaign who is accused of being a double agent and must protect himself by finding the real culprit; #2 in the Keane series. Iain Gale, Keane’s Charge (2015), about the captain of a British intelligence unit during the Peninsular Campaign who is sent into the city of Coimbra to prevent a book of cyphers from falling into enemy hands; #3 in the Keane series. Iain Gale, Keane's Conspiracy (2016), about the captain of a British intelligence unit who goes undercover in Paris in 1812 to help incite a rebellion against Napoleon's rule; #4 in the Keane series.
Adrian Goldsworthy, Beat the Drums Slowly (2011), about a British military officer who must protect both his soldiers and the woman he loves during a retreat while pursued by an army led by Napoleon himself; #2 in the author's Napoleonic Wars series. Adrian Goldsworthy, Send Me Safely Back Again (2012), about a British military officer given a covert mission during the Peninsular War in Spain; #3 in the author's Napoleonic Wars series. Adrian Goldsworthy, All In Scarlet Uniform (2013), about two British military officers trying to hold the fortress of Cuidad Rodrigo as it comes under siege by one of Napoleon's most daring generals, Marshal Ney; #4 in the author's Napoleonic Wars series. Adrian Goldsworthy, Run Them Ashore
Jo Graham, The Emperor’s Agent (2013), about an actress who becomes a spy for Napoleon and must contend with English witches working to defend their country against Napoleon's planned invasion; sequel to The General's Mistress.
Michael Hardwick, Regency Revenge Michael Hardwick, Regency Revels
Adam Hardy, Prize Money Adam Hardy, Savage Siege Adam Hardy, Treasure Map Adam Hardy, Sailor's Blood Adam Hardy, Sea of Gold Adam Hardy, Court Martial Adam Hardy, Battle Smoke Adam Hardy, Cut and Thrust Adam Hardy, Boarders Away Adam Hardy, Fireship Adam Hardy, Blood Beach Adam Hardy, Sea Flame Adam Hardy, Close Quarters
Richard Howard, Bonaparte's Invaders Richard Howard, Bonaparte's Conquerors Richard Howard, Bonaparte's Warriors Richard Howard, Bonaparte's Avengers Richard Howard, Bonaparte's Horsemen
Alexander Kent, Midshipman Bolitho and the 'Avenger' (1978), about a young midshipman in the British Navy who goes home to Cornwall for Christmas to find his community beset with smuggling, ship wrecking and witchcraft; #2 in the Richard Bolitho series (included with #1 and #3 in Midshipman Bolitho); Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Band of Brothers (2005), about a young midshipman in the British Navy who takes the examination necessary to graduate to King's Officer; #3 in the Richard Bolitho series (included with #1 and #2 in Midshipman Bolitho); Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Stand into Danger (1980), about a British naval officer during the late 18th century; #4 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, In Gallant Company (1977), about a British naval officer during the American Revolution period; #5 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Sloop of War (1972), about a British naval officer in 1778 during the American Revolution; #6 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, To Glory We Steer (1968), about a young British naval captain who must cope with a mutinous crew in 1782 in the Caribbean; #7 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Command a King's Ship (1973), about a British naval officer who sails for India in 1784; #8 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Passage To Mutiny (1976), about a British naval officer in 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, as he sails to the Great South Sea to protect his country's shipping lanes; #9 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, With All Despatch (1988), about a British naval officer during the French Revolution period; #10 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Form Line of Battle!, about a British naval officer in 1793, with England and France at war; #11 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Enemy in Sight!, about a British naval officer in 1794 during the war with revolutionary France, as he struggles with an untrained crew and an incompetent commanding officer; #12 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, The Flag Captain, about a British naval officer during the French Revolution period; #13 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Signal - Close Action!, about a British naval officer during the Napoleonic era; #14 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, The Inshore Squadron, about a British naval officer during the Napoleonic era; #15 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, A Tradition of Victory, about a British naval officer torn between the call of duty and his personal life after eight years of war with France; #16 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Success to the Brave, about a British naval officer in 1802 as the peace treaty with France at Amiens shows signs of collapsing; #17 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Colours Aloft!, about a British naval officer in 1803 as the Napoleonic War rages on and revives his personal feud with a French admiral; #18 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Honour This Day, about a British naval officer who sails to the Caribbean in 1804 with orders to execute a dawn raid on the Spanish Main; #19 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, The Only Victor (2000), about a British naval officer who sails to southern Africa to help retake Cape Town from the Dutch; #20 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Beyond the Reef, about a British naval officer sent to the Cape of Good Hope to establish a permanent naval force during the Napoleonic Wars; #21 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, The Darkening Sea, about a British naval officer sent to Africa to protect trade routes; #22 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, For My Country's Freedom, about a British naval officer as war looms with England's former American colonies; #23 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Cross of St. George (1996), about a British naval officer in the waters off Nova Scotia as American privateers continue to harass British ships after the War of 1812; #24 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Sword of Honour, about a British naval officer during the Napoleonic era; #25 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Second to None, about a British naval officer on the eve of Waterloo; #26 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Relentless Pursuit, about a British naval officer who sails to African waters to assist in the campaign against the slave trade; #27 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Man of War, about a British naval officer at war in the West Indies; #28 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy. Alexander Kent, Heart of Oak, about a British naval officer on a diplomatic mission to North Africa that suddenly turns dangerous; #29 in the Richard Bolitho series; Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Reeman, who served in the British Royal Navy.
