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Napoleon's Pyramids (Ethan Gage #1)

by William Dietrich (Goodreads Author)

3.45 of 5 stars 3.45 · rating details · 1,667 ratings · 280 reviews

What mystical secrets lie beneath the Great Pyramids? Traveling with Napoleon's ambitious expedition, American adventurer Ethan Gage solves a five-thousand-year-old riddle with the help of a mysterious medallion.

William Dietrich's books have been hailed for their vivid imagery, evocative atmospheres, impeccable historical accuracy, and ambitious plots. Now, in the breakout...more

Hardcover, 376 pages

Published February 6th 2007 by Harper

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Jan 09, 2012 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, historical-fiction, free

Through most of Napoleon's Pyramids I wavered between irritated and fascinated. Though I ended on the intrigued side, there was enough wrong with this story that I'll probably not read more of the series.

By now the Freemasons must be amused or bemused by all the free "publicity" they're received from Dan Brown, "National Treasures", and books like this. In some ways Dietrich did a fine job of weaving half-remembered history and total fabrication into a conspiracy theorists dream of ancient secre...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Will Byrnes rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a fast-paced, fun-and-danger romp through Europe and Egypt in the time, and in the company of, Napoleon. Great fun, would make a wonderful film. Ethan Gage is a free spirit, a gambler, an American, formerly an aide to Benjamin Franklin, possessor of one of those newfangled American long rifles. After winning an intriguing medallion in a card game, his life becomes a little too interesting, as he must flee for his life, avoiding newfound enemies and acquiring friends (one in particular of...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Francis Gahren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

What mystical secrets lie beneath the Great Pyramids? Traveling with Napoleon's ambitious expedition, American adventurer Ethan Gage solves a five-thousand-year-old riddle with the help of a mysterious medallion.

William Dietrich's books have been hailed for their vivid imagery, evocative atmospheres, impeccable historical accuracy, and ambitious plots. Now, in the breakout novel of his career, he delivers an enthralling story of intrigue, greed, and danger.

Ethan Gage, assistant to Ben Franklin...more What mystical secrets lie beneath the Great Pyramids? Traveling with Napoleon's ambitious expedition, American adventurer Ethan Gage solves a five-thousand-year-old riddle with the help of a mysterious medallion.

William Dietrich's books have been hailed for their vivid imagery, evocative atmospheres, impeccable historical accuracy, and ambitious plots. Now, in the breakout novel of his career, he delivers an enthralling story of intrigue, greed, and danger.

Ethan Gage, assistant to Ben Franklin and expatriate American in post-revolutionary France, wins an ancient—and possibly cursed—medallion in a card game one night. It turns out that the medallion, covered in seemingly indecipherable symbols, may be linked to a Masonic mystery. That same night, however, Ethan is framed for a prostitute's murder and barely escapes France with his life.

Faced with either prison or death, Gage is offered a third choice: to accompany the new emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, as France sails to conquer Egypt—with Lord Nelson's fleet following close behind. Once Gage arrives, he encounters incredible surprises: one in the form of a beautiful Macedonian slave and another in the dawning knowledge that the medallion may solve one of the greatest riddles of history—who built the Great Pyramids, and why. What is revealed to Gage is more shocking than anyone could ever have imagined.
Moving from the lascivious salons of post-revolutionary Paris to the Mediterranean's high seas to the treacherous sands of Egypt, Napoleon's Pyramids is a riveting, action-packed thriller that will captivate readers and introduce them to this supremely talented author.

Publishers Weekly

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 Walland 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.)

Other books by Dietrich

“The Rosetta Stone” (April 2008 - follow up to this book)
“The Scourge of God” (January 2006)
“Hadrian’s Wall” (March 2005)
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Nov 29, 2012 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars

“Indiana Jones Meets the Three Musketeers” is how I’d pitch this novel to a movie studio. Ethan Gage isn’t a trained archaeologist and more of a rogue than Professor Jones—and he encounters plenty of muskets but no Musketeers—but otherwise that high concept pretty much sums up Dietrich’s yarn. The thing is, I like the Indiana Jones movies (all except Temple of Doom) have long been a sucker for Dumas. So I guess it was pretty inevitable that I found myself enjoying this book too.

