Author: WARDEN (William)
Title: Letters written on board His Majesty's Ship the Northumberland, and at Saint Helena; in which the Conduct and Conversations of Napoleon Buonaparte, and his suite, during the Voyage, and the first months of his Residence in that Island, are faithfully described and related.
Description: London: Published for the Author, by R. Ackermann; Printed by J. Diggens, 1816. Second edition, 8vo, viii, 215, [1, blank] + 4pp., of adverts, half-title, neat pencil notes on front endpapers, engraved frontispiece, with the "Durdans, Epsom, [Lord] Rosebery" blind stamp on upper margin of title, folding plate, an engraved plate, marbled endpapers, later half morocco, spine ruled in gilt in compartments, top edges gilt, others uncut, with the leather bookplate of "Durdans", a very nice copy. Warden (1777-1849) was the surgeon on board the Northumberland, and this volume of Saint Helena reminiscences describes his time on Saint Helena and his frequent visits to Longwood House, Napoleon's exile home. Disapproved of by both the pro- and anti-Napoleonic camps, the work was savaged notably in the anti-Napoleonic "Quarterly Review". Amongst the French contingent on Saint Helena, there was much discussion in the spring of 1817, regarding Warden's work, as to and how to reply. A reply was made in the end, first in English and later in French, in the form of the book published anonymously under the title, "Letters from the Cape of Good Hope, in reply to Mr. Warden;......", London, 1817. As to the identity of the anonymous author, many suspected it to be Napoleon, but the letters appear to have been written by Las Cases, (who was at the Cape after being banished from Saint Helena in December 1816), and sent to Lady Clavering ('Lady C.' in the book).

Keywords: NAPOLEON BONAPARTE SAINT HELENA