The Rosetta Key - Book Review

The Rosetta Key
by William Dietrich
Harper Collins April 2008
William Dietrich's Website

This is an ARC copy that was sent to me at the end of February. I have read and reviewed the first book in the series. This is the second book.

The year is 1798 and Napoleon has invaded and conquered Eygpt. His soldiers have dug up a large black stone in the town of Rosetta. This tablet has 4 languages on it. An unknown language, Greek, Demotic and Hieroglyphs. At some point the block is damaged and the top section is broken off leaving the main piece with 3 languages. It is Ethan Gage's job to translate the unknown language and discover what power it holds, so that Napoleon can conquer the world.

Ethan Gage has survived the absolute defeat of Napoleons navy at the Battle of Abukir Bay (aka Battle of the Nile) by Lord Nelson, and Napoleon's successful invasion of Cairo. Gage had also discovered the location of the famous Book of Thoth. The medallion (see the first book) leads to a clue to the next location of the Book. Gage believes that Moses took the Book of Thoth with him when the Hebrews left Egypt and wandered for 40 years in the desert on their way to Caanan (What is now Palestine). Which means that Jerusalem is the next place to search.

At the end of Naploeon's Pyramids, we left Ethan Gage escaping from Egypt by hot air balloon. Eventually Ethan Gage is picked up by a British ship.

In 1799 Napoleon moved on from Egypt to Palestine. There he laid seige to the towns of Acre and Jaffa. Acre he lost and Jaffa he won. Upon which he and his men slughted over 3000 of the locals claiming that they were "dishonest and not respectful to the military honor". Meanwhile Gage heads for Jerusalem and there, along with some friends, he explores the famous tunnels under the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. After Jerusalem, Gage is betrayed to Napoleon again, and sent to Jaffa where he is about to be part of the mass execution, but manages to escape, again. This time Gage flees to Acre, and meets up with his friends again.

Gage eventually travels to the City of Ghosts where he finds the Book of Thoth, and loses it again. This was a very good book. I enjoyed it, for the adventure, the history (Templar history) and for the detailed history of Napoleon's invasion of Palestine.

Napoleon's Pyramid - Book Review

Napoleon's Pyramids
By William Dietrich
Harper Collins 2007

I received an email last week from Harper Collins saying I was one of the lucky people picked to read and review The Rosetta Key - the latest novel from William Dietrich - due to be published next month (April 2008). After a bit of research, I discovered that this was a sequel to an earlier novel, so I promptly went out and purchased a copy of the first novel - Napoleon's Pyramids. [William Dietrich Website]


This is the story of Ethan Gage, an American who formerly used to be an assistant to Diplomat Benjamin Franklin while he was in France, during and after the American and French Revolutions. I am not usually a fan of Napoleon and his wars, but this book got me hooked because Napoleon was not the main character.

When Ethan Gage wins a strange medalion during an all-night gambling session in Paris, he doesn't think too much about it, until things start happening around him. Several sinister looking people show too much interest in the medallion, Gage is attacked several times, his young lady for the night is killed over the medallion (for which Gage is accused of murder) and he ends up fleeing for his life. The best course of action appears to be hooking up with Napoleon's army as a savant, ostensibly tagging along in order to study the secrets of the pyramids.

In Egypt, Gage has the chance to see Napoleon capture Alexandria and the battle of Pyramids, as well as the French naval disaster at Battle of the Nile. He is fascinated by the beautiful woman he captures when she was involved in sniping at Napoleon and Gage, and by the pyramids which hint at mathmatical secrets.

Considering that no bodies were ever found in the great pyramid, what if they weren't really grave monuments at all? What if they were somehow keys to the secret of the cosmos? One thing is certain--Napoleon wants to learn the secrets, to become the next Alexander. Gage and the woman start searching for the Book of Thoth. In Egyptian mythology, Thoth was the god of wisdom, time, writing, magic and the moon. The Book of Thoth was reputed to be a book of very powerful knowledge.

If you want to read a book that is full of history, mystery, Indiana Jones type adventures and a whole lot of fun, you have to read this book - and the sequel.

Napoleon wrote a love story?

Apparently Napoleon Bonaparte wrote a love story. Back when he was a writer, before he became a general. Today comes news that page one of this manuscript was sold at auction in Paris, France for CDN$35,000. It was just a short story - barely 22 pages - but it was in Napoleon's handwriting. I'm surprised it didn't go for a lot more.