Novel written by G. K. Chesterton in 1904, set in a nearly-unchanged London of the latter Twentieth century. G.K. Chesterton Gilbert Keith Chesterton (May 29, 1874 – June 14, 1936) was an English writer of the early 20th century. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ...

Though the novel deals with the future, it concentrates not on technology nor on totalitarian government but on a government where no one cares what happens, comparable to Fahrenheit 451 in that respect. Fahrenheit 451 book cover Fahrenheit 451 (1953) is a dystopian fiction novel by Ray Bradbury that was originally published as a shorter novella in the February 1951 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. ...

The dreary succession of randomly-selected kings of England is broken up when Auberon Quin, who cares for nothing but a good joke, is chosen. To amuse himself, he institutes elaborate costumes for the Provosts of the districts of London. All are bored by the King's antics except for one earnest young man who takes the cry for regional pride seriously--Adam Wayne, the eponymous Napoleon of Notting Hill. The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Notting Hill is a district of London located to the west of the centre and close to the north-western corner of Hyde Park. ...

While the novel is humorous (one instance has the King sitting on top of an omnibus and speaking to it as to a horse: "Forward, my beauty, my Arab," he said, patting the omnibus encouragingly, "fleetest of all thy bounding tribe"), it is also an adventure story: Chesterton is not afraid to let blood be drawn in his battles, fought with sword and halberd in the London streets, and Wayne thinks up a few ingenious strategies; and, finally, the novel is philosophical, considering the value of one man's actions and the virtue of respect for one's enemies.

It is interesting to compare the ending of this book with the second of C S Lewis' Space Trilogy, Perelandra, in which two abstracted philosophical forms engage in a conversation with each other over the nature of life and truth, and then depart into the spiritual plane. C S Lewis admitted that the writings of Chesterton had a profound influence on his life, and was mostly responsible for his conversion to Christianity. Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an author and scholar. ... Perelandra (also titled Voyage to Venus in a later edition published by Pan Books) is the second book in the Space Trilogy of C. S. Lewis. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ...

Chesterton's book has also had a value beyond entertainment. Two well known advocates of national independence were inspired by the book. They are Michael Collins who led the fight for Irish independence from British Rule (and carried a copy into battle) and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who led the peaceful cause for India's independence from the British Empire. Michael Collins (Irish name Micheál Ó Coileáin; October 16, 1890 – August 22, 1922), an Irish revolutionary leader, served as Minister for Finance in the Irish Republic, as Director of Intelligence for the IRA, as a member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations, as Chairman of... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to world attention. ...

Interestingly, the early chapters of the book are set in the year 1984 leading some to speculate that George Orwell was influenced by The Napoleon of Notting Hill however, Orwell never gave any indication that this was the case. 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by the pen name George Orwell, was a British author. ...

ISBN 0-486-26551-X