Revolutionary Paris, 1798. Adventurer Ethan Gage – gambler, sharpshooter and pupil of the late Benjamin Franklin – wins a mysterious medallion in a card game. Within hours he is framed for murder and, facing the grim prospect of either prison or death, he barely escapes France with his life, choosing to accompany the ambitious young general Napoleon Bonaparte on his glorious mission to conquer Egypt.With Horatio Nelson’s fleet following close behind, Gage sets out on the adventure of a lifetime. But even as he hurtles into war, Gage is pursued by shadowy enemies who seem determined to lay their hands on the baffling medallion, and the powers it could unlock, at all costs. In a race against time and terrain, he must find the answer to one of history’s greatest riddles, before it is too late…From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. At the start of Dietrich's superb historical thriller, his swashbuckling hero, American Ethan Gage, who's living in Paris during the waning days of the French Revolution and was once apprenticed to Benjamin Franklin, wins a curious Egyptian medallion in a card game. Soon after, he's set upon by thieves, chased by the police, attacked by bandits, befriended by Gypsies, saved by a British spy and then packed off to join Napoleon's army as it embarks on its ill-fated Egyptian campaign. There the story really heats up. Once in Egypt, Gage finds himself beset by evildoers bent on stealing the mysterious medallion. As in previous novels like Hadrian's Wall and Scourge of God, Dietrich combines a likable hero surrounded by a cast of fascinating historical characters. Riveting battle scenes, scantily clad women, mathematical puzzles, mysteries of the pharaohs, reckless heroism, hairsbreadth escapes and undaunted courage add up to unbeatable adventure rivaling the exploits of George Macdonald Fraser's Harry Flashman. Readers will cheer as the indomitable Gage floats off in a runaway hot-air balloon, hard on the trail of his next exotic undertaking. Author tour. (Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library JournalAdult/High School–What if people didn't have to die…? For an individual…that would make him master of all other men. For armies, it would mean indestructibility. Dietrich takes an actual event, Napoleon's 1798 invasion of Egypt; creates an amiable protagonist in the person of American gambler/adventurer Ethan Gage; hatches a plot focused on the enduring mystery of the Egyptian pyramids; and scores with a kinetic tale that expertly combines entertainment with intelligence. Augmenting his poor pay with his luck at cards, Gage acquires an ancient gold medallion one Parisian evening. Intrigued by its indecipherable etchings, perforations, and two long arms, and suspicious of the interest expressed by Count Silano, a French-Italian aristocrat rumored to participate in the black arts, Gage keeps the artifact. This act unwittingly sets him on a perilous quest from Paris to the Egyptian desert, encountering Gypsies, Freemasons, spies, assassins, Bonaparte, land and sea battles, treachery, and love along the way. The final climactic scene within the Grand Pyramid of Giza is not to be missed, and the ending promises that Gage's adventures will continue. The Da Vinci Code comparisons may seem automatic, but similarities go only as far as seeking the solution to a historical puzzle. Dietrich's work is more cerebral while sacrificing neither suspense nor action; think Indiana Jones meets the Discovery Channel. Fans of historical fiction, action adventure, and thrillers will clamor for this one.–Dori DeSpain, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 

In Blood of the Reich, critically acclaimed and bestselling author William Dietrich weaves two stories separated by place and time yet deeply intertwined by the dangerous secret they share. On the eve of World War II, explorer Kurt Raeder receives orders from Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler to set out from Berlin in search of a legendary energy source hidden among the mountains of Tibet - one that could bring victory to the Nazis. Only one man can stop Raeder and his team of SS officers: wealthy American zoologist Benjamin Hood. Together with aviatrix Beth Calloway, he must race to the Buddhist kingdom before the tides of history run red with blood. Decades later, in present-day Seattle, software publicist Rominy Pickett is saved from certain death by a mysterious journalist who claims to know the truth about her family. Rominy's history and courage hold the key to defeating, once and for all, the evil forces again on the rise. Moving from the remote woods of the Pacific Northwest to the underground laboratories of the CERN supercollider in France and Switzerland and to the mystical temples of Tibet, Blood of the Reich is a white-knuckle thrill ride filled with adventure, authentic historical detail, and unforgettable characters. This is William Dietrich at his very best.

