The Beast of Gevaudan finally unmasked ?
It was at the beginning of summer in 1764 that the Beast first entered the history books, when it attacked a female cowherd on the outskirts of Langogne.
From that moment, for three long years, it was to sow terror throughout the entire region of Gévaudan committing crime after crime, each attack more hideous than the one before, totalling some 250 or so altogether.
By following its bloody trail, and by placing characters and events in their context, the author has succeeded in drawing up an identikit portrait of the Beast, as well as introducing us to other animals, closely related to the Beast of Gévaudan, which, though not enjoying the same notoriety, have nevertheless left their mark on the history of France.
Finally he proceeds to the risky business of actually identifying the Beast, stripping away the veil from a riddle which has lasted for more than two centuries.
Year of publication of the presented edition : 2004
Editor : Les 3 Spirales
Pascal Cazottes, a native of La Capelle-Bleys has been passionate about the first French emperor and the period relating to it since his earliest childhood. He therefore decided to put his pen to the service of the epic of the Little Corporal, in order to, in his own words, "pay homage to the one who was undoubtedly the greatest leader in our history".
This does not prevent him from making a small detour through the story of the Beast of Gévaudan.
