Waterloo, June 1815: The army of Napoleon is about to launch an attack against the English army. 140,000 soldiers face a battle that will forever change the course of history. .. North Sea, March 1934: The ocean liner named “Queen,” unaware of the drama that is taking place inside, glides quietly towards the Aleutian Islands. A terrible storm suddenly turns the sea into a wild beast and after a long and exhausting struggle, strikes its prey and drags her into its coils.. . Florence, December 1980: Nico Costa, a young Florentine archaeologist, was hired by a wealthy German art dealer named Helgermayer Rufus, to rediscover the missing “Leonardo's Horse,” a masterpiece created by Leonardo da Vinci. .. |
What do these three events, so seemingly unrelated to each other, have in common? What fused them together?
In a nutshell, these are the three pieces of a complicated puzzle that Nico Costa, a young Florentine archaeologist, seeks to settle.
It is a puzzle whose value has launched courageous researchers, passionate aesthetes and collectors, and greedy billionaires to do anything to get a hold of this archeological find. The “Leonardo's Horse” is a treasure that aroused the determination of Nico Costa and his colleagues, the passion of a rich art dealer named Rufus Helgermayer and the beautiful Giulia, and the obsession of Gerald Lequerque, the heir to a family of Mafn, who vowed to steal the precious relic.
So, in a whirlwind of twists and turns, the story, spanning Hty years of passion and deception, unfolds between the warm and mysterious mood of Egypt and the cold waters of the North Sea, following a faint trail peppered with chases, explosions, shootings, sunken treasure and archaeological finds.
In a nutshell, these are the three pieces of a complicated puzzle that Nico Costa, a young Florentine archaeologist, seeks to settle.
It is a puzzle whose value has launched courageous researchers, passionate aesthetes and collectors, and greedy billionaires to do anything to get a hold of this archeological find. The “Leonardo's Horse” is a treasure that aroused the determination of Nico Costa and his colleagues, the passion of a rich art dealer named Rufus Helgermayer and the beautiful Giulia, and the obsession of Gerald Lequerque, the heir to a family of Mafn, who vowed to steal the precious relic.
So, in a whirlwind of twists and turns, the story, spanning Hty years of passion and deception, unfolds between the warm and mysterious mood of Egypt and the cold waters of the North Sea, following a faint trail peppered with chases, explosions, shootings, sunken treasure and archaeological finds.
Preview:
JUNE 17, 1815- WATERLOO
From a small hill on the plain of Waterloo the Duke of Wellington, with a frown and a thoughtful expression on
his face, gazed across the cloudy horizon. He did not feel comfortable and his mind worked incessantly to ward off bad
omens that lay before him like ghosts.
His thoughts centered on the French Emperor and his undefeated army. His anger was rising, holding him in a vise-
like grip that he could hardly breathe.
How can he possibly succeed when so many had failed? Is it possible to win against Napoleon?
He shook his head; he was exhausted. The nervous tension of the last few hours was becoming unbearable.He needed to rest, but he was also aware that he should take advantage of every minute to organize his army before the arrival of the enemy troops.
He knew that General Blucher had already been defeated by the French near Ligny.He prayed that the retreat happened smoothly; this is to allow the Prussian army to join his troops in time. They outnumbered the French.He looked in the distance one last time, towards those clouds that foretold nothing good. He wrapped himself in his cloak; he walked toward the camp, hoping in his heart of hearts that it will rain.
At the same time, several kilometers further south, the French army, commanded by Napoleon, advanced towards Waterloo.
After sending a contingent of 32,000 men, commanded by Marshal Grouchy, in pursuit of Blucher, to prevent the Prussian
General and his men from reaching Wellington. Napoleon’s idea was brilliant in its simplicity: split the two armies and then, defeat them one at a time. After a day and a half of marching, the French reached Waterloo and set up a camp near a farm. The soldiers were tired. They were tired of marches, battles, food shortages, and bad weather. It didn’t help to uplift their mood that they will be facing highly-trained mercenaries in the upcoming battle. They shared a frugal meal in a quiet, which was broken
only by the sudden sound of the rain that began to fall violently; even Napoleon was exhausted, but his face still has
a serene expression. He gathered his generals to distribute the latest provisions and raise morale for those tired men who had
followed him in many battles. “If you stick strictly to my orders, tomorrow, we will sleep in Brussels. Wellington does not have our experience, you can sleep in peace.”
The commanders did not answer; everyone was gripped by a feeling of fear and anxiety, but they followed their Emperor
to death. Their unshakable confi dence in him was boundless. When the sun rose at dawn on a stifl ing June 18, the view of
the plains of Waterloo was breathtaking. 140,000 men braced themselves for a new battle they will
face. 68,000 British and 72,000 French would decide the fate of history.
Napoleon was watching through binoculars the enemy lines, trying to penetrate the mind of the opponent in order to
anticipate their every move, when Commander Ney interrupt his train of thoughts.
“Sire, why wait any longer? The army is ready to fi ght.”
“It’s still too early, damn it,” he replied, “we have to wait
until the mud dries otherwise we will not be able to maneuver the artillery.”
“But we will lose precious time; we must attack now!” “Silence! Do as I told you, you position the artillery and
wait for my signal.”