As dazzling and action packed as the best novels of James Rollins, George MacDonald Fraser, and Steve Berry, The Barbary Pirates  will have readers cheering for William Dietrich and his dashing hero, Ethan Gage! Swashbuckling American explorer and ladies' man Ethan Gage has seen his fair share of danger, having braved the sands of Egypt, the perils of the Atlantic Ocean, and the harsh wilderness of early America. Once more, he finds himself in a desperate race—this time with the Barbary Pirates, a powerful band of Muslim outlaws from North Africa. Also after Ethan is his nemesis—and former lover—Aurora Somerset, member of a dangerous sect called the Egyptian Rite. The prize is the Mirror of Archimedes, an ancient superweapon that, according to legend, once burned a Roman fleet with its power. In 1802, this death ray could tip the balance of power in the Mediterranean, and Ethan must stop the pirates from using it against the American, English, and French fleets. From the salons and brothels of the Palais Royal of Paris, where the quest for information about his lost love Astiza involves real-life scientists and engineers—including inventor Robert Fulton—Ethan must travel at Napoleon's behest to the canals of Venice, the caves of Santorini, the dungeons of Tripoli, and finally to treachery on the high seas in the Mediterranean. Can Ethan rescue Astiza without betraying the cause of his own United States? Can he save the two-year-old son he only recently discovered he had without allowing the Egyptian Rite to finally dominate the world? And when the sun rises on the Mirror of Archimedes, will everything Ethan cares about be set afire? Delivering the fast-paced adventure, uncanny wit, and page-turning historical excitement that readers have come to expect from the masterful William Dietrich,  The Barbary Pirates  is Ethan Gage at his winningest, most hilarious, and most death defying.

From Publishers WeeklyLast seen in Dietrich's Napoleon's Pyramids, fleeing the forces of evil in a runaway hot-air balloon over Egypt, Ethan Gage undergoes further life-threatening adventures in this rollicking sequel. Nine months before the balloon incident, Gage arrived in the Holy Land with his benefactor, Napoleon Bonaparte. After various misunderstandings involving the secrets of the Great Pyramid, Bonaparte became his implacable enemy. Now, accused of treason by Napoleon's minions, Pierre Najac and Najac's boss, the French-Italian count and sorcerer Alessandro Silano, Gage flees to Jerusalem, where he searches for his former lover, Astiza, who he fears has fallen into Silano's hands. Gage is also hunting clues that may lead him to the fabled Book of Toth, an ancient tome that promises to reveal the secrets of the universe. Ever the incorrigible gambler and all-around scamp, Gage makes an irresistible antihero. The ending promises more volumes in what one hopes will be a long series. 8-city author tour. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. FromThe sequel to Napoleon’s Pyramids (2007)picks up pretty much where that book left off. Ethan Gage, the American adventurer, having barely escaped death during his time in Egypt with Napoleon, is looking for a little peace and quiet, but when he’s approached with another can’t-miss Indiana Jones–like treasure hunt, he’s off again, this time to find the fabled Book of Thoth, the possibly apocryphal ancient Egyptian scroll with supposedly magical properties. Much capering about late-eighteenth-century Egypt results, with Gage dodging all variety of assailants while attempting to get his hands on yet another elusive artifact with the power to both entrance and corrupt all who seek it. Like Napoleon’s Pyramids, this is a fast-paced, lively historical-adventure yarn that combines entertaining characters, an intriguing story, and lots of derring-do. Dietrich has a real knack for these slightly over-the-top thrillers, and readers familiar with the work of, say, James Rollins or Matthew Reilly (7 Deadly Wonders, 2006, for example) need only be told that this fine novel is right up their alley. --David Pitt

It rises out of the cobalt sea like a dream: shimmering white peaks and fog-shrouded icebergs; blazing slabs of ice and vistas of windswept snow… The year is 1938. As the world hurtles toward war, Antarctica is an empty frontier. But for one man and one woman, it's the place for a different kind of battle. Owen Hart is a Montana cowboy turned cold-weather bush pilot, a flyer recruited by Germany's fanatical new government. Greta Heinz is a biologist trapped in a loveless liaison with an SS officer. Far from the gathering storms of war in Europe, they are caught up in a scientific expedition and a quest to conquer Antarctica. But here, under the ice, a deadly discovery awaits, as Owen and Greta journey not only into the untouched depths of a frozen landscape, but into untold regions of courage and terror.

From master storyteller William Dietrich come books 4-6 in his bestselling Ethan Gage adventure series: The Barbary Pirates, The Emerald Storm, and The Barbed Crown.