Dewey Lambdin, The French Admiral (1990), about a young libertine forced into the British navy who joins the siege of Yorktown during the American Revolution; #2 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, The King's Commission (1991), about a young libertine promoted to lieutenant in the British navy and sent across the Atlantic; #3 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, The King's Privateer (1992), about a pleasure-loving officer in the British navy with orders to board a trading ship and go to the East Indies to find out why merchantmen are disappearing there; #4 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, The Gun Ketch (1993), about a pleasure-loving officer in the British navy who finally gets his own ship in 1786 and goes to the Bahamas to fight pirates; #5 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, H.M.S. Cockerel (1995), about a pleasure-loving officer in the British navy; #6 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, A King's Commander (1997), about a pleasure-loving officer in the British navy with orders to lure an old enemy into battle; #7 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, Jester's Fortune (1999), about a pleasure-loving officer in the British navy in 1796 who strikes a devil's bargain with Serbian pirates as the Napoleonic Wars begin; #8 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, King's Captain (2000), about a pleasure-loving officer in the British navy as mutiny infects the fleet and an old enemy threatens his life; #9 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, Sea of Grey (2002), about a British naval officer on his way to support the intervention in the Haitian slave rebellion; #10 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, Havoc's Sword (2003), about a British naval officer in the Caribbean in 1798; #11 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, The Captain's Vengeance (2004), about a British naval officer hunting pirates in the Caribbean; #12 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, A King's Trade (2006), about a British naval officer in trouble over an incident involving the theft of slaves; #13 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, Troubled Waters (2008), about a British naval officer on a mission to France; #14 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, The Baltic Gambit (2009), about a British naval officer sent on a scouting mission in mid-winter to the frigid Baltic; #15 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, King, Ship and Sword (2010), about a British naval officer appalled to find himself stuck on shore at the end of the Napoleonic Wars with a wife and in-laws who dislike him; #16 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, The Invasion Year (2011), about a British naval officer who rescues his former enemies, the French, from a slave rebellion in Haiti before escorting a merchant convoy back to Europe; #17 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, Reefs and Shoals (2012), about a British naval officer ordered to the Bahamas in 1805 to combat French and Spanish privateers who may be getting encouragement from Americans; #18 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, Hostile Shores (2013), about a British naval captain in 1805, the year of Admiral Nelson's death, who takes his ship to war in the seas off South Africa, South America, and elsewhere; #19 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, The King’s Marauder (2014), about a British naval officer sent to Gibraltar in 1807 to raid the Spanish coast; #20 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, Kings and Emperors (2015), about a British naval officer whose plans to raid the Spanish coast come to a halt until Napoleon invades Portugal; #21 in the Alan Lewrie series. Dewey Lambdin, A Hard, Cruel Shore (2016), about a British naval captain sent on a mission to the Spanish "Coast of Death" in 1809; #22 in the Alan Lewrie series.
Allan Mallinson, Honorable Company: A Novel of India Before the Raj (2000; also titled The Nizam's Daughters), about a British soldier forced into political maneuvering in India; #2 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, A Regimental Affair (2001), about a British cavalry officer who returns to England from India in 1817 to take up a post in Brighton and marry his childhood sweetheart; #3 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, A Call to Arms (2002), about a former British captain of dragoons who returns to military service in 1819 and is sent to India; #4 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, The Sabre's Edge (2003), about a British captain of dragoons posted in India who faces the threat of war on two fronts; #5 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, Rumours of War Allan Mallinson, An Act of Courage (2005), about a British officer who remembers his role in the Napoleonic Wars in Spain while he plans his escape from a fortress he once stormed; #7 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, Company of Spears (2006), about a British officer on his way to South Africa in 1827 where the Zulus are threatening the British colony; #8 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, Man of War (2007), about a British officer whose return to active duty is postponed by a military enquiry; #9 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, Warrior (2008), about a British officer posted in South Africa who hopes to prevent a Zulu war in 1828; #10 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, On His Majesty’s Service (2011), about a British officer who accepts an assignment as an observer with the Russian army during the war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire; #11 in the Matthew Hervey series. Allan Mallinson, Words of Command Allan Mallinson, The Passage to India (2018), about a British officer sent to put down a rebellion in India in 1831; #13 in the Matthew Hervey series.
Kenneth Maynard, First Lieutenant Kenneth Maynard, Lamb in Command Kenneth Maynard, Lamb's Mixed Fortunes James R. McDonough, The Limits of Glory: A Novel of Waterloo Art McGrath, The Emperor's American Art McGrath, March to Destruction Herman Melville, Billy Budd, a novella about an orphan with a speech impediment who goes to sea and is persecuted by the ship's master-at-arms; set in 1797 as war with France loomed; written in the 1880s but not published until 1924, after Melville's death. Andrew Miller, Now We Shall Be Entirely Free (2018), about a British military officer whose peace of mind is shattered by his experiences during the British retreat from Napoleon in Spain. Review Gilbert Morris, A Gathering of Eagles Lloyd M. Moxon, Before the Wind: A Novel of Conflict at Sea
Jan Needle, The Wicked Trade, about the survivor of a mutiny who reluctantly resumes his naval career on a ship assigned to combat the smuggling trade, #2 in the William Bentley series. Jan Needle, The Spithead Nymph, about a British naval officer who avoids prison by accepting a position as first lieutenant on a sea voyage to Jamaica to put down a slave rebellion, #3 in the William Bentley series.
