Napoleon's novella gets English release

LONDON, May 8 (UPI) -- A London publisher said a romance novella authored by French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte will be released for the first time in English.

Publisher Gallic said "Clisson et Eugénie," which was published in French last year, was written by Napolean in the late 18th century when he was 26 and was among his possessions when he died at age 51 in exile on St. Helena, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

The publisher said the novella will be released in English this October with an essay about the French military leader by author and psychiatrist Armand Cabasson. The translation is being performed by Peter Hicks and Emily Barthet.

Jane Aitken, director of Gallic, said the novella will cast Napoleon in the light of "an accomplished writer of fiction."

"Although the piece of writing is short, it does cast an extraordinary light on Napoleon, who is someone we all think we know. We in Britain think of him as a military man, but here we see the romantic side to him," she said.