Ethan Gage wants to enjoy the fruits of victory after helping Napoleon win the Battle of Marengo. But an ill-advised tryst with Bonaparte's married sister has made that impossible and he flees to America, accompanied by the wild Norwegian Magnus Bloodhammer.With President Thomas Jefferson's blessing, Ethan and Magnus embark upon an expedition into the western wilderness – keeping their eyes open for woolly elephants. But another prize secretly impels them: Thor's mythical hammer, allegedly carried to North America more than a century before Columbus. Gage's skills will be tested as never before as he braves unimaginable peril en route to the most incredible discovery of all time.

In The Barbed Crown, the sixth tale of rogue and adventurer Ethan Gage by William Dietrich, our hero returns to Paris and London. Against a background of imperial pomp and the gathering clouds of war, Gage plots revenge on Napoleon Bonaparte for the kidnap of his son.Paris, the “City of Lights,” shines – but alongside its splendor is great squalor. Heroic patriotism rubs against mean ambition, while grand strategy and back-alley conspiracy are never far apart.While Ethan spies on the French court, his wife, Astiza, works to sabotage Napoleon’s coronation using the Crown of Thorns, a legendary relic said to have come from the Crucifixion itself. But when Napoleon is crowned nonetheless, they flee to England.At Walmer Castle on the English coast, Gage joins a daring campaign by Smith, Fulton, rocket inventor William Congreve and smuggler Tom Johnstone to halt Napoleon’s intended invasion of England – a campaign which leads Ethan to take a role in the Battle of Trafalgar itself…Review“Ethan Gage is not a man to let the grass grow under his feet. A non-stop page-turning adventure of wit, entertaining history, and characters who roll with the punches of fate.” (Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series )“Utilizing his trademark combination of wit, wile, and homespun American common sense, Ethan successfully integrates himself into the sophisticated intrigue of the Old World.” (Booklist )“Rich in historical detail. . . . The battle of Trafalgar is narrated magnificently. There are also plots, twists, and counterplots along with searches for religious relics . . . Historical fiction fans will relish this over-the-top romp as they wallow in the color and the history.” (Library Journal )“Brilliantly conceived and crafted from the first word. Dietrich puts great characters in seemingly impossible scenarios on every page. A fun, fast, exhilarating read. I haven’t read a historical novel this good since Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth.” (Robert Dugoni, author of The Conviction )“Dietrich’s creation Ethan Gage is no typical action hero. . . . Dietrich has the Gage series down to a formula, blending history with entertaining tall tales and a good deal of irreverence.” (Kirkus Reviews )“I am a big fan of William Dietrich’s Ethan Gage novels and The Barbed Crown is a great addition to the series. Gage is a rascal and he’s in trouble again. . . . An exciting, funny, and educational read.” (Phillip Margolin, author of Capitol Murder )“What a blast! The Barbed Crown is as funny as it is smart. . . . It is impossible not to love Ethan Gage. It is impossible not to love this book!” (Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain )“Exuberant . . . . Along the way readers will be treated to Dietrich’s fascinating historical detail and Gage’s infectious personality, one part humble global servant and two parts self-directed opportunist who simply has to be where the action is.” (Publishers Weekly ) From the Back CoverIn this latest adventure by New York Times bestselling author William Dietrich, Ethan Gage is out to foil Napoleon's coronation as emperor, play double agent between France and England, and turn the tide of war—while attempting to save his own life and his marriage.Gage fought beside Napoleon Bonaparte in Egypt and was his agent in Italy, America, and Greece. But this relationship, which at the best of times was uneasy, has gone sour, and now Ethan wants to make Napoleon pay for kidnapping his son, Harry, and nearly killing his wife, Astiza.Smuggled into France with a beautiful royalist agent, Gage is determined to thwart Bonaparte's ambitions to take Europe. Surprises abound as a conspiracy collapses, Astiza reappears at Gage's side, and agents on all fronts try to recruit Ethan to their cause. Desperate, he devises a mad plan to sabotage Napoleon's coronation by replacing the power-hungry emperor's crown of golden laurel with a religious relic—the Crown of Thorns purportedly worn by Christ at his crucifixion. It is a scheme that requires a daring theft, perfect timing, and trust among the plotters; when it goes awry, Gage is soon on the run to England.There Ethan joins a circle of brilliant renegades, including Robert Fulton, designer of the first submarine; rocket artillery pioneer Sir William Congreve; and smuggler Tom Johnstone. As two empires face off at sea, Gage is plunged into the decisive and lethal Battle of Trafalgar, trapped on board a French ship as Nelson's Victory bears down on him.Moving from the glittering boulevards and squalid back alleys of Napoleonic France to the high seas of Regency England, filled with romance, danger, intrigue, and glory, The Barbed Crown is a thrilling romp that sees Ethan Gage once again embroiled in European history . . . and the fate of the modern world.