Naomi Novik, Throne of Jade (2006), historical fantasy about a British naval captain endangered after the Chinese discover the dragon's egg they intended as a gift for Napoleon has fallen into British hands instead; #2 in the Temeraire series. Naomi Novik, Black Powder War (2006), historical fantasy about a British naval captain with experience managing a dragon who is assigned to escort three dragon eggs from the Ottoman Empire to Britain during the Napoleonic Wars; #3 in the Temeraire series. Naomi Novik, In His Majesty's Service (2009), an omnibus edition containing the first three novels of the Temeraire series, His Majesty's Dragon, Throne of Jade and Black Powder War, in one volume. Naomi Novik, Empire of Ivory (2007), historical fantasy about a British naval captain who must fly his dragon to Africa to learn the cause of the epidemic that is sickening the British fleet of dragons; #4 in the Temeraire series. Naomi Novik, Victory of Eagles (2008), historical fantasy about a British naval captain condemned for an altruistic act which helped Napoleon's dragons during the Napoleonic Wars; #5 in the Temeraire series. Naomi Novik, Tongues of Serpents (2010), historical fantasy about a British naval captain convicted of treason, stripped of his rank, and sent to a penal colony in Australia with his dragon for proposing the idea of freedom for dragons; #6 in the Temeraire series.
Patrick O’Brian, Post Captain (1972), about a country squire who, when Napoleon declares war on England, returns to active naval service and is given command of a strangely designed ship; #2 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, H.M.S. Surprise (1973), about a British ship captain who rescues his friend from captivity as a French prisoner of war, contemplates marriage, and sails to the Indies, among other adventures; #3 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Mauritius Command (1977), about a British naval officer promoted to Commodore and given command of a squadron to retake the islands of Mauritius and Reunion from the French; #4 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, Desolation Island (1978), about a British ship captain persuaded to ferry convicts to Australia and restore the Governor of New South Wales to office following a revolt; #5 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Fortune of War (1979), about a British ship captain during the War of 1812; #6 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Surgeon’s Mate (1980), about a British ship captain sent to the Baltic to capture the fortress of Grimsholm during the Napoleonic Wars; #7 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Ionian Mission (1981), about a British ship captain sent on a covert mission in France and later to the Ionian Sea to defeat the French in Turkey; #8 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, Treason’s Harbor (1983), about a British ship captain sent on a mission, which turns out to be less secret than it was intended to be, to capture a Turkish galley; #9 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Far Side of the World (1984), about a British ship captain sent to prevent an American frigate from interfering with British whaling ships during the War of 1812; #10 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Reverse of the Medal (1986), about a British ship captain who is arrested for political reasons when he returns to England from the West Indies; #11 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Letter of Marque (1988), about a former British naval commander who agrees to sail as a privateer, more respectably referred to as the holder of a "Letter of Marque;" #12 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Thirteen Gun Salute (1989), about a ship captain whose plans to sail to South America are interrupted for a mission to a sultan in Malay; #13 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Nutmeg of Consolation (1991), about a shipwrecked naval commander and his efforts to maintain the morale of his crew and build a vessel that can take them back to civilization; #14 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Truelove (1992; titled Clarissa Oakes in the U.K.), about a British ship captain who discovers his crew has smuggled a woman on board; #15 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Wine-Dark Sea (1993), about a British ship captain whose pursuit of an American privateer is interrupted by the eruption of an undersea volcano; #16 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Commodore (1995), about a British ship captain sent on a mission to disrupt the now-illegal slave trade; #17 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Yellow Admiral (1996), about a British ship captain sent to join the squadron blockading Brest during the Napoleonic Wars; #18 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, The Hundred Days (1998), about a British ship captain sent to the Adriatic to disrupt the building of ships for Napoleon's navy after Napoleon escapes from Elba and returns to power in France; #19 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O’Brian, Blue at the Mizzen (1999), about a British ship captain who sails to the South Pacific to assist Chile in its revolt from Spain, after the close of the Napoleonic Wars; #20 in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O'Brian, 21: The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey (2004), the first draft of a manuscript left unfinished at the time of O'Brian's death in 2000, in which Jack Aubrey once again encounters his illegitimate black son, now a papal legate in South America; #21 and last in the Aubrey/Maturin series.
C. Northcote Parkinson, Devil to Pay (1973), about a British naval officer whose assignment on the Isle of Wight as a customs inspector turns up a smuggling operation; #1 in the Richard Delancey Royal Naval series. C. Northcote Parkinson, The Fireship (1975), about a British naval officer whose career is disrupted by a mutiny; #2 in the Richard Delancey Royal Naval series. C. Northcote Parkinson, Touch and Go (1977), about a British naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars; #3 in the Richard Delancey Royal Naval series. C. Northcote Parkinson, Dead Reckoning (1978), about a British naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars; #4 in the Richard Delancey Royal Naval series. C. Northcote Parkinson, So Near, So Far (1981), about a British naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars; #5 in the Richard Delancey Royal Naval series. C. Northcote Parkinson, The Guernseyman (1982), about a British midshipman who helps to defend Jersey and the Rock of Gibraltar during the Napoleonic Wars; #6 in the Richard Delancey Royal Naval series and a prequel to all the others.
