In 1902, a radical vegetarian and nudist from Nuremberg named August Engelhardt set sail for what was then called the Bismarck Archipelago. His destination: the island Kabakon. His goal: to found a colony based on worship of the sun and coconuts. His malnourished body was found on the beach on Kabakon in 1919; he was forty-three years old. In his first novel to be translated into English, internationally bestselling author Christian Krachht uses the outlandish details of Engelhardt's life to craft a fable about the allure of extremism and its fundamental foolishness. Playing with the tropes of classic adventure tales like Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe, Imperium is funny, bizarre, shocking, and poignant - sometimes all on the same page.
- ISBN10 1250097479
- ISBN13 9781250097477
- Publish Date 8 November 2016 (first published 25 July 2013)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 5 April 2024
- Publish Country US
- Imprint St Martin's Press
- Format Paperback
- Pages 192
- Language English