After decades of assault by barbarian tribes, Rome is weakening and in danger of being overrun. By a.d. 449, Attila, ruler of the Huns, has become Europe's most powerful monarch, his ferocity earning him the title "the Scourge of God." Now he is poised to assault the West.It begins with an illicit affair. Honoria, sister of Valentinian III, emperor of the Western Roman Empire, creates a scandal when she is discovered in bed with her steward. Imprisoned for her indiscretion, Honoria sees the instrument of her deliverance in the form of the most feared warrior in the known world -- Attila. Desperate, she dispatches a messenger to the leader of the Huns, asking for his aid. Taking the entreaty as a marriage proposal, Attila begins to mass his forces to claim the half of the Roman Empire he feels should be his dowry, thus setting in motion the engines of war.Fearing that open war with the ferocious Huns could destroy the empire, the Romans seek a clandestine solution. Dispatching a group of ambassadors to Attila's camp under the guise of seeking a diplomatic accord, the Roman leadership intends instead to corrupt one of Attila's lieutenants into an assassin, eliminating the threat by murdering the Hun leader.Jonas, an ambitious intellectual, joins the party as its historian. But when the plot is discovered, he becomes much more. Taken hostage by the Huns, Jonas realizes that it will require all his skills in diplomacy, and some newfound skills with the sword, to survive. But survival isn't his only concern. Within the Hun camp he encounters Ilana, a Roman beauty imprisoned by the Huns and promised to one of their warriors. To attempt an escape alone would be foolhardy. To combine it with a rescue would be suicide. But Jonas knows he cannot leave the camp without Ilana, even if his devotion costs him his life.As Jonas plans his escape, he seizes what could be a crucial element in the coming war between Rome and the Huns. Now his life isn't the only thing at stake. To save the empire and Ilana, Jonas must bring warning and an ancient sword to prepare Rome for the biggest battle in history, in which two vast armies will clash to determine the future of Western civilization.

The year is 1803. Swashbuckling, ribald, and irreverent hero Ethan Gage has outsmarted wily enemies and survived dangerous challenges across the globe, from the wilds of the American frontier to the pyramids of Egypt. Now the rakish hero finds himself in the Caribbean with his wife, Astiza, on a desperate hunt to secure the lost treasure of Montezuma—a legendary hoard rumored to have been hidden from CortÉs's plundering Spanish conquistadors. Hot on his heels are British agents who want the gold to finance a black slave revolt in Saint-Domingue, robbing hostile France of its richest colony. The French, too, seek the treasure for the secrets it contains, the key to an incredible new means of invasion that can ensure Britain's defeat—on its own land.Caught between the French and the rebel slave forces, Ethan and Astiza are in a race for gold and glory that will thrust them into the center of a bloody struggle for freedom as they try to rescue their son. And this time, Gage's luck may be running out.Brilliantly combining science, history, mythology, and wit, William Dietrich has woven a larger-than-life tale that sees Ethan embroiled in the Napoleonic era's ideals, opportunism, and inventions, which gave rise to the modern world. Filled with intrigue, voodoo, a hurricane, violent political unrest, and unexpected passion, The Emerald Storm is Dietrich's most captivating work to date.From BooklistStarred Review Ethan Gage, the nineteenth-century adventurer, returns in this fourth novel in the series. Set in 1803, it tells a wildly implausible story: Gage, planning to sell an emerald he came into via a questionable set of circumstances, is taken captive by a renegade French policeman who wants to know all about the Lost Treasure of Montezuma. Gage is rescued by the British, who want to know about the same lost treasure, and blackmailed into breaking into a French prison and liberating Toussaint L’Ouverture, the (real-life) leader of the Haitian Revolution, who (fictionally) knows the secret of the treasure. And that’s just for starters. With the usual mixture of real and made-up characters and historical events, the book is a breathlessly exciting adventure, as fast paced as an Indiana Jones movie and just about as entertaining. Gage is a tremendously appealing character, a world-class adventurer who would, he keeps reminding us, be much happier if he were living a quiet life somewhere back in his home country, America. He doesn’t seek out adventure; it just sort of keeps on finding him. And that’s good news for fans of the series, who will want to read the next installment as soon as they’ve finished this one. --David Pitt Review“Entertaining. . . . Dietrich seamlessly blends historical figures such as Napoleon and Toussaint L’Ouverture, the liberator of Haiti, with fictional characters like Gage’s nemesis, “renegade secret policeman” Leon Martel, in this amusing swashbuckler.” (Publishers Weekly )“Dietrich seamlessly blends historical fact with fiction. . . . [He] also has a knack for making the world of 1803 come alive.” (Associated Press )“The Emerald Storm is a whirl of adventure, international diplomacy and vivid political commentary. . . . A wonderful romp through a complicated period of history.” (Bellingham Herald )

