The Misled General

The Misled General is a novel written by Eaton Stannard Barrett and first published in 1808. The book is a seriocomic, satiric, mock-heroic romance that tells the story of a general who is misled by his own vanity and ambition. The general, whose name is not revealed, is a stereotypical military hero who is convinced of his own greatness and invincibility. He is obsessed with his own image and spends his time preening and posing for the admiration of others. The novel is set during the Napoleonic Wars and follows the general as he leads his troops into battle. However, his arrogance and incompetence lead to a series of disastrous defeats. Despite his repeated failures, the general refuses to acknowledge his mistakes and instead blames his subordinates for his own shortcomings. As the story unfolds, the general becomes embroiled in a series of absurd and comical situations. He is captured by the enemy, but manages to escape by dressing up as a woman. He falls in love with a beautiful spy, who turns out to be a man in disguise. He even tries to stage a fake battle to impress his superiors, but ends up humiliating himself instead. Throughout the novel, Barrett uses a combination of satire and parody to poke fun at the military and political establishment of his time. He also critiques the cult of hero worship that was prevalent in early 19th century Europe. The Misled General is a humorous and entertaining read that offers a unique perspective on the Napoleonic Wars and the culture of the time.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.