Books with title The Scarlet Pimpernel

The scene is set in the terrorized Paris of revolutionary France in the 1800's. During this time period nobody was safe from the horrifying grasp of "Madame la Guillotine" which claimed hundreds of lives every day. The Scarlet Pimpernel is England's national hero, a rescuer of French aristocrats from under the guillotine in France. He's also Sir Percy Blakeny, husband of Marguerite Blakeney nee St. Marguerite's brother Armand is under suspicion in France and a French government agent, Chauvelin, approaches her with an ultimatum: discover the identity of the Pimpernel or let your brother die. When she realizes that the Pimpernel is her husband, she's off to warn and rescue him with the help of another member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Sir Andrew Ffoulkes. Chauvelin threatens to kill Marguerite's brother if she warns her husband that Chauvelin is trying to kill him. Will her husband figure out the trap he is in, or will Marguerite warn him before its too late?

Set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution... The title character represents the original "hero with a secret identity" that inspired subsequent literary creations such as Don Diego de la Vega (El Zorro) and Bruce Wayne (the Batman). The popularity of the novel encouraged Orczy to write a number of sequels for her "reckless daredevil" over the next 35 years. The original play was performed to great acclaim in France, Italy, Germany, and Spain, while the novel was translated into 16 languages. Subsequently, the story has been adapted for television, film, a musical, and other media.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution, first published in 1905. The novel was written after Orczy's stage play of the same title enjoyed a long run in London and popular success earlier in 1905, after a first run in Nottingham in 1903.The Scarlet Pimpernel is the name of a chivalrous Englishman, Sir Percy Blakeney, in the time of the Terrors in France, who, with his band of gentlemen, rescues aristocrats before they can be killed by the violent government in revolutionary France. A wealthy English fop, he is known by his symbol, a simple flower, the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis). He succeeds by transforming himself into a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking escape artist in addition to the strict secrecy of the group's movements. His identity is secret to all but his men.Marguerite Blakeney, French wife of the wealthy English dandy, is approached by the new French envoy to England with a threat to her brother's life if she does not aid in his 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.Opening at the New Theatre in London's West End on January 5, 1905, the play became a favourite of British audiences, eventually playing more than 2000 performances and becoming one of the most popular shows staged in Britain. The title character established the notion of a "hero with a secret identity" into popular culture. He was a precursor to subsequent literary creations such as Zorro and Batman.

They seek him here,They seek him there,Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.Is he in heaven?Is he in hell?That damned, elusive Pimpernel.Part romance, part adventure, and part suspenseful spy thriller, The Scarlet Pimpernel is one of the first action-adventure stories, paving the way for swashbucklers like the Lone Ranger, Zorro, and Batman. Set in 1792, this is the story of Sir Percy Blakeney, armed with only his wits and cunning, who defies the French revolutionaries to rescue innocent men, women, and children from the guillotine. The ruthless Chauvelin is determined to uncover the identity of this masked Pimpernel and hunt him down. This new edition of Baroness Orczy's classic adventure is fully illustrated and annotated and includes an image gallery, author biography and audio links to free recordings of The Scarlet Pimpernel.“Arguably the best adventure story ever published and certainly the most influential that appeared during the early decades of the twentieth century.”—Gary Hoppenstand*Text optimized for e-readers. *Image gallery. *Includes essay “Who was Baroness Orczy?”*Links to free complete audio recordings of 'Pimpernel.' *Individual Table of Contents. *Perfect formatting in rich text.