Dudley Pope, Ramage and the Drumbeat (1967), about the efforts of a British naval officer and his Kathleen cutter against the Spanish and their participation in the battle of Cape St. Vincent in support of Lord Nelson; #2 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, The Triton Brig Dudley Pope, Governor Ramage R.N. (1973), about a British naval officer contenting with both a monstrous hurricane and a French privateer in the Caribbean; #4 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage’s Prize (1974), about a British naval officer sent to solve the mystery of missing Post Office packet ships, which has crippled communications between England and its Caribbean possessions; #5 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage and the Guillotine (1975), about a British naval officer who secretly enters France to spy for Lord Nelson about a possible French invasion of England; #6 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage’s Diamond (1976), about a British naval officer, now post captain and in command of a frigate, charged with blockading the French Caribbean Port Royal and attacking French convoys; #7 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage’s Mutiny (1977), about a British naval captain who must recover a mutinous English frigate that sailed into a Spanish Caribbean port; #8 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage and the Rebels (1978), about a British naval captain and his efforts to stop French privateers from operating out of the Dutch port of Curacao; #9 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, The Ramage Touch (1979), about a British naval captain operating off the Tuscan coast and confronting elements of a French invasion fleet; #10 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage’s Signal (1980), about a British naval captain ordered to harass French shipping and communications in the Mediterranean; #11 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage and the Renegades (1981), about a British naval captain confronting pirates in the South Atlantic who have captured several merchant ships; #12 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage’s Devil (1982), about a British naval captain and his wife who are caught in France while on their honeymoon after the Treaty of Amiens, who must evade capture when Napoleon renews the war on Britain; #13 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage’s Trial (1984), about a British naval captain who is falsely accused and must face a difficult court martial; #14 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage’s Challenge (1985), about a British naval captain attempting to free a large group of senior level English prisoners from Napoleon's forces; #15 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage at Trafalgar (1986), about a British naval captain who takes part in the Battle of Trafalgar; #16 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage and the Saracens (1988), about a British naval captain who goes to the aid of an English ally plagued by Saracen raids; #17 in the Ramage series. Dudley Pope, Ramage and the Dido (1989), about a British naval captain and his ship of the line challenging the French in the Caribbean, #18 in the Ramage series.
Rafael Sabatini, The Snare, a romantic adventure story about an Irish soldier in Portugal during the Naploeonic Wars. review at RafaelSabatini.com
Simon Scarrow, The Generals Simon Scarrow, Fire and Sword Simon Scarrow, The Fields of Death
Rosemary Sutcliff, Blood and Sand
Julian Stockwin, Artemis (2002), about an English seaman who survives a battle with the French to embark on a dangerous voyage to India, China and beyond; #2 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Seaflower (2003), about an English seaman sent into danger in the Caribbean after he testifies too truthfully at a court martial; #3 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Mutiny (2004), about a loyal English seaman who must make a difficult decision when he finds himself caught up in the Nore Mutiny; #4 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Quarterdeck (2005), about an English seaman who, promoted to lieutenant, finds it difficult to fit in with his fellow officers who were born into the aristocracy; #5 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Tenacious (2005), about an English seaman who volunteers for shore service and fights in the Siege of Acre, where the French forces vastly outnumber the British; #6 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Command (2006), about an English seaman promoted to command of his own ship and, when peace is unexpectedly declared, is sent to transport convicts to Australia; #7 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, The Admiral's Daughter (2007), about an English seaman sent on an urgent mission to France in 1803; #8 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Treachery Julian Stockwin, Invasion (2009), about a British naval officer sent to test a new weapon invented by an American, Robert Fulton; #10 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Victory (2010), about a British naval officer who joins Nelson's squadron on the eve of the Battle of Trafalgar; #11 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Conquest (2011), about a British naval captain who joins an expedition to take the African port city of Cape Town from the Dutch; #12 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Betrayal, (2012), about a British naval captain who joins his commander's expedition to South America without realizing the full extent of the poorly planned scheme to instigate a revolt; #13 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Caribbee (2013), about a British naval captain sent to the Caribbean as the French try to cripple the British sugar trade there; #14 in the Kydd series. Review Julian Stockwin, Pasha (2014), about a British naval captain who must rescue an ambassador sent to persuade the Turks not to support Napoleon; #15 in the Kydd series. Julian Stockwin, Tyger (2015), about a British naval captain given command of a mutiny ship; #16 in the Kydd series. Julian Stockwin, Inferno (2016), about a British naval captain sent on a mission to persuade the Crown Prince of Denmark to turn the Danish fleet over to England before Napoleon can capture it; #17 in the Kydd series. Julian Stockwin, Persephone (2017), about a British naval captain who sails to Lisbon in 1807 to help the Portuguese royal family evacuate as Napoleon advances, where he encounters the beautiful daughter of an admiral; #18 in the Kydd series. Julian Stockwin, The Baltic Prize (2017), about a British naval captain sent to Britain's only Baltic ally, Sweden, in 1808 as Russia declares war and menaces the northern waters; #19 in the Kydd series. Julian Stockwin, The Iberian Flame (2018), about a British naval captain whose bitter foe becomes his superior officer, as Napoleon marches his army into Spain and begins the Peninsular War; #20 in the Kydd series. Julian Stockwin, A Sea of Gold (2018), about a British naval captain ordered to a command that more senior officers resent being passed over for; #21 in the Kydd series.
Andrew Swanston, Waterloo: The Bravest Man (2015), about an officer in the Coldstream Guards officer whose orders are to hold the Château of Hougumont against the French.
Bruce Weiser, Dispatch from Cadiz Susan Wenger, The Port-Wine Sea Simon White, The English Captain Simon White, Clear for Action Simon White, His Majesty's Frigate
Lauren Willig, The Masque of the Black Tulip (2006), a romantic novel about a modern woman researching the story of an English spy of the Napoleonic era known as the Pink Carnation and a French spy known as the Black Tulip; #2 in the Pink Carnation series. Lauren Willig, The Deception of the Emerald Ring (2006), a romantic novel about a modern woman researching the story of an English spy of the Napoleonic era known as the Pink Carnation in Ireland on a mission to prevent Irish rebels backed by Napoleon from endangering England; #3 in the Pink Carnation series. Lauren Willig, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (2008), a romantic novel about a modern woman researching the story of an Englishwoman of the Napoleonic era who accepts the mission of seducing a French spy known as the Black Tulip; #4 in the Pink Carnation series. Lauren Willig, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine (2009), about a modern woman researching the story of a romantic young Englishwoman in love with a duke just returned from India with plans to infiltrate the Hellfire Club to avenge the murder of his mentor; #5 in the Pink Carnation series. Lauren Willig, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily (2010), about a woman who marries in haste to avert a scandal and goes to India with her husband, where she uncovers a dastardly scheme plotted by a mysterious spy known as the Marigold; #6 in the Pink Carnation series. Lauren Willig, The Mischief of the Mistletoe (2010), about a young woman who accepts a teaching position at a girls' school during the Christmas season and, with a blundering young man often mistaken for a French spy, comes across a cryptic message in a Christmas pudding; #7 in the Pink Carnation series. Lauren Willig, The Orchid Affair, (2012), about an experienced governess who becomes a spy in the household of an assistant to Napoleon's minister of police; #8 in the Pink Carnation series. Lauren Willig, The Garden Intrigue, (2012, also titled The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla), about a British spy in Paris who poses as a bad poet, and a widow who critiques his poetry at her salon, where a top-secret military device is to be demonstrated; #9 in the Pink Carnation series.