Gage, an American...more

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May 07, 2012 Robin Carter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-thriller

This was a really great surprise, i like the odd trashy thriller, something to give the old brain a rest between some of the more challenging reads, an a good thriller is usually the way to go.

What should you expect, lots of the usual cliches, and yes this book has them, lots of the usual OTT action that any sane person would either avoid or die in, but our hero survives, but that's not the point of these books, the point is to be OTT and to thrill and excite and this book covers that in spades....more

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Mar 04, 2012 Jay Fromkin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've got to admit that while reading "Napoleon's Pyramids," I enjoyed the adventure. It wasn't until I had a chance to think about the book that I realized it was a mess, a pastiche of ethnic stereotypes, Indiana Jones scenes (right down to step-on-the-right-blocks-or-calamity-will-follow), a muddle of mathematics and Egyptology, and even - wait for it - a call to search for the Ark of the Covenant. OK, the book reads along at a fast clip, with sex, murder, spies, gypsies, sinister Masons, noble...more

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Aug 07, 2011 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up as part of a deal at a bookshop having never heard of Dietrich before, figuring 'what the hell, it's worth a shot'. His books have only recently been published in the UK, whilst he has been published in the US for quite some time - and I am really glad that he has been moved across to Britain. A writer of his quality deserves as many readers as he can possibly get.

What struck me most about this book was the setting. Normally when I read books that delves into the histories of t...more I picked this up as part of a deal at a bookshop having never heard of Dietrich before, figuring 'what the hell, it's worth a shot'. His books have only recently been published in the UK, whilst he has been published in the US for quite some time - and I am really glad that he has been moved across to Britain. A writer of his quality deserves as many readers as he can possibly get.

What struck me most about this book was the setting. Normally when I read books that delves into the histories of the past I am confronted with modern heroes such as in David Gibbon's work. Here however, I was glad to see a change with the protagonist beeing an American living in revolutionary france.

That sparked my interest to begin with, but when I actually started the book I was stuck by the simple brilliance of his work. He manages to create a character that sticks out - for me at least - from any other character in the genre that I have read; he is a crack shot but somehow comes across as lucky and almost clumsy in fights. He claims to be a womaniser, but never really shows much charm. And my favourite aspect is that he is a gambler - a great, little quirk that made him all the more real.

The tale then took off with murder and Gage being framed for it and his subsequent escape to France with Napolean as a Savant. All of which just continues to prick my interest.

Dietrich then continues in this vein as Gage enages with the great mystery of the 'Great Pyramids', and his reasoning and fiction about them are just as thought-provoking as Dan Brown - but Dietrich does it better; his writing making the facts and his fiction that much more accesible and enjoyable.

Now, this book isn't all roses however. There were a few parts where it fell down. Most noticeably was the whole relationship with Astiza (sp). From the moment he went over to the rock I knew that it was a woman - I don't know how, cliched maybe? - and then from there on in there relationshup was wierd. They show little love for each other and then at the end they announce their love for one another, then she falls and we don't know what happened to her. At all. Which I found really annoying; not only was their love unbelievable in their quickness, but at her apparent death Gage seems barely bothered. It just made me think that the whole relationship was there for the plot line, nothing else = Greatly dissapointing.

Apart from that though this book was great; entertaining, thought provoking and well written. I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys acion, fast paced fun, and historical mysteries. It truly is amazing.

One question though; how do you say Gage? In my head I am saying it like guage; as in to guage something. Now, is gage an american spelling of guage? Or am I hearing it all wrong?

Have fun reading.
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Jul 15, 2011 Johnny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I don't know whether the protagonist in Napoleon's Pyramids, the first in a series of Ethan Gage adventures, was intentionally collated from the first name of ARW patriot Ethan Allen and the family name of incompetent ARW general Thomas Gage, but that was the first thing that popped into my mind as I began reading this curious amalgam of history, low fantasy, and adventure. At first, I thought Napoleon's Pyramids was going to be the equivalent of J. Gregory Keyes' series of alternate history adv...more I don't know whether the protagonist in Napoleon's Pyramids, the first in a series of Ethan Gage adventures, was intentionally collated from the first name of ARW patriot Ethan Allen and the family name of incompetent ARW general Thomas Gage, but that was the first thing that popped into my mind as I began reading this curious amalgam of history, low fantasy, and adventure. At first, I thought Napoleon's Pyramids was going to be the equivalent of J. Gregory Keyes' series of alternate history adventures featuring Sir Isaac Newton. After all, Gage was a former associate of Benjamin Franklin and involved in Franklin's research on a curiosity known as electricity.

