The Scarlet Pimpernel: Books

Non-Orczy books | Orczy novels

The Scarlet Pimpernel Vocal Selections, by Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton. Sheet music for songs from the original Broadway version (SP1) of the musical . "Prayer" is not included, but then again, no one can sing that but Douglas Sills anyway. :-) Contents: Believe -- Vivez! -- Into The Fire -- Falcon In The Dive -- When I Look At You -- The Scarlet Pimpernel -- Where's The Girl? -- The Creation Of Man -- The Riddle -- They Seek Him Here -- Only Love -- She Was There -- Storybook -- You Are My Home. Includes a reprint of the liner notes from the Original Broadway Cast release (in a font size that can easily be read!), along with color photos from the show. Order from Amazon.com or Sheet Music Plus
Backstage : Broadway Behind the Curtain, photographs by Rivka Shifman Katvan. Published by Abrams, 2001. Includes a few photos from SP1 of Douglas Sills and Terrence Mann. Order from Amazon.com
The Scarlet Pimpernel, a play by Baroness Orczy, adapted by Beverley Cross. Published by Samuel French. A play first produced in England in 1985. Starring Donald Sinden as Sir Percy. This is a more literal adaption of the original story than the Broadway musical, set mostly The Fisherman's Rest and the Grenville's ball. Marguerite is more the focus, and Percy seems more annoying that heroic. This play uses the original Orczy doggerel, "We seek him here, we seek him there....", rather than the "They seek" that is more familiar. Includes several "sink me's", one "Oh Gad, no! Your Highness!", a chest bump with Chauvelin ("I fear I have disturbed the set of your coat") and a later critique, "That hideous thing round your neck - why it sticks out like a bowsprit on a Dutch barge..." "Take your hands away!" Order from Amazon.com
The Blakeney Papers (series) : Daughter of the Revolution, Such Mighty Rage, Bordeaux Red by C. Guy Clayton. Macdonald & Co., 1984-1986. The adventures of Marguerite Blakeney. Order from
The Making of the Scarlet Pimpernel, by Geoff Tibballs. London: Boxtree, 1998. Companion to the BBC television movies starring Richard E. Grant. Order from Amazon UK or
GURPS Scarlet Pimpernel: Swashbuckling Adventure in Revolutionary France by Lisa Evans and Robert Traynor. Published by Steve Jackson Games, 1991. Background for a role-playing game, this book is filled with rich historical and cultural detail of the Revolutionary period. Percy is described as "Age 29, blue-eyed blond, powerful physique, 6'3", 200 lbs" with these characteristics: filthy rich, extraordinary luck, charisma attractive, strong willed, but with the odious personal habit of buffoonery. Read more about it at sjgames.com. Order from
Famous Couples Fashion Doll Patterns, by Hazel McMahon. Hobby House Press, 2003. Costumes based on famous historical couples for 15 inch dolls, include those for Sir Percy Blakeney and his bride Marguerite St. Just. Order from Amazon.com or Amazon UK
The Spiral Path, by Mary Jo Putney. Berkeley, 2002. A romance novel about a heart-throb actor who has met his wife when they starred as Sir Percy and Marguerite in a fabulously successful film adaption of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Fiction, alas. Order from Amazon.com or Amazon UK
Possession, by Lori Herter. Berkeley, 1992. A really bad vampire/romance novel. The interesting thing about it is that the hero is a playwright who became a vampire in the year 1616, but lives latter-day Chicago and his newest work is a musical version of The Scarlet Pimpernel in which Percy is a vampire. The author has a nympho vampire friend, who becomes obsessed with the actor portraying Percy. Most of the book is set during rehersals, which, oddly enough, all of which the actor does with full prosthetic makeup and costumes. He has to wear a blond wig and the rubber mask because he has a round cherubic face (not an aquiline nose) and brown curly hair, and because he was very famous on a sitcom, and doesn't want the audience to see his TV image. Out of print. Order from abebooks.com or Amazon.com
Confession, by Lori Herter. Berkeley, 1992. Sequel to Possession [above], the further adventures of the vampire playwright who is now writing the screenplay for the film version of the stage musical about the vampire Scarlet Pimpernel. Also featured is the actor who made the role famous. The actor (named Matthew McDowall) is now starring as Percy in Australia, after having premiered the role in Chicago, then winning the Tony award for the Broadway production, then winning the Olivier award for London. After 3 years in the role, he's a little burnt out. His girlfriend, who he didn't notice was a vampire, reveals herself to him and offers him the chance to have boundless strength and energy. He has a few issues himself, as he can't seem to separate himself from the role, nor does he want to. Problem is, he won't be able to do any matinees if he takes up her offer... Out of print. Order from abebooks.com or Amazon.com
Margaret Weis' Testament of the Dragon: An Illustrated Novel. Harper Prism, 1997. Fantasy fiction, contains a novella called "The Pimpernel Problem" by Janet Pack. The main character, Justin Sterling is immortal and apparently turns into some sort of a dragon called The Wyrm. He finds himself in 1792 France, where he manages to join the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. But it takes one to know one, and Percy Blakeney sees through Sterling's disguise, nearly getting killed in the process. Weird stuff. Order from Amazon.com
A Sharpness on the Neck by Fred Saberhagen. TOR Books, 1998. "In 1792, Philip Radcliffe comes to France to deliver a letter to Thomas Payne, only to doom himself and his descendants to suffer a vampire's eternal vengeance. In present day, Philip and June Radcliffe are kidnapped on their honeymoon. Their captor, a mysterious Mr. Graves, swears that he aims to protect them. Yet as the thrilling story unfolds, involving Napoleon, the Marquis de Sade, and the Scarlet Pimpernel, as well as Jerry Cruncher and Detective Dupin, the young couple refuses to believe him--a mistake that is certain to cost them their lives." Order from Amazon.com or Amazon UK
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig. Dutton, 2005. A modern American graduate student is studying the legend of the Pink Carnation, someone who was apparently in league with both the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. The story moves back to 1803 to uncover the secret of the Napoleonic spy, a chum of Percy Blakeney. Order from Amazon.com
The Pimpernel Plot (Time Wars, Book 3) by Simon Hawke. Berkley, 1985. Time travel sci-fi stuff. Order from Amazon.com or Amazon UK
The Hero of the Third Grade by Alice DeLaCroix and Cynthia Fisher. Holiday House, 2002. A children's book about a boy who is inspired by the film The Scarlet Pimpernel and anonymously helps his schoolmates who are in trouble. Order from Amazon.com

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