Napoleon Disentimed

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The British edition of Napoleon Disentimed, 1989

The Russian edition of Napoleon Disentimed, 1997

Napoleon Disentimed is a science-fiction novel by Hayford Peirce first published by Tor Books in 1987. It is a humorous treatment of two standard science-fiction themes, those of time travel and of parallel universes. The protagonist is a dapper, clever con man who, although born to humble origins in Bangor, Maine, United States, calls himself Sir Kevin Dean de Courtney MacNair of MacNair. Through a complicated series of misadventures he ends up impersonating Napoleon Bonaparte for the dictator's so-called "Missing Years", 1806-1808. By the end of the book he has succeeded in not only acquiring a beautiful wife and a slightly run-down château in France but in also inventing both the modern indoor flush toilet and Champagne. A sequel to Napoleon Disentimed, also featuring the MacNair, is The Burr in the Garden of Eden.