THE DEATH OF JOACHIM MURAT: 1815 and the Unfortunate Fate of One of Napoleon's Marshals

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In 1808, Napoleon appointed Joachim Murat king of Naples as a loyal ally until, in 1814, with Napoleon beaten and in retreat towards ruin and exile, he chose to betray their imperial relation and dramatically switched sides. A year later, he fled his kingdom, but Napoleon had not forgiven him and after Waterloo, the restored Bourbons were offering a reward for Murat's head. In September 1815, he set off and what happened next forms the core of this part-tragic, part-ridiculous story and a lesson in how not to stage a coup. Just five days after landing in Calabria, King Joachim was hauled before a firing squad and executed. Contains 8 color illustrations and 8 mono illustrations.