This is my first column in EE&L. Last issue, I introduced myself in the editorial on page six after joining the staff earlier this year. I must begin here, however, with a confession: Unlike the rest of the staff, I am not an expert on the Napoleonic era. So, what can I possibly contribute to the magazine? The purpose of this column is to learn about this incredibly exciting period of history by locating and researching Napoleonic products and services offered by a myriad of companies and individuals. In other words, as I discover what's available, who makes it, and how it contributes to a greater understanding of the French Revolution and life during the First Empire, I will present it to the readers through the Napoleonic Sourcebook. I have done historical research, designed wargames, and written review columns for more than twenty years, so the Napoleonic area offers new challenges for my skills. The goals of my exploratory work are education and presentation of information in ways that the readers may find useful and unique. Here are a few of the ideas for future columns: A Napoleonic Guide to Christmas Shopping; How to Get Started in Napoleonic Wargaming; Starting a Napoleonic Library; Starting a Napoleonic Collection; The Best Napoleonic Reference Books; The Best Napoleonic Museums & Battlefields to Visit; and many more! If there is a particular type of product or service you would like to see appear in a survey or reviewed in this column, please send me your suggestions. NSA For my first column, I would like to mention an organization which is getting a lot of publicity for its sponsorship of a very special investigation. At its 10th Annual Conference in Chicago the weekend of September 9- 11,1994, The Napoleonic Society of America will present the results of tests performed on Napoleon's hair. The purpose of the tests is to find out if the Emperor was murdered by arsenic poisoning as is alleged by Dr. Ben Weider, C.M., Ph.D., of Montreal, and author of the best-seller, The Murder of Napoleon (Congdon and Lattes, 1982, distributed by St. Martin's Press, but currently out of print). There is much debate and controversy surrounding the subject of Napoleon's death during his exile at St. Helena. Robert Snibbe, President and Managing Director of The Napoleonic Society, obtained a hair sample that was cut from the Emperor's head six hours after his death on May 5, 1821. This hair was given to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the results of the FBI Crime Lab's testing of the sample may prove or disprove that the hair actually came from Napoleon's head, and also whether it contains any levels of arsenic. Following the FBI's findings and debate to follow, the lock of hair will be the most important item of more than one hundred lots to be offered at the first International Napoleonic Antiques Auction to be run by the Leslie Hindman Auctioneers at the N.S.A. Conference. There will also be a variety of dealers in ai Napoleonic Antiques Bazaar and several seminars, including "Life in the Napoleonic Navy," "Collecting Napoleonic Militaria," and "The Loves of Her Imperial Highness Pauline Bonaparte," to name just a few. I hope to have a report about this Conference in a future column. In the meantime, I have joined the Society and plan to report on the benefits and experiences I gain as a member. If you're interested in learning more about The Napoleonic Society of America, a free sample copy of their publication, Member's Bulletin, and membership application can be obtained by writing to: The Napoleonic Society of America, 1115 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Clearwater, FL 34616 USA. Tell them you saw it in EE&L. Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 2 No. 8 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com