Uncle Bernac

Uncle Bernac is a historical novel of adventure and intrigue, in which Arthur Conan Doyle spins a tale around the court of Napoleon Bonaparte. The story, subtitled A Memory of the Empire, is set in 1805 and follows young Louis de Laval, a French émigré who has grown up in England due to the Revolution. Louis receives a summons to return to France to meet his uncle, Citizen Bernac, who serves as a high-ranking official under Napoleon. Hoping to reclaim his family's estate, Louis braves a clandestine crossing to Normandy, only to discover he's stepped into a viper's nest of plots. At Napoleon's camp at Boulogne (where the Army of England assembles to invade Britain), Uncle Bernac reveals ulterior motives: he expects Louis to act as a spy on behalf of the British, exploiting the nephew's half-English background – effectively making Louis a double agent against his will. Amid this peril, Louis must navigate court politics and survive the machinations of both Bonapartists and royalist conspirators. The novel features richly drawn scenes: Napoleon himself appears as a mercurial genius (Doyle portrays him conversing with Louis and testing his loyalty in a tense interview). Duels in moonlit sand dunes, secret midnight councils, and a thrilling climax during an attempted assassination of the Emperor all keep the pace brisk. Throughout, Louis grapples with divided loyalties – love of France vs. gratitude to England – embodied by a romantic subplot with a spirited French lady-in-waiting who suspects Bernac's treachery. In the denouement, Uncle Bernac's treason is dramatically exposed, perhaps by evidence Louis bravely secures, and Napoleon rewards Louis for his fidelity. Uncle Bernac deftly blends fact and fiction: Doyle's meticulous research on Napoleon's coastal camp gives an authentic backdrop, while the invented intrigue provides suspense and personal stakes. Though not as famous as Doyle's Sherlock or Brigadier Gerard tales, this novel offers an engaging mix of swashbuckling action, espionage, and historical drama. It ultimately stands as Doyle's tribute to the Napoleonic era – a story of honor and adventure under the shadow of one of history's greatest figures.