Bourrienne knew Napoleon from the earliest days when they were students together. As young men they saw the rise of Revolutionary France and Bourrienne continued to be a close member of Napoleon’s court during his meteoric acquisition of power. Bourrienne’s knowledge of Napoleon throughout the greater part of his career is virtually without parallel and it is for this reason that these books are essential reading for all those interested in the life of this great and driven man.

‘Maori Browne,’ had a long career as a colonial soldier. He left posterity with three books based either on his career or the experiences of men he knew. They focus on warfare as experienced by men like himself—tough, resourceful individuals who enjoyed fighting and were expert marksmen, horsemen and seasoned campaigners. Irrespective of who they were and where they fought Browne affectionately refers to them as the ‘Lost Legion’—those upon whose blood and toil the British Empire (in his opinion) was built but who received scant recognition, praise or reward for their sacrifices. Browne writes in the thoroughly entertaining and often amusing ‘gung-ho’ style of the Victorian Imperialist. He intends to ‘spin a good yarn’ and in that he succeeds magnificently.

These tales of the NYPD are set against the colourful world of the city of New York in the last two decades of the 19th century and this provides both the crimes and the characters that occupy these mysteries with an irresistible and unusual old world charm. This special Leonaur edition of the Detective Gryce casebooks comprises six substantial volumes and includes both novels and short stories featuring the famous criminal hunter.