The Napoleon of Notting Hill · Chapter
Book IV explained
The final battle unfolds as Buck's massive army of four thousand men confronts Wayne's three hundred defenders.
What happens
The final battle unfolds as Buck's massive army of four thousand men confronts Wayne's three hundred defenders. The King, acting as a journalist, observes the carnage with growing despair. A sortie by Wayne's cavalry, mounted on commandeered cab horses, creates confusion in the dark. Wilson's Green Guards pursue, but the riders vanish, leaving riderless horses to stampede. In the chaos, allied forces accidentally attack each other. The King, visiting the Court Journal office, decides to revitalize the newspaper with sensational posters of the defeat.
Themes in this chapter
War and Sacrifice
The brutal arithmetic of Buck's army versus Wayne's hopeless stand highlights the futility and tragedy of sacrifice in war.
The Absurdity vs. Seriousness of Life
The King's shift from sickened observer to playful journalist, and the farcical use of cab horses, underscores the absurdity amid deadly seriousness.
The Nature of Leadership and Fanaticism
Wilson's cold anger and Buck's reliance on numbers contrast with Wayne's fanatical devotion, exploring different styles of command.
Characters to notice
- Auberon Quin
Acts as the Special Correspondent for the Court Journal, sickened by the battle's tragedy; later visits the office to inject sensationalism into the paper.
- James Barker
Rides in a hansom with Quin, reports the 'good news' of Buck's numerical superiority, and commands the South Kensington Blues.
- Mr. Buck
Leads the vast allied army of four thousand men; proposes sending a herald to demand surrender based on arithmetic.
- General Wilson
Commands the Green Guards of Bayswater; pursues Wayne's cavalry and deduces the riderless horses are a ruse.
- Adam Wayne
Leads a sortie on horseback from Pump Street; barricaded in Pump Street by dawn after the chaotic night.
- Mr. Turnbull
Ruling Pump Street in Wayne's absence; organized the commandeering of cabs and horses for the sortie.
- Mr. Hoskins
Editor of the Court Journal, called 'Pally' by the King; bewildered by the King's plans for the paper.
Key passages
“These men will be crushed before the sun is set; and new men will arise and be crushed, and new wrongs done, and tyranny will always rise again like the sun, and injustice will always be as fresh as the flowers of spring.”
The King reflects that the defenders will be defeated by sunset, but future generations will repeat the cycle of oppression and resistance.
Expresses Quin's despair at the eternal recurrence of injustice.
“Let us simply say that our army that is fighting their army, and their army that is fighting our army, amount altogether to about a thousand men. Say that we have four thousand. It is very simple.”
Buck proposes to send a herald stating that Wayne's three hundred must face four thousand seven hundred, reducing the conflict to cold numbers.
Highlights Buck's reliance on brute arithmetic over chivalry.
“Where did they get the horses?”
The journalist marvels at the mystery of how Wayne's cavalry obtained horses, later explained by Turnbull's scheme to commandeer cabs.
Illustrates the absurd ingenuity of the Notting Hill defenders.