Richard Woodman, A King’s Cutter, about a British seaman fighting the French in the late eighteenth century; #2 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, A Brig of War, about a British seaman fighting the French in the late eighteenth century; #3 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, The Bomb Vessel, about a British seaman during the Napoleonic era; #4 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, The Corvette, about a British seaman during the Napoleonic era; #5 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, 1805, about a British seaman during the Napoleonic era; #6 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, Baltic Mission, about a British seaman during the Napoleonic era; #7 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, In Distant Waters, about a British seaman fighting against Spain and Russia in the Pacific Northwest; #8 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, A Private Revenge, about a British seaman during the Napoleonic era; #9 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, Under False Colours, about a British seaman during the Napoleonic era; #10 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, The Flying Squadron, about a British seaman in U.S. waters in 1811; #11 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, Beneath the Aurora, about a British seaman during the Napoleonic era; #12 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, The Shadow of the Eagle, about a British seaman during the Napoleonic era; #13 in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series. Richard Woodman, Ebb Tide, about a British seaman called back from retirement in 1843; #14 and last in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series.
Jay Worrall, Any Approaching Enemy, about a British naval officer in command of his first ship; #2 in the Edgemont series.
Peter Youds, The Colour of Blood (2009), about two British officers who return to the Peninsula in 1809 under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley and fight in the Douro and Talavera campaigns; #2 in the Ties of Blood series; self-published. Peter Youds, A Different Kind of War (2010), about two British officers who fight against Napoleon's armies during the Peninsular War; #3 in the Ties of Blood series; self-published. Peter Youds, The Hardest Fight (2011), about a disgraced British officer and an infantryman who are separated from their units during the Peninsular War; #4 in the Ties of Blood series; self-published.
Europe in the Napoleonic Era
Purchase from the Book Depository, Amazon or Powell's Books
Ivo Andric, Bosnian Chronicle Janet Aylmer, Julia and the Master of Morancourt (2009), historical romance set during the Napoleonic Wars about a young woman devastated by the loss of both her brother and the family fortune just before her season as a debutante. Joanna Bourne, The Spymaster's Lady (2008), historical romance about a French woman spy during the Napoleonic Wars who finally meets her match. Charlotte Brontë, Shirley (1849), about a Yorkshire mill owner, the wealthy woman he marries, and the woman he really loves, during a time when workers were rioting over conditions in the factories; Charlotte Brontë's only historical novel. John Buchan, The Free Fishers (1934), about Scottish fisherman who act as spies during the Napoleonic Wars. Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (2004), a wryly humorous literary novel about British students and practitioners of magic during the time of Napoleon.
William Dietrich, The Rosetta Key (2008), a thriller set during Napoleon’s 1799 invasion of the Holy Land; #2 in the Ethan Gage series. William Dietrich, The Dakota Cipher (2009), a thriller about an American who has served under Napoleon returning to Washington D.C. where President Thomas Jefferson sends him on a mission to the frontier; #3 in the Ethan Gage series. William Dietrich, The Barbary Pirates (2010), a thriller about a man whose search for his lost love leads him to accept another mission from Napoleon and into a clash with the Barbary Pirates; #4 in the Ethan Gage series. William Dietrich, The Emerald Storm (2012), a thriller about a former soldier in the Napoleonic wars who is sent to rescue the Haitian rebel Touissant L’Ouverture from an alpine prison; #5 in the Ethan Gage series.
David Donachie, Tested by Fate (2001), about Admiral Nelson and his mistress Lady Emma Hamilton; #2 in the Nelson and Emma trilogy. David Donachie, Breaking the Line (2003), about Admiral Nelson and his mistress Lady Emma Hamilton as the naval battle of Nelson's life approaches; #3 in the Nelson and Emma trilogy.
Daphne du Maurier, Mary Anne, about a woman (the author's great-grandmother) who became the mistress of the Duke of York during the Napoleonic Wars.
Carola Dunn, Lord Roworth's Reward Carola Dunn, Captain Ingram's Inheritance
Karen Essex, Stealing Athena (2008), about the Countess of Elgin, who during the Napoleonic Wars charmed the Ottoman Empire's power brokers into allowing her husband to remove the sculptures (later known as the Elgin Marbles) from the Parthenon in Athens and transport them to England. Thomas Flanagan, The Year of the French, about the 1798 Irish rebellion against England. Pearl Frye, A Game For Empires (1950), a biographical novel of Admiral Nelson. Pearl Frye, The Sleeping Sword (1952), a biographical novel of Admiral Nelson; sequel to A Game for Empires. Laurie Graham, The Liar’s Daughter (2013), about a young woman whose unreliable mother claimed to have been Admiral Nelson's lover.
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, The Victory, about three women of an English family during the Regency period; #12 in the Morland Dynasty series. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, The Regency, about several women in an English family and their different experiences with courtship and marriage as the Napoleonic wars continue; #13 in the Morland Dynasty series. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, The Campaigners, about members of an English family amid the social whirl of the Regency era in 1815 as news comes that Napoleon has escaped from his exile on Elba; #14 in the Morland Dynasty series; see the 19th Century Europe page for #15-25.
Georgette Heyer, An Infamous Army, a straightforward historical novel about Napoleon, Wellington and the Battle of Waterloo. Georgette Heyer, The Spanish Bride, a straightforward historical novel based on the true story of a British officer who rescued and married an orphaned Spanish girl during the Peninsular War. Mór Jókai, The Nameless Castle (1896), about the Hungarian army during the war against Napoleon in 1809 (the author’s name is sometimes Anglicized as Maurus Jokai).
Jasper Kent, Thirteen Years Later Jasper Kent, The Third Section Jasper Kent, The People's Will (2013), historical horror fantasy about vampires in 1881 Turkmenistan; #4 in the Danilov Quintet series. Jasper Kent, The Last Rite
Rosalind Laker, Tree of Gold, historical romance about a young woman who inherits her father's silk factory in Lyons. Jeanne Mackin, Dreams of Empire: A Novel of Napoleonic Egypt (1996), about a woman artist who becomes part of Napoleon's Egyptian expedition. Sorcha MacMurrough, Scars Upon Her Heart: A Novel of the Napoleonic Wars (1998), about an Irish woman and her brother who become caught up with Wellington's army. James Conroyd Martin, Push Not the River (2001), about the orphaned Polish countess Anna Maria Berezowska as Poland is invaded by Russia during the Napoleonic wars. James Conroyd Martin, Against a Crimson Sky (2006), about the Polish countess Anna Maria Berezowska as Napoleon's armies march across Europe to invade Russia, offering hope that Poland may be reunited; sequel to Push Not the River. R.W.F. Poole, The Black Madonna, set in Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. Thomas Head Raddall, Hangman's Beach, set in Halifax during the Napoleonic Wars. Janet Louise Roberts, Ravenswood, romantic suspense about a woman who acts as a spy for the British government without her husband’s knowledge. Hugh Fitzgerald Ryan, The Kybe: A Novel of Ireland in Napoleonic Times (1983), about a woman in a small Irish town. Cheryl Sawyer, The Code of Love, about the attraction between an English agent assigned to crack Napoleon's "Grand Paris Cypher" and a beautiful French spy. Judith Saxton, Waterloo Sunset (also titled Follow the Drum), about a woman who disguises herself as a boy and runs away to France to find her childhood sweetheart on the eve of Waterloo. Stella Tillyard, Tides of War (2011), about a woman and her husband as he fights in Spain during the Peninsular War and she discovers new freedoms at home with so many men away. Review at the Telegraph Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869), the classic novel about Russian society during the Napoleonic Wars. Barry Unsworth, Losing Nelson (1999), a humorous novel about a London man obsessed with Lord Nelson. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Borne in Blood: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain, historical vampire fantasy set in Switzerland during the Napoleonic Wars. Jeannette Winterson, The Passion (1989), a surrealistic novel about a young French soldier and a cross-dressing Venetian woman during the Napoleonic wars. Review
Napoleonic Era Mysteries and Thrillers
Purchase from the Book Depository, Amazon or Powell's Books
Armand Cabasson, The Officer’s Prey (2007), a thriller about a French officer investigating a murder during Napoleon's Russian campaign; #1 in the Quentin Margont mystery series. Review Armand Cabasson, Wolf Hunt (2008), a thriller about a French officer investigating a murder while Napoleon's army is in Austria; #2 in the Quentin Margont mystery series. John Dickson Carr, Captain Cut-Throat (1955), a British agent captured by Napoleon's army in 1805 is ordered to find out who has been killing the Emperor's sentries. Catherine Delors, For the King (2010), a thriller about a police inspector who must hunt down the conspirators involved in a bloody assassination plot against Napoleon. Review or Author Interview
David Donachie, The Dying Trade (1993), a privateer and his brother arrive in Genoa to discover tensions at the boiling point after the hanging of a British sea captain; #2 in the Privateersman mystery series. David Donachie, A Hanging Matter (1994), a privateer and his brother return to England in 1794 to find a bloody struggle between smugglers underway; #3 in the Privateersman mystery series. David Donachie, An Element of Chance (1995), a privateer goes in pursuit of the ship in which his crew has been illegally pressed into service; #4 in the Privateersman mystery series. David Donachie, The Scent of Betrayal (1996), a privateer lands in trouble after an abandoned Spanish merchant ship is discovered off the U.S. coast; #5 in the Privateersman mystery series. David Donachie, A Game of Bones (1997), a privateer stumbles across a mutiny as he returns to the Cinque Ports; #6 in the Privateersman mystery series.
Quinn Fawcett, Death Wears a Crown
Clio Gray, The Roaring of the Labyrinth (2007), about a London detective called in to investigate theft and murder at a Yorkshire country estate known as Astonishment Hall; #2 in the Whilbert Stroop series. Clio Gray, Envoy of the Black Pine (2008), about a London detective searching for a missing person and a lost miniature library in a village destroyed by a storm; #4 in the Whilbert Stroop series. Clio Gray, The Brotherhood of Five (2009), about a London investigator who comes to Thanet Island in 1808 to investigate the deaths of two men; #4 in the Whilbert Stroop series.
Michael Gregorio, Days of Atonement, a thriller about a Prussian magistrate during the time of the Napoleonic Wars investigating the deaths of three children whom locals believe were ritually murdered by Jews; #2 in the Hanno Stiffeniis mystery series. Michael Gregorio, A Visible Darkness (2009), about a Prussian investigator called on to find the serial killer murdering girls hired to collect amber in French-occupied Prussia to help finance Napoleon's wars; #3 in the Hanno Stiffeniis mystery series. Michael Gregorio, Unholy Awakening (2010), about a Prussian investigator in Napoleon's army who teams up with a magistrate in his home town in order to find out who murdered a girl the locals think was killed by a vampire; #4 in the Hanno Stiffeniis mystery series.
James McGee, Resurrectionist (2007), a thriller about an investigator with London's Bow Street Runners who investigates the murder of a grave robber employed in providing corpses for anatomy schools; #2 in the Matthew Hawkwood series. James McGee, Rapscallion (2008), a thriller about an investigator with London's Bow Street Runners who must investigate a rumored smuggling operation aboard French ships converted into brutal jails for prisoners of war during the Napoleonic Wars; #3 in the Matthew Hawkwood series. Review James McGee, Rebellion
Rose Melikan, The Counterfeit Guest (2009), about a young heiress whose suspicions about her recently married friend's husband lead to her discovery of a mutinous conspiracy; #2 in the Mary Finch series. Rose Melikan, The Mistaken Wife (2010), about a woman spy for the British who reluctantly accepts a mission in France where she must pose as an American artist's wife and disrupt negotiations between France and America in 1797; #3 in the Mary Finch series. Edwin Thomas, The Blighted Cliffs Edwin Thomas, The Chains of Albion Edwin Thomas, Treason's River |
(2001 reissue; originally published 1975 as 
under the pen name Aileen Quigley), about Napoleon Bonaparte's second empress, Marie Louise, the daughter of the Austrian emperor.
, Napoleon and a teenaged English girl become friends during his exile.
(1997 in the original French; English edition, 2004), about the first thirty years of Napoleon's life and his rise to power in the French Revolution, #1 in the Napoleon quartet.
(1997 in the original French; English edition, 2004), about Napoleon from 1799 when he becomes First Consul in France until his victory at Austerlitz, #2 in the Napoleon quartet.
(1997 in the original French; English edition, 2004), about Napoleon's quest for power from 1806 to his 1812 Russian campaign, #3 in the Napoleon quartet.
(1997 in the original French; English edition 2005), about Napoleon as his Russian campaign falters and Europe takes its revenge, #4 in the Napoleon quartet.
(1952), about Napoleon's wife Josephine.
(1970), about Napoleon's sister Caroline.
(1946), about Napoleon's sister Pauline.
(2011), about a chef's daughter on the Isle of St. Helena who suspects someone is poisoning Napoleon during his exile there.
(1967), about Napoleon's wife Josephine.
(1969), a love story about Napoleon and a Corsican woman.
, about a British naval officer promoted after a desperate battle at sea; #2 in the Fury series. 
(2010), about a boy who smuggles information about Napoleon's Russian campaign to England, the government official who desperately needs the information, and a pair of ruthless French agents.
(2011), a coming-of-age novel about a wealthy young man whose father arranges for him to be abducted to serve on a British man-of-war during the Napoleonic Wars; self-published.
(1984), about a British naval officer; #1 in the Charles Oakshott series.
(1986), about a British naval officer; #2 in the Charles Oakshott series.
(1987), about a British naval officer; #3 in the Charles Oakshott series.
, a novel of warfare.
(1944), about an English general during the Napoleonic Wars.
(1971), about a captain in the British Royal Navy assigned to chase down a pirate; in the Thomas Dunne series.
(1992), a humorous novel about a young man illegally pressed into the Royal Navy.
(2006), about five men and their perspective on the three battles leading up to and including Waterloo.
(2014), about two British military officers during Napoleon's peninsular campaign; #5 in the author's Napoleonic Wars series.
(1979), about a lusty officer in the Royal Regiment of Hussars during the Peninsular War; #1 in the Rackstraw trilogy.
, about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; #1 in the Fox series; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; #2 in the Fox series; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
(titled The Siege in the UK), about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
(titled Treasure in the UK), about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, (titled 
in the UK) naval warfare during the Napoleonic Wars; about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; #5 in the Fox series (but set during the earliest time period); Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
(titled 
in the UK), about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; #6 in the Fox series; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, #7 in the Fox series; about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, #8 in the Fox series; about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, #9 in the Fox series; about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; #10 in the Fox series; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, #11 in the Fox series; about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, #12 in the Fox series; about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, #13 in the Fox series; about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
, #14 in the Fox series; about a British naval officer with a non-aristocratic background during the Napoleonic Wars; Adam Hardy was a pen name of Henry Kenneth Bulmer.
(1997), about a former thief who becomes a dragoon in Napoleon’s army; #1 in the Alain Lausard series.
(1998), about a soldier in Napoleon's cavalry during the invasion of Egypt; #2 in the Alain Lausard series.
(1999), about a French soldier during Napoleon's rise to power in post-Revolutionary Paris who fights in the Italian campaign and the Battle of Marengo; #3 in the Alain Lausard series.
(2000), about a French soldier sent to Bavaria on a mission to capture the leader of a conspiracy against Napoleon; #4 in the Alain Lausard series.
(2001), about a sergeant in charge of a squadron of dragoons during Napoleon's campaign against Prussia; #5 in the Alain Lausard series.
(2002), about a sergeant in charge of a squadron of dragoons during Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign; #6 in the Alain Lausard series.
(1975), about a young midshipman in the British Navy in 1772; #1 in the Richard Bolitho series (included with #2 and #3 in 
(1984), about an English officer in Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. 
(2004), about a British officer who returns to Spain in the period following Napoleon's death, and is assailed by memories of the Peninsular War; #6 in the Matthew Hervey series.
