Battlesaurus (40 page)

They will also tell me that the word
dinosaur
was not even coined until 1842, well after this story is set.

My apologies also to historians, who will point out that the absence of the United States of America would have had a huge effect on European affairs. In a world without America, it is unlikely that events on the other side of the world would have unfolded exactly as they did.

Putting these issues aside, I tried to make this book as historically accurate as possible. The locations, events, and many of the characters are real, and depicted as accurately as I could do within the scope of the story.

I am greatly indebted to the excellent book
The Waterloo Companion: The Complete Guide to History's Most Famous Land Battle
by Mark Adkin, which was one of my primary historical sources.

Readers who want to know more about the real history of Napoléon and Waterloo can visit the
Battlesaurus
page on my Web site: www.brianfalkner.com/battlesaurus. On this page I have listed many of the real historical figures and events, with links to information about them. I have also outlined some of the differences between
Battlesaurus
and reality and have put up some of the notes and images that I uncovered during my research.

Thanks to Adam Paylor from Crafty Fox Productions for the reenactment footage in the book trailer.

*   *   *

Not all of my characters are based on real people; some are purely fictional. But some of those fictional characters have the names of real people. These are the grand-prize winners of my school competitions. Congratulations to:

•  Nikolas Bishop, Beaconhills College, Pakenham, Australia

•  Hunter Frost, Brundrett Middle School, Port Aransas, Texas, U.S.A.

•  Lachlan Grace, Remuera Intermediate, Auckland, New Zealand

•  Cam Henderson, Rangiora New Life School, Rangiora, New Zealand

•  Mathan Mogansondram, Onslow College, Wellington, New Zealand

•  Douglas Richardson, Bowen State High School, Bowen, Australia

•  Sam Roberts, Kimberley College, Brisbane, Australia

•  Blake Sinclair, A. B. Paterson College, Gold Coast, Australia

•  Jack Sullivan, Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane, Australia

•  Dylan Townshend, Albany Junior High School, Auckland, New Zealand

•  Harry Wacker, Nudgee Junior College, Brisbane, Australia

•  Dylan Wenzel-Halls, Silkstone State School, Ipswich, Australia

•  Ben Wood, Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane, Australia

•  Lewis Wood, St. Peters School, Cambridge, New Zealand

And a special thanks to:

Sofie Thielemans, Somerset College, Gold Coast, Australia

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Falkner
was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and now lives in Australia. He is the award-winning, best-selling author of several action-adventure novels, including the Recon Team Angel series and
Brainjack
. You can sign up for email updates
here
.

 

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CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright Notice

Dedication

Prologue

The Prisoner of Elba

Book One: The Coming of the Beasts

The Boy Who Brings the Bread

Ascension

Magician

The Hunt

The New World

The Nest

The Eggs

Laffrey

The Blacksmith

La Fête du Printemps

The Bonfire

The Monster

Book Two: Waterloo

The Artilleryman

April Fourth

Defenses

The Funeral

Sentry

Into the Forest

Firebird

Small Beer

Night

The Meeting

La Forêt de Soignes

Brussels

François

Ligny

Field Hospital

Mont-Saint-Jean

Attack

Casualties

Napoléon

Battlefield

Retreat

First Light

Book Three: The Hunting

Thibault

Hôpital de Campagne

The Abbey

The Magician's Mother

Cooperation

Kitchen

The Escape

Hunting Party

Sister

Under the Bridge

François's Prayer

Ambush

Major Lansard

The Sonian Caves

Antwerp

Old Friend

Lars

The Ruien

Mercy

Refuse

Departure

Breskens

La Grande Illusion

Ship of the Line

Le Prisonnier de Soignes

Author's Note

About the Author

Copyright

 

Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

175 Fifth Avenue, New York 10010

 

Copyright © 2015 by Brian Falkner

All rights reserved

 

First hardcover edition, 2015

eBook edition, July 2015

 

macteenbooks.com

 

eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected]

 

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Falkner, Brian.

    Battlesaurus: rampage at Waterloo / Brian Falkner.

        pages cm

    Summary: In this alternate history, Napoleon wins at Waterloo by unleashing a secret battlefield weapon—a legion of giant, carnivorous dinosaurs imported from the wilds of the Americas—and only fifteen-year-old Willem Verheyen stands in the way of the emperor's plan for world domination.

    ISBN 978-0-374-30075-3 (hardback)

    ISBN 978-0-374-30076-0 (e-book)

    [1. War—Fiction.  2. Magicians—Fiction.  3. Dinosaurs—Fiction.  4. Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769–1821—Fiction.  5. France— History—Consulate and First Empire, 1799–1815—Fiction.  6. Science fiction.] I. Title.

 

    PZ7.F1947Bat 2015

    [Fic]—dc23

2014040677

 

eISBN 9780374300760