'A masterpiece of historic tragedy.' - Vincent Cronin, author of Napoleon 'A refreshingly objective account of a subject much perverted by myth and conspiracy.' - Richard Woodman, author of the 'Nathaniel Drinkwater' Naval History series 'Unwin evokes, in poignant detail, the idle years of exile, the quarrels, and the intrigues.' - Michael Binyon, The Times 'Unwin has written a marvellous account of this extraordinary drama, beautifully illustrated, graphic, well-paced, and garnished with first-hand knowledge of St Helena.' - Brian Holden Reid, TLS 'Paris and London, during the tumultuous years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, are the background for a linked biography of two remarkable diarists, Fanny Burney and Adele de Boigne. Both were caught up in the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars, Adele de Boigne escaping to England from revolutionary Paris, Fanny Burney trapped in France with her French husband after the Peace of Amiens. Brian Unwin skilfully interweaves their stories, drawing on their journals to give a fascinating picture, not only of their private dramas, but of many of the leading figures of the age.' - Linda Kelly, author of Holland House

Sir Brian Unwin studied at the universities of Oxford and Yale. After a career in the Civil Service he became President of the European Investment Bank. He has a long-standing interest in European History and is the author of Terrible Exile: The Last Days of Napoleon on St Helena (I.B.Tauris), which was shortlisted for the Fondation Napoleon History Prize.