On Board the Emma

From the author of The Count of Monte-Cristo and The Three Musketeers, this is Alexandre Dumas' autobiographical account of his adventures during Garibaldi's campaign for the unification of Italy in 1860. The celebrated French novelist and playwright made a voyage between 1860 and 1864 to help General Garibaldi in Italy, sailing from France aboard his Liverpool-built yacht, Emma. In this book he describes his search for a vessel, flag and a captain, his voyage (which began at Marseilles) and his adventures with Garibaldi, the Italian patriot who had begun his career as a sailor like his father. On the outbreak of the Italian war of liberation in 1859, Garibaldi rendered valuable service to Victor Emmanuel and the French, and went on to assist the Mazzinists who had been conspiring against Bourbon tyranny in Sicily. In May 1860 Garibaldi and "the thousand heroes" landed at Marsala and within three months liberated Sicily. Dumas describes the "Thousand" at sea, the ships used in the landings, and the subsequent fighting across Sicily.