For fans of the movie Gladiator comes this bloody account of the clashing of civilizations, as Attila the Hun, "The Scourge of God," struggles to overthrow the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire is weakening. In 367 AD, approximately eight years after the great battle at Hadrian's Wall, Roman garrisons begin to hear rumors of barbarian tribes massing to the north. By 449 AD, Attila, the ruler of the Huns, has become the continent's most powerful monarch, his reputation in battle earning him the title "The Scourge of God."Anticipating an imminent attack by the Huns, Roman leaders negotiate with one of Attila's lieutenants, convincing him to play the part of assassin. He is joined on his mission by a Roman citizen, Jonas, an ambassador dispatched to negotiate a peace treaty with the Huns. When the plot is discovered, Jonas becomes a hostage, forced to fight for his captors if he wishes to remain alive. But he soon learns that Attila intends to conquer Rome itself, and is caught between two mighty empires, both poised for one of the greatest conflicts the world has ever seen. Jonas, knowing his life could be forfeit, has the potential to tip the battle in either direction––and his decision will alter the face of Western civilization. For readers of historically nuanced thrillers and adventure stories by authors like Bernard Cornwell and Colleen McCullough. For readers interested in Roman and Barbarian culture and warfare.From Publishers WeeklySet in the dark final days of the Roman Empire, Dietrich's rousing fifth novel (after Hadrian's Wall, etc.) chronicles the bid of the charismatic Attila the Hun to conquer the West and dominate all of Europe. Standing in his way are the crumbling vestiges of the Roman Empire, now divided between West (Rome) and East (Constantinople) and still struggling with the adoption of Christian faith. The story of Attila's western march is given additional human dimension by a romance between Jonas Alabanda, a scribe assigned to an embassy mission to Attila from Theodosius II, emperor of the Eastern Empire, and Ilana, a gorgeous Roman taken by the Huns as a slave. Because of a foiled Roman plot to assassinate Attila, Jonas finds himself held hostage, but with the aid of a cunning and intrepid dwarf jester, Zerco, he manages to steal a legendary giant sword and upset Attila's plans and fortunes long enough for the Roman general Aetius to assemble the Germanic tribes into an effective defense force. Because the period is comparatively undocumented, the historical background is somewhat thin, and the standard-issue romance doesn't quite fill in the blanks. Still, the story unfolds swiftly and satisfyingly, and the confusing array of tribes and leaders are deftly presented--no mean feat. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistLife was not secure for citizens of the Roman Empire in the mid-fifth century, who had reason to fear the "scourge of God," as Attila the Hun was called. A canny leader and warrior, Attila had his forces destroy everything in his path as he set out to conquer both eastern and western Roman empires. Dietrich (Hadrian's Wall, 2004) hews strongly to historical fact, providing a cast of characters and map of the period, adding just three fictitious characters to his primary cast: Jonas Alabanda, a Roman historian and diplomat from Constantinople; Ilana, a Roman who loses father, home in Axiopolis, and fiance to the Huns, who take her hostage; and Skilla, a Hun soldier and nephew of warlord Edeco. Their personal relationships help connect the actual events of the time and add humanity to them. Dietrich vividly describes treachery, betrayals, assassination attempts, executions, and battles, culminating in the almost incomprehensibly massive and bloody Battle of Chalons, in 451 A.D. Michele LeberCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved