The year is 1793, the darkest days of the French revolution, and little Charles-L¿on is ill. The delicate son of Louise and Bastien de Croissy is recommended country air, but travel permits are needed - and impossible to come by. Louise's friend, Josette, believes she knows a way out. For Josette is convinced that her hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel, will come to their rescue. She refuses to believe that he only exists in her imagination. 'I say that the Scarlet Pimpernel can do anything! And I mean to get in touch with him,' she vows, and sets forth into the Paris streets...

The year is 1793, the darkest days of the French revolution, and little Charles-Leon is ill. He is recommended country air, but travel permits are needed – and impossible to come by. Josette, believes the Scarlet Pimpernel will come to their rescue. She sets forth into the Paris streets to look for him ...

"he Scarlet Pimpernel is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title enjoyed a long run in London, having opened in Nottingham in 1903.The novel is set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The title is the nom de guerre of its hero and protagonist, a chivalrous Englishman who rescues aristocrats before they are sent to the guillotine. Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double life: apparently nothing more than a wealthy fop, but in reality a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking escape artist. The band of gentlemen who assist him are the only ones who know of his secret identity. He is known by his symbol, a simple flower, the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis). Marguerite Blakeney, his French wife, does not share his secret. She is approached by the new French envoy to England, Chauvelin, with a threat to her brother's life if she does not aid in the search for the Pimpernel. She aids him, and then discovers that the Pimpernel is also very dear to her. She sails to France to stop the envoy."

An 18th century Englishman poses as a member of the French Revolution to snatch imprisoned noblemen from the jaws of the guillotine and spirit them to safety in England.

Since its publication in 1905, The Scarlet Pimpernel has experienced global success, not only as a novel but in theatrical and film adaptations. Sally Dugan charts the history of Baroness Orczy's elusive hero, from the novel's origins through its continuing afterlife, including postmodern appropriations of the myth. Drawing on archival research in Britain, the United States and Australia, her study shows for the first time how Orczy's nationalistic superhero was originally conceived as an anarchist Pole plotting against Tsarist Russia, rather than a counter-revolutionary Englishman. Dugan explores the unique blend of anarchy, myth and magic that emerged from the story's astonishing and complex beginnings and analyses the enduring elements of the legend. To his creator, the Pimpernel was not simply a swashbuckling hero but an English gentleman spreading English values among benighted savages. Dugan investigates the mystery of why this imperialist crusader has not only survived the decline of the meta-narratives surrounding his birth, but also continues to enthrall a multinational audience. Offering readers insights into the Pimpernel's appearances in print, in film and on the stage, Dugan provides a nuanced picture of the trope of the Scarlet Pimpernel and an explanation of the phenomenon's durability.

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The breathtaking debut of the one man brave enough to stand up to the Reign of Terror The Revolution has begun, and the streets of Paris run red with blood. Every aristocrat has been declared a traitor; the guillotine awaits them all. At the city’s West Gate, the tyrannical Sergeant Bibot toys with desperate families, allowing them to think for a moment that escape is a possibility. It is not. Every last member of the nobility—man, woman, and child—will pay the ultimate price. Only one man stands in the way of the ruthless mobs. The Scarlet Pimpernel, his name taken from the flower he leaves as a calling card, has infiltrated Paris to bring as many innocent nobles to safety across the English Channel as he can. Savior of the aristocracy, scourge of the executioner, the Pimpernel is a hero like no other. But who is he? Marguerite Blakeney, whose dandy of a British husband has been nothing but a disappointment, would love to find out. This ebook features a new introduction by Otto Penzler and has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

A novel of swashbuckling action in the series featuring the classic hero who saves innocents from the guillotine in Revolutionary France . . . “We seek him here! we seek him there! Those Frenchies seek him everywhere! Is he in heaven? Is he in hell? That demmed elusive Pimpernel?” Sir Percy thought he left his enemy vanquished, humiliated, and debased in Calais. Oh, how foolish he was. Now Chauvelin is bent on revenge . . . As punishment for letting the Scarlet Pimpernel escape the clutches of the French Republic, Chauvelin was demoted from the ranks of Robespierre’s trusted few. But he will have his day. Laying a trap for the wife of Sir Percy, Lady Marguerite, is only the first step. Can Sir Percy elude the blade of Madame Guillotine a second time, defend his honor as the Scarlet Pimpernel, and save his wife from a fate worse than death? Baroness Emma Orczy brings us the third thrilling installment in her iconic adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, pitting Sir Percy against the wily Chauvelin once again in a battle of wit and cunning that stands between thousands of innocent lives and the ignominious bite of Madame Guillotine. Credited with the introduction of the “hero with a secret identity” trope, the Scarlet Pimpernel and his exploits have captured the imaginations of readers for over a century. The series housing the most historical accuracies of French Revolution-centric fiction of its time, it also inspired a stage play garnering over 2,000 performances in four years. Join the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel and dive into the rollicking adventures of the masked hero of the French Revolution!