Book excerpt: THE LAST LOVE begins as Napoleon, defeated and a prisoner, arrives at the island of St. Helena to begin his exile. But while Longwood, a broken-down, rat-infested farmhouse, is being readied for the captive hero and his entourage, he stays at an Englishman's country mansion, where he meets lovely young Betsy Balcome--high-spirited, outspoken, and the only French-speaking member of the family. Betsy acts as interpreter for the hero, and through this inspired rendering of their great friendship, this colorful conqueror emerges as a compelling human figure . . . an extraordinary man and a transcendent genius. Here is a stirring narrative of magnificent tenderness and understanding, the moving magnificent tenderness and understanding, the moving story of the great man.