I was soon to discover that this series was more like a hybrid between Alexander Dumas (the emphasis on gambling, bawdy-house activity, and highwaymen in the context of post-revolutionary France as opposed to very pre-revolutionary France), Dan Brown (the artifact puzzle reminded me of the "Illuminati" clues in Angels & Demons, even though the rest of Angels & Demons would be more similar to the recently read and reviewed (at least by me) Blasphemy), and the Lucas-Spielberg collaboration that gave us Indiana Jones (and the Now-Tired Franchise).

In addition to the fictional character of Gage, the love of his life (something of a harem/houri/pagan priestess), a reporter/brother Mason, and a Muslim warrior, readers are confronted with a very credible portrait of the historical Napoleon Bonaparte and Sir William Sydney Smith (explaining how a naval officer under Nelson would end up being more famous for diplomatic service than naval actions--though his historical naval actions weren't anything to sneeze at), as well as two diabolical (and presumed fictional) antagonists (one an Arab magician/warrior and the other a rival Masonic seeker after "power" if not "truth"). Fortunately, it looks like the latter antagonist will remain with the series for a while.

In Napoleon's Pyramids, the great general is convinced (in something of the same manner as Hitler was in the Indiana Jones series) that there was great power to be unearthed in the artifacts of ancient religion. One such artifact comes to Ethan Gage in a card game. Later, he discovers that it is considered "cursed." In light of the circumstances in which he finds himself later, it may well be. But with every "cursed" situation, there appears to be a way out such that it seems like Gage is not only "cursed" but "destined." The question is, "Destined for what?" In fact, is Gage on Napoleon's side, the nascent U.S.'s side, the British side, or his own? Is Gage to evolve into a low-level Harry Flashman or is there a different dynamic going on?

To answer those questions would possibly spoil the book, so I will simply suggest that mapping the great pyramid as a puzzle provides one fascination for reading this book, as does Gage's attempts to understand the amulet/artifact he has won. Dietrich's novel moves slower than many action-adventures, but the atmosphere and experience are worth the effort. I definitely plan to read more and recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the Temeraire series of Napoleonic fantasy or any of the host of historical fiction from the era (particularly that of Cornwell, Kent, and Lambdin).(less)

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May 24, 2011 Vicky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

William Dietrich is a historian and it shows as there are enough dates and facts in this novel to excite any historian. Unfortunately, at times, it also reads like a history textbook. And therein lies my problem with this book.

While the ultimate story was good, even intriguing at times, there were several things that put me off this book. The first was the use of first person point of view. Though not unusual, in this story, it seemed limiting and forces. I have read many books written in first...more
William Dietrich is a historian and it shows as there are enough dates and facts in this novel to excite any historian. Unfortunately, at times, it also reads like a history textbook. And therein lies my problem with this book.

While the ultimate story was good, even intriguing at times, there were several things that put me off this book. The first was the use of first person point of view. Though not unusual, in this story, it seemed limiting and forces. I have read many books written in first person – and enjoyed them, but it did not work for me in this one.

The second problem was Dietrich's tendency toward lengthy diatribes dumping dry information on the unsuspecting reader. These passages reminded me uncomfortably of a dry history lecture. I was forced to sit through them in my college years, I don't want to have to do that when reading a book for enjoyment.

The third problem for me was the ending. No, I will not reveal the outcome, but the ending chapter made it quite obvious there will be a sequel. The lack of a conclusive end is something I loathe in modern books. It is a marketing ploy thought up by bean counters. While it forces readers to purchase the next book in the series, it does not generate fans. Though the ending here was very good, it was not satisfying.

Now, all that being said, I did enjoy parts of this story. It is reminiscent of Indiana Jones stories in that it concerns an adventurous American, a mysterious medallion and a beautiful woman and is set against the mystical background of Egypt. Throw in Napoleon and his attempt to conquer Egypt and Africa and you have the basis for a good adventure.

I will honestly admit that I did enjoy the ending much more than I did the beginning. If I hadn't been forced to read this book for review, I would probably have stopped after the first chapter. But I did read on. It took me a month to read the first five chapters and less than an evening to read the last five. If you can get through the history lessons in the beginning, you may actually enjoy this book.

If you don't mind lectures and books that will lead you to the next in the series, by all means pick this one up. If you want an adventure and action, you might be disappointed by the beginning, but the ending is well worth the read.
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Jul 16, 2010 ICPL Staff Picks added it

Shelves: historical-fiction, john, staff-picks-blog

Think Indiana Jones. We’ve got artifacts embodying ancient wisdom, sought by militaristic megalomaniacs for sinister purposes. We’ve got maybe 400, 000 bullets aimed at our hero, none quite landing. We’ve got booby trapped archeological sites in exotic climes. We’ve got mysterious, evil villains repeatedly trying to assassinate our hero. We’ve got gypsy caravans, sea battles, land battles, spies, hot air balloon escapes, sandstorms, mathematical ciphers, vast conspiracies, sardonic humor, prison...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Rossrn Nunamaker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, suspense

William Dietrich's Napoleon's Pyramids was alright, but had great potential and was therefore a bit disappointing. I couldn't give it a two, but two and a half is probably more accurate.

Ethan Gage is an American, who's fame is based on his association with Ben Franklin and possession of a long rifle. The story is set in France and Egypt. Gage wins a medallion while gambling and immediately finds himself in trouble for having acquired it. He is set up for murder and flees, eventually becoming a p...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Napoleon's Pyramids is an engaging mystery centering around Napoleon's late 18 century invasion of Egypt. Throw in some ancient Egyptian religious esoterica, the Fibonacci numbers and Pascal's triangle and we have a pretty well-researched archaeology mystery. Although our hero benefits from extraordinary luck and coincidence, it is no moreso than any adventure tale,maybe somewhat credible but most definitely entertaining.

Mr. Dietrich does commit a major sin in leaving the reader hanging with re...more

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Aug 24, 2009 Ty rated it 2 of 5 stars

i had high hopes going into this book as the premise is intriguing and the author is very well known and bestselling in the thriller market, but i was most disappointed. the story revolves around an American in Paris at the time of the French Revolution who gets caught up in European intrigue and accompanies Napoleon during his invasion of Egypt...lots of Freemasonry related side plots, but basically (as the book cover states) this is "Indiana Jones" meets Napoleon. this in itself would not be b...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Walter rated it 4 of 5 stars

I see this book has not been rated very highly, so I thought I would throw in my opinion. I read for pleasure pure and simple. At the risk of sounding shallow, I'm not looking for meaning, although it's nice when I find it. I just like a great story which allows me to escape from life for a while. I must admit I am sucker for a great adventure story. As a fan of outsider protagonists I find Ethan Gage refreshingly new, while familiar at the same time. The historical setting also lends a familiar...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Don rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

This was a Nook Friday free book. While I like historical fiction, it tends to be Naval fiction during the Age of Sail, i.e. Horatio Nelson, etc. This is set during the same period of time, so I gave it a whirl.

The first third of this book was slow going, but, I managed to push through. I won't spoil it for others, but, I did read it with more interest in the last two-thirds. The book touched on many aspects of the French invasion, it also made use of made use of various scientists and mathemati...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Rhett rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was really hard to rate this book because personally there is a lot that irritates me. (Lots of vulgar comments and a very heretical conclusion for almost any religion.) personally that bothered me cause I hold pretty strong Christian values, but...

Yes, I said but, this was a pretty fun book to read. It never lacked in adventure and although at times it was cheesy, there were a lot of fun surprises. The history is all there in this book and that was a joy for me to find, and the vocabulary wa...more

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Apr 13, 2008 Stephen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: trash

Bought at an airport while delayed. It's a quick read. Action packed and fun. It's filled with historical references and a few fun facts about the time period.

It's very non stop - Battle, chase, battle, flee, treasure, but too quirky to be believable.

If you liked the DaVinci Code Novels or the National Treasure movies, this will be like pornography for you.

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Jul 12, 2010 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: treasure-hunters, egypt, historical, swashbuckling, desert-adventure

I had high hopes for Napoleon’s Pyramids. It promised a lot: a swashbuckling hero, a mysterious medallion, an evil count, and an Indiana Jones-esque adventure to unlock the secrets of the pyramids. I’ve learned to be skeptical though about stories that sound too good to be true. There’s always something wrong. The hero is unlikable, the Maguffin is dull, the villain is unbelievable, or the adventure is a bait-and-switch that promises much more than it ever intended to deliver. Napoleon’s Pyramid...more I had high hopes for Napoleon’s Pyramids. It promised a lot: a swashbuckling hero, a mysterious medallion, an evil count, and an Indiana Jones-esque adventure to unlock the secrets of the pyramids. I’ve learned to be skeptical though about stories that sound too good to be true. There’s always something wrong. The hero is unlikable, the Maguffin is dull, the villain is unbelievable, or the adventure is a bait-and-switch that promises much more than it ever intended to deliver. Napoleon’s Pyramids has none of these problems. It’s exactly what it claims to be and so much more.

Ethan Gage is a fantastic hero. He’s an American living in France in 1798. He’s the former apprentice of Benjamin Franklin and a Freemason. He’s a much better former apprentice than he is a secret society member though. He barely understands the origins of the basic Masonic symbols, much less posses any real secrets. His big flaw is that he has no purpose. He doesn’t believe in anything, so he flits from whorehouse to card game and back again. Which is really a cool place for a charming rogue to begin his story, but many authors would fear to let him grow out of that. I know because I’ve read their books. Not Dietrich though. Gage’s journey changes him as much as it thrills his readers.

It all starts with chemin de fer and Gage’s winning an odd pendant that was supposedly once owned by both Cleopatra and Cagliostro. Immediately his life changes for the worse with bad guys chasing him and framing him for murder so that he needs to leave Paris quickly. Fortunately, he’s got friends in the academic community who tell him about Napoleon’s expedition to “liberate” Egypt from its Ottoman overlords. Napoleon’s also very interested in learning Egypt’s secrets and is taking all sorts of savants with him to research the country. Thanks to Gage’s knowledge of electricity (and his medallion), Napoleon invites him along too.

Dietrich has unbelievable skill when it comes to weaving historical information into an adventure story. Gage is present at (and occasionally instrumental in) the various victories and defeats that Napoleon experienced on the way to and in Egypt. Telling those stories could’ve been very dull, but they never are. Dietrich gives the major players as much personality as he gives to his fictional characters and made me care about them. I never thought I’d root for Napoleon’s side in any battle, but I empathized with his men and hoped to see them survive the campaign. As a lifelong Anglophile, I was surprised to find myself cringing at the thought of Nelson’s fleet discovering Napoleon’s. I was equally shocked to be filled with pride at how well the French’s military tactics and formations worked against their less-disciplined opponents. I’m a root-for-the-underdog guy; I don’t cheer for the imperialistic invaders. It’s a testament to Dietrich’s writing that he turned me.

At least as long as Gage was working with Napoleon anyway. I won’t spoil details, but of course things get complicated. In addition to the story elements I’ve already mentioned, there are also gypsies, British spies, a beautiful slave girl who is much more than she seems, fierce desert raiders – both good and evil – who are not to be crossed, and a wise, old scholar with a secret library. And yes, there’s a purpose to the pyramids.

The pyramids – particularly the Great One – are another place where Dietrich flawlessly marries his research to his story. I hate books that halt the narrative to dump a bunch of research on me simply because the author spent time looking it up and wants to make sure it was worthwhile. Dietrich never does that, but I still learned all the real-world marvels of the Great Pyramid before he revealed his fictional ones. The fictional ones are of course much cooler – as they should be (whoever said, “Truth is stranger than fiction” didn’t have enough imagination) – but the mathematical mysteries in the real Pyramid are truly fascinating the way Dietrich’s characters explain them.

But back to the fiction: I have a litmus test for stories that offer fictional solutions for real-life mysteries. Usually, I finish the story wanting to come up with my own explanation. Very rarely does an author do so good a job that I want to incorporate his answer into my own world-view. With Napoleon’s Pyramids, I have no desire to write my own version. I can’t believe that his solution is actually the correct one in real life, but he’s not asking me to. In Ethan Gage’s world, the revelation makes sense and I’d be intimidated by the challenge of coming up with a more exciting one, even if it was only for me.

The best praise I can offer the book though is that as soon as I finished it, I hopped on Amazon and ordered the rest of the series. They got here on Saturday and if the book I started right after Napoleon’s Pyramids wasn’t also excellent, I’d have started into The Rosetta Key already.(less)

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May 22, 2010 Wendy Scott rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

While all of the ingredients were there for this book to an exciting and captivating story, it fell well short. I had a hard time maintaining interest, at times forcing myself to continue in the hopes that something with such an interesting premise would gel and become compelling. Unfortunately, it never gelled for me.

Napoleon’s Pyramids is a historical adventure/mystery that roams from post-revolutionary France to Egypt. Sprinkle in references to Ben Franklin and Napoleon and it sounds great. U...more While all of the ingredients were there for this book to an exciting and captivating story, it fell well short. I had a hard time maintaining interest, at times forcing myself to continue in the hopes that something with such an interesting premise would gel and become compelling. Unfortunately, it never gelled for me.

Napoleon’s Pyramids is a historical adventure/mystery that roams from post-revolutionary France to Egypt. Sprinkle in references to Ben Franklin and Napoleon and it sounds great. Unfortunately, the book suffered from a kitchen-sink plot, meaning that the author threw in everything related to ancient mysteries - the Golden Mean, pi, astrology and horoscopes, freemasonry, Egyptian Rite, the Fibonacci sequence, Eqyptian mythology, gypsies, the Holy Grail. Even Moses and the Ark of the Covenant were tossed in for good measure.

The main character, Ethan Gage, is a playboy with wanderlust and a thirst for easy living. After winning a mysterious medallion in a poker game, he is hunted, literally to the corners of the world, by unknown assailants who want it back. Based on his association with Franklin, Gage signs on as a savant with Napoleon’s voyage to Egypt in order to escape. Somehow, the bad guys manage to track him down in Egypt. Coincidences pile up, requiring Gage and his associates to comment frequently about things being fated by the gods in order to explain the outlandish coincidences.

Many of the descriptions were soft and didn’t provide a real sense of certain characters, settings, or events. Characters are introduced en masse and all of the savants blended together. The drawn-out efforts to solve the mystery of the medallion became tiresome. I found myself skimming a lot.

And the ending! To have suffered through the entire book and then have such a self-serving ending frankly made me a little cranky. The author may as well have plastered a pre-order form for the sequel that he obviously already had planned. I don’t think I’ll be adding that to my “to-read” list.
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Oct 28, 2008 Patrick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Indiana Jones meets the Mummy while trying to solve the Da Vinci Code with Napoleon. If you're in the mood for some historic pulp you may enjoy it. It was fun at times but I was ready for it to be over about 75 pages before it ended. One kind of gets the idea that the author had the screenplay in mind while writing.

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Jun 27, 2012 Benjamin Thomas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, action-adventure

This is the first of the Nathan Gage adventure novels and a very enjoyable swashbuckling adventure it is. Ethan Gage is a fictional assistant to Benjamin Franklin and finds himself winning a strange amulet while gambling. This leads to all sorts of adventures as he tries to solve its riddle, including becoming a part of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt as one of his infamous savants.

The author does an excellent job of weaving together military and political history, Masonic lore, biblical scholars...more

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Mar 06, 2009 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is a generally fun historical romp through Napoleon's invasion of Egypt. It is forced down your throat as "Indiana Jones in then 18th century", which gets extremely annoying (admittedly, this is only on the cover/jacket/epiloge...).

It is told in first person, through the eyes of the main character Ethan Gage. The problem is that you never really feel like Ethan is an intriguing character. There are maybe one or two things about him that are intersting, other than that he's just some gu...more

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May 10, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I expected. I'd have given 3.5 stars if that was an option. But I still recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction.

Ethan Gage is an American living in Paris in 1798. After winning a mysterious piece of ancient Egyptian jewelry in a card game, Gage finds himself pursued by dark forces and set up for murder. His only option for escape is to join with the "savants" in Napoleon's invasion of Egypt.

