The Scarlet Pimpernel

Baroness Emmuska Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel is a thrilling tale of disguise, daring rescues, and secret identities set during the turmoil of the French Revolution.

As the Reign of Terror spreads across France, aristocrats condemned by the revolutionary tribunals face certain death at the guillotine. Yet a mysterious English hero known only as the Scarlet Pimpernel repeatedly slips across the Channel, rescuing victims from Paris and spiriting them safely out of danger.

The French authorities, determined to stop this elusive enemy of the Revolution, launch an intense search for the identity of the daring rescuer. Meanwhile, in London society, the seemingly idle and foolish Sir Percy Blakeney appears to be the last man anyone would suspect of heroic deeds.

With its clever disguises, tense escapes, and memorable characters, The Scarlet Pimpernel helped establish many of the conventions of the modern adventure and secret-identity story. First published in 1905, the novel became an international sensation and remains one of the most beloved adventure classics of the early twentieth century.