Hermes in Paris by Peter Vansittart

Hermes in Paris by Peter Vansittart

Hermes, the messenger of Zeus, likes to return to Earth now and again. He chooses to do so in Paris at the time of Napoleon I, a time of great frivolity and instability. Here he decides to play the most explosive practical joke in the world's history.Hermes--God, trickster and mischief-maker--is also the protector of shepherds, travelers' guide, conductor of souls to the underworld, messenger of Zeus, bringer of good luck, and patron of orators, writers, athletes, merchants, and thieves. To indulge his curiosity he visits Earth from time to time looking for opportunities to play practical jokes and stir up the population. He chooses to holiday in Paris at the time of the brilliant but unstable court of Napoleon I--another opportunist, conspiratorial and outwardly amiable--and the beautiful, nervy Empress Eugenie. Hermes finds much to provoke his laughter--and such laughter is dangerous. Under his influence France enjoys a succession of illusions involving the highest in the land, the comfortable middle classes, and the journalists, poets, and intellectuals of Left Bank cafes, and everything flows inexorably towards the most explosive joke that Hermes can devise.

Peter Vansittart was the author of 29 books including his autobiographical work, Paths from a White Horse. In 1969 he won the Society of Authors Traveling Scholarship, and in 1981 he was one of six recipients of the first Writers' Bursaries awarded by the Arts Council. He was also a recipient of an O.B.E. for services to literature and his mastery of historical fiction.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780720611069
ISBN 10	0720611067
Title	Hermes in Paris
Author	Peter Vansittart
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Peter Owen Publishers
Year published	2000-09-01
Number of pages	224
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable