Many books have been written about St Helena and its most famous resident, the exiled Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The episode has been so intensively researched that it is rare for a fresh, unpublished account to come to light. Yet Dr James Verling's St Helena journal is just such a source. Verling was based on St Helena during Napoleon's imprisonment and he was even appointed as Napoleon's official physician. Throughout his stay, this young doctor kept a vivid diary of his experiences. Through Verling's eyes we get a fresh view of daily life on the island and of the suspicion-filled society that grew up around Napoleon during his last years.

J. David Markham is a distinguished Napoleonic scholar and biographer. Among his many publications are Napoleon's Road to Glory: Triumphs, Defeats and Immortality and Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon's Army, 1805-1814. He has written widely on Napoleonic topics for history magazines, journals and encyclopedias, and has appeared on the History, Discovery and Learning channels. He is president of the Napoleonic Alliance and executive vice-president and editor-in-chief of the International Napoleonic Society.