Ney moved quickly. Every now and then he turned to look at the countryside a few kilometers further east, hoping not to see General Blucher hampered by the troops of Grouchy: a slightest mistake would have been fatal. His plan was very simple: attack the castle-farm on the left where they had barricaded the British troops fi rst and then break through the middle, conquering the farm dell’Haye. He knew he should not give too much time in favor of the enemy but to attack in the muddy ground would be an imprudence that is too high a price to pay; he would risk losing men and horses. They spent hours waiting, anticipating the moves of the two armies. Couriers carried orders to the various departments. The brave French soldiers tried to boost their morale by singing hymns but most of them knew they will no longer be able to return home.
At 11:30 the battle began. The French troops attacked the Hougomont farm in a fl urry of gunfi re and screams. They were
unaware; however, that Wellington fortifi ed his soldiers the previous night: 1,500 of the best British soldiers were stationed
along the walls behind small openings from which they were fi ring incessantly.
It was a real bloodbath, with numbers of French soldiers falling under their enemies’ bullets. The French, bogged down in the mud, hampered by the corpses of their comrades, were dying by scores. Jerome Bonaparte, brother of the Emperor, in command of this battalion, could not believe his eyes: what was announced as a simple assault turned into a bloody massacre.
At exactly two in the afternoon, Napoleon gave the order to start the bombardment. The British troops were in panic. After a moment of total confusion, the British were able to organize the defense.......
TO BE CONTINUED
From a small hill on the plain of Waterloo the Duke of Wellington, with a frown and a thoughtful expression on
his face, gazed across the cloudy horizon. He did not feel comfortable and his mind worked incessantly to ward off bad
omens that lay before him like ghosts.
His thoughts centered on the French Emperor and his undefeated army. His anger was rising, holding him in a vise-
like grip that he could hardly breathe.
How can he possibly succeed when so many had failed? Is it possible to win against Napoleon?
He shook his head; he was exhausted. The nervous tension of the last few hours was becoming unbearable.He needed to rest, but he was also aware that he should take advantage of every minute to organize his army before the arrival of the enemy troops.
He knew that General Blucher had already been defeated by the French near Ligny.He prayed that the retreat happened smoothly; this is to allow the Prussian army to join his troops in time. They outnumbered the French.He looked in the distance one last time, towards those clouds that foretold nothing good. He wrapped himself in his cloak; he walked toward the camp, hoping in his heart of hearts that it will rain.
At the same time, several kilometers further south, the French army, commanded by Napoleon, advanced towards Waterloo.
After sending a contingent of 32,000 men, commanded by Marshal Grouchy, in pursuit of Blucher, to prevent the Prussian
General and his men from reaching Wellington. Napoleon’s idea was brilliant in its simplicity: split the two armies and then, defeat them one at a time. After a day and a half of marching, the French reached Waterloo and set up a camp near a farm. The soldiers were tired. They were tired of marches, battles, food shortages, and bad weather. It didn’t help to uplift their mood that they will be facing highly-trained mercenaries in the upcoming battle. They shared a frugal meal in a quiet, which was broken
only by the sudden sound of the rain that began to fall violently; even Napoleon was exhausted, but his face still has
a serene expression. He gathered his generals to distribute the latest provisions and raise morale for those tired men who had
followed him in many battles. “If you stick strictly to my orders, tomorrow, we will sleep in Brussels. Wellington does not have our experience, you can sleep in peace.”
The commanders did not answer; everyone was gripped by a feeling of fear and anxiety, but they followed their Emperor
to death. Their unshakable confi dence in him was boundless. When the sun rose at dawn on a stifl ing June 18, the view of
the plains of Waterloo was breathtaking. 140,000 men braced themselves for a new battle they will
face. 68,000 British and 72,000 French would decide the fate of history.
Napoleon was watching through binoculars the enemy lines, trying to penetrate the mind of the opponent in order to
anticipate their every move, when Commander Ney interrupt his train of thoughts.
“Sire, why wait any longer? The army is ready to fi ght.”
“It’s still too early, damn it,” he replied, “we have to wait
until the mud dries otherwise we will not be able to maneuver the artillery.”
“But we will lose precious time; we must attack now!” “Silence! Do as I told you, you position the artillery and
wait for my signal.”
Ney moved quickly. Every now and then he turned to look at the countryside a few kilometers further east, hoping not to see General Blucher hampered by the troops of Grouchy: a slightest mistake would have been fatal. His plan was very simple: attack the castle-farm on the left where they had barricaded the British troops fi rst and then break through the middle, conquering the farm dell’Haye. He knew he should not give too much time in favor of the enemy but to attack in the muddy ground would be an imprudence that is too high a price to pay; he would risk losing men and horses. They spent hours waiting, anticipating the moves of the two armies. Couriers carried orders to the various departments. The brave French soldiers tried to boost their morale by singing hymns but most of them knew they will no longer be able to return home.
At 11:30 the battle began. The French troops attacked the Hougomont farm in a fl urry of gunfi re and screams. They were
unaware; however, that Wellington fortifi ed his soldiers the previous night: 1,500 of the best British soldiers were stationed
along the walls behind small openings from which they were fi ring incessantly.
It was a real bloodbath, with numbers of French soldiers falling under their enemies’ bullets. The French, bogged down in the mud, hampered by the corpses of their comrades, were dying by scores. Jerome Bonaparte, brother of the Emperor, in command of this battalion, could not believe his eyes: what was announced as a simple assault turned into a bloody massacre.
At exactly two in the afternoon, Napoleon gave the order to start the bombardment. The British troops were in panic. After a moment of total confusion, the British were able to organize the defense.......
TO BE CONTINUED