(2015), about a British officer sent to Brussels with his regiment to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Waterloo victory, where they become caught in the Belgian uprising against Dutch rule; #12 in the Matthew Hervey series.
(1984), about a young naval officer in 1798 on the eve of the Napoleonic Wars, #1 in the Lamb series.
(1985), about a young naval officer in the West Indies, #2 in the Lamb series.
(1986), about a young naval officer in the West Indies, #3 in the Lamb series.
(1987), about a young naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars, #4 in the Lamb series (because of the author’s death, this became the final book in the series).
(1991), a detailed depiction of the Battle of Waterloo.
(2013), about an American stranded in France who joins Napoleon's army as an aide-de-camp to Marshal Michel Ney in order to fight the English; #1 in the Emperor's American Series.
(2014), about an American dodging British assassins as he serves in Napoleon's army during the Ulm campaign in Bavaria; #2 in the Emperor's American Series.
, the continuing saga of two British families; set during the Napoleonic Wars; #7 in the Wakefield Dynasty series; Christian message.
(1977), about a British naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars and his conflicts with his aggressively Methodist captain.
(1956), about a boy who serves with Admiral Nelson during the Napoleonic Wars; the author intended this novel for adult readers, although the publisher promoted it for teens.
(1969, also titled 
(2006), about the early romantic and military pursuits of Napoleon and Wellington; #1 in the Revolution quartet.
(2007), about the military careers of Napoleon in Italy and Wellington in India, beginning in 1796; #2 in the Revolution quartet.
(2009), about Napoleon and Wellington as their confrontation at Waterloo approaches; #3 in the Revolution quartet.
(2010), about Napoleon and Wellington and the Battle of Waterloo; #4 in the Revolution quartet.
(1987), about an Irish surgeon in the Royal Navy.
(1989), about a Scottish soldier who converts to Islam after being captured by the Turks. 
(2008; titled 
(2010), about a British code-breaker during the Napoleonic Wars; #1 in the planned Decipherers' Chronicles series.
, about a seaman in the period leading up to the Battle of Trafalger.
, about a seaman in the Battle of Trafalger; sequel to The French Imposter.
, a parody of Patrick O’Brian’s naval warfare novels, about a British naval captain and his physician friend who set sail on the H.M.S. Aghast during the War of 1812.
(1976), about an English naval officer who pursues women and enemy ships during the Napoleonic Wars; #1 in the Penhaligon series.
(1977), about an English naval officer who pursues women and enemy ships during the Napoleonic Wars; #2 in the Penhaligon series
(1979); about a British naval officer who pursues women and enemy ships during the Napoleonic Wars; #3 in the Penhaligon series
(1945), about a small town in Bosnia where representatives of the great powers hold negotiations during the Napoleonic Wars; the author was a Nobel prizewinner.
(2012), about a governess who arrives at her employer's household to find the father of her charge has been killed in the Napoleonic Wars.
(1992), historical romance about an English woman who spurns her suitor and travels to Europe with her uncle to assist in his medical research, and is then stranded in Paris as the Napoleonic Wars begin; #1 in the Rothschild trilogy.
(1994; also titled His Lordship's Reward), historical romance about an agent for Jacob Rothschild who finds his duty in Brussels conflicts with the need to assist an injured soldier and his pretty sister to return to England; #2 in the Rothschild trilogy.
(1994; also titled The Captain's Inheritance), historical romance about a woman nursing a courageous but penniless soldier back to health when they discover he has inherited money but may be killed before he can claim it; #3 in the Rothschild trilogy.
(2009), historical horror fantasy about a Russian officer fighting Napoleon's army in 1812, who encounters a group of uncanny mercenaries and remembers the legends of the voordalak, vampires; #1 in the Danilov Quintet.
(2011), historical horror fantasy about a Russian officer in 1825, who discovers the tsar is endangered by a promise Peter the Great made 100 years ago to a vampire; #2 in the Danilov Quintet.
(2011), historical horror fantasy about a brother and sister in 1855 who must cope with the vampires their father thought he had permanently defeated; #3 in the Danilov Quintet.
(2015), about a vampire who supports the Russian Revolution in 1917 despite his Romanov descent; #5 in the Danilov Quintet.
(2011), about a Bow Street runner investigating the death of a viscount with a gambling problem; self-published.
(1993), the wife of one of Napoleon’s generals tries to clear her husband of a charge of theft and discovers a plot against Napoleon's life; #1 in the Mme. Vernet mystery series; Quinn Fawcett is the pen name of co-authors Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Bill Fawcett.
(1993), the wife of one of Napoleon’s generals discovers a conspiracy to prevent Napoleon's coronation; #2 in the Mme. Vernet mystery series; Quinn Fawcett is the pen name of co-authors Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Bill Fawcett.
(2006; titled 
in the U.S.), a thriller about an investigator with London's Bow Street Runners who discovers the case of murder he has been assigned to solve is connected with a French plot that could put Napoleon in control of the seas; #1 in the Matthew Hawkwood series.
(2011), a thriller about an investigator with London's Bow Street Runners who is sent to Paris on a supremely risky mission that could lead to a peace treaty between England and Napoleon's France; #4 in the Matthew Hawkwood series.
(2004), after missing the Battle of Trafalger because he was drunk, a British seaman must restore his honor by tracking down a murderer; #1 in the Jerrold series.
(2005), the commander of a prison hulk must find an escaped French prisoner who seems strangely important to highly placed members of the English government; #2 in the Jerrold series.
(2006), a British seaman is enlisted to act as a spy in the U.S. in 1806 as Aaron Burr plots to invade Mexico; #3 in the Jerrold series.