The book provides some interesting (at least to a non-Francophi...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, adventure, historical-fiction, on-my-nook

I picked up Napoleon's Pyramids as a Friday freebie on the Nook a few weeks ago. It's not the sort of thing I would normally pick up in the bookstore, but it turned out to be quite entertaining.

Napoleon's Pyramids is historical fiction set during the Napoleonic invasion of Egypt, which is probably evident from the title. Napoleon took a number of "savants", or scientists and philosophers, along with him on the journey; their job was to investigate the Great Pyramid and the other various bits of...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Lorin Cary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Eathan Gage accompanies Napoleon Bonaparte on his 1798 invasion of Egypt in this historical novel by William Dietrich. Much of the historical information is fascinating and nicely woven into what is at time a kind of Indiana Jones thriller, complete with wild chases and madcap escapes. The imagined conversations with Napoleon are interesting by themselves as Dietrich has nicely captured the man's personality, I think. The plot wanders a bit and centers on a mysterious object that Gage has acquir...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Maria rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Quando Gage ganha um estranho medalhão num jogo de cartas não sabe que a sua vida vai sofrer uma reviravolta. Diz-se que os possuidores deste antigo colar, caso não o usassem correctamente, poderiam morrer. No fundo, o colar seria uma espécie de chave para um enigma cuja descoberta estaria no Egipto.

O certo é que na mesma noite em que Gage ganha o colar é suspeito de homicídio de uma prostituta e vê-se encurralado e num beco sem saída. Sem escolhas decide embarcar numa aventura que se pode torna...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Set during Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt, an American student of Ben Franklin gets involved with Napoleon and a scientific expedition that is accompanying his invasion. He has won an item that is believed to be a "key" to mysteries regarding the pyramids and ancient powers, so other persons are hunting him wanting this mystical medallion that he has. Very well-written, the author has actually visited the pyramids and done his due diligence regarding the pyramids and the rather modern mathematical...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

Shelves: fiction, my-fav-authors

Book #1 in the Ethan Gage Trilogy. Fictional tale of a young American (Ethan Gage). Former aide to Ben Franklin and now in Paris, France (circa 1799). He's wrongly accused of murder and flees to Napoleon Bonaparte's fleet (which is preparing to sail on a voyage of empire-building in Egypt and the Middle East). He soon learns he is being followed by shady characters who want an artifact that he won in a game of cards in Paris. Unbelievable stories surround the artifact and he begins seeking answe...more

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May 18, 2013 Toni Moore rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was ultimately disappointing. It had good parts, and some good characters, but it never quite fit together into a compelling whole for me. Ethan Gage is an American living in Paris at the time of the French Revolution who ends up with a mysterious pendant that people immediately start wanting too kill him over. Of course, the pendant is the key to vast power.

Gage is a likable protagonist; he once was an assistant to Ben Franklin in Paris. Every now and then he talks about that, but I k...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Roger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

Ethan Gage; young American protege of Ben Franklin gambles and carouses his way through Paris only to meet the equally young Napoleon Bonaparte. Ethan ends up traveling with Napoleon on his campaign to Egypt. Lot's of battles, intrigue, and just plan fun.

Ethan Gage is William Dietrich's hero. Ethan is a kind of 19th century Indian Jones; or perhaps a better fit would be Brandon Fraser's character in The Mummy, with a little James Bond thrown in. Make no mistake, these books will never be confuse...more

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About William Dietrich

William Dietrich is a NY Times bestelling author of the Ethan Gage series, which has sold into 28 languages. He is also the author of six other adventure novels, several nonfiction works on the environmental history of the Pacific Northwest, and a contributor to several books.

Bill was a career journalist, sharing a Pulitzer for national reporting at the Seattle Times for coverage of the Exxon Vald...more

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Quotes from Napoleon's Pyramids

“What sets our species apart is not just what men will do to other men, but how tirelessly they justify it.” — 6 people liked it

“Do we fear death? Of course. But it is death that makes room for birth, and the cycle of life is as natural as the rise and fall of the Nile. Death is our last and greatest duty.” — 2 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://discovereads.com/book/show/189568.Napoleon_s_Pyramids?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348825244l/189568.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://discovereads.com/book/show/189568.Napoleon_s_Pyramids?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich[/url]

Napoleon's Pyramids (Ethan Gage #1)

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