Stromboli and the Guns

In Short

This collection of loosely connected tales follows the exploits of Jean Antoine Stromboli Kosnapulski, a self-mythologizing revolutionary and adventurer. Moving from the cafes of London to the deserts of Libya and the prisons of Cuba, Stromboli navigates global chaos with nothing but his wits, a flair for the dramatic, and a penchant for physical confrontation. The book endures as a lively, picaresque study of a man who refuses to be anything less than the protagonist of his own world, regardless of the objective reality of his claims.

The Story

The narrative begins in a dismal London anarchist club, where a journalist encounters Stromboli, a white-bearded man claiming credit for the European revolutions of 1848. Captivated by this grandiosity, the narrator facilitates a series of sessions in a local tavern where Stromboli unfolds his life story. The protagonist moves through a dizzying array of roles: a filibuster in Cuba, a political agitator in Paris, a president of Nicaragua, and an uninvited guest of the powerful Senussi in the Libyan Desert.

In Cuba, Stromboli is sentenced to death by a military tribunal. Using his innate sense of command, he bluffs his way into a more favorable outcome by feigning a need for a spiritual advisor, ultimately orchestrating an escape. This pattern of turning adversity into a platform for his own ego repeats throughout his life. In Nicaragua, he is recruited by a wealthy American railroad king, Hiram P. Van Schuyler, to help secure mining and rail concessions. Stromboli accepts the challenge, effectively bribing the country’s cabinet ministers to clear his path to power. He eventually occupies the presidency, though he soon finds the position lacks the financial stability he requires.

His adventures in Paris are equally chaotic. During the Commune, he falls in love with the daughter of a sergent de ville, an occupationally inconvenient romance for a man committed to the "regeneration of the world." He manages to save his prospective father-in-law from a firing squad by pulling strings with the revolutionary leadership, showcasing his ability to manipulate both sides of a conflict.

Later, in Naples, he encounters the Camorra—a criminal society that demands tribute from travelers. Refusing to pay, Stromboli engages the group’s representative in a duel, famously substituting a sword for an umbrella. He wins the fight and promptly denounces the society, fleeing the scene with a bag of coins he considers a rightful "memento." Finally, he travels to the Libyan Desert to confront the mysterious Senussi. Through sheer audacity—and by forcing the religious leader to shave his own beard while looking into a mirror—Stromboli secures a safe-conduct pass. He returns to the narrator in London, still awaiting the payment he believes the world owes him for his services. The story ends as it began: with Stromboli looking toward the next meal and the next listener, forever the artist of his own legend.

How It Unfolds

The London meeting The narrator meets the aged, eccentric Stromboli in a dingy anarchist club, drawn to his claim of having single-handedly fueled the 1848 revolutions. They agree to meet at a tavern, where the journalist buys drinks in exchange for the older man’s life stories.

The Cuban filibuster Stromboli details his time as a soldier of fortune in Cuba, where he is captured and condemned to be shot. He tricks his captors into allowing him a priest, creating a distraction that facilitates his escape.

The Nicaraguan presidency Lured by an American capitalist, Stromboli takes a mercenary role in Central American politics. He bribes his way to the presidency, only to realize the office is a financial dead-end for an ambitious man.

The Parisian uprising He recounts his romantic complications during the Paris Commune, where his love for a policeman’s daughter forces him to navigate the violent divide between revolutionaries and the state.

The Neapolitan duel Traveling to Italy, Stromboli finds himself targeted by the Camorra. He challenges their representative to a duel, defeats him using a coup de savate and an umbrella, and escapes with their money.

The desert confrontation In his final tale, Stromboli claims to have coerced the legendary Senussi leader into granting him safe passage. He concludes by suggesting that his services to various political figures have yet to be properly compensated.

The People

Jean Antoine Stromboli Kosnapulski is the central figure, defined by his unshakable belief in his own importance. He views himself as a mastermind, using "force of character" and "knowledge of human nature" to manipulate those around him. He is unapologetically opportunistic, seeking status and wealth while maintaining the aesthetic of a revolutionary idealist.

The narrator serves as the audience and financier, a man whose skepticism is routinely disarmed by the sheer magnetism of Stromboli’s delivery. Unlike Stromboli, the narrator remains a grounded observer, though he is clearly entertained by the absurdity of the tales he records.

Supporting characters, such as the American capitalist Hiram P. Van Schuyler or the Neapolitan Camorrista, serve primarily as obstacles or resources for Stromboli. They are rarely given deep interior lives; instead, they exist to react to Stromboli’s demands or to provide the tension for his next escape. By the end of the book, Stromboli remains static, still chasing the next meal, while the reader is left to decide whether his life was a series of triumphs or a long, delusional performance.

In Its Own Voice

"'Yes, my comrades, it was I--moi qui vous parle--who made the revolution of 1848!'"

Stromboli introduces himself to a group of young, impressionable revolutionaries in a London club, establishing his larger-than-life persona immediately.

"'As soon as my right foot was planted on the ground, I launched the coup de savate with my left.'"

In the heat of a duel against the Neapolitan Camorra, Stromboli explains the precise, athletic move that secured his victory and allowed him to escape.

"'Fear nothing,' I said. 'I am Jean Antoine Stromboli Kosnapulski, and I shall not assassinate you unless it is absolutely necessary.'"

Stromboli reassures the President of Nicaragua upon storming his office, demonstrating his characteristic blend of menace and casual politeness.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book explores the power of the storyteller to rewrite his own history. Stromboli is less a true revolutionary and more a master of performance; he treats geopolitical upheavals as backdrops for his own personal brand of theater. The central question is whether the act of telling a story—even an exaggerated one—can be a form of agency in a world that often ignores the individual. Stromboli’s argument is that if one acts with sufficient confidence and commands the stage, the truth becomes secondary to the spectacle. He represents the survivalist who uses charm and audacity to navigate the "dismal" realities of a world defined by money and power.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the picaresque tradition—where a clever, morally fluid protagonist wanders through a chaotic world—will find Stromboli a captivating companion. The prose is brisk, punchy, and marked by a distinct Edwardian wit that finds humor in the absurdity of colonial-era adventure. It is a light, episodic read that does not demand much from the reader in terms of heavy plot construction, instead offering the pleasure of a tall tale told by an expert liar.

However, the book requires patience for its period-specific attitudes. The colonial settings and the casual depiction of non-European cultures are firmly rooted in the late 19th-century worldview, which modern readers may find dated or problematic. Stromboli himself is a product of this era, and his arrogance is part of the charm but also part of the challenge. Those interested in the history of the "adventure story" genre or the way early 20th-century authors constructed international intrigue will find this a fascinating, if sometimes frustrating, artifact. It feels like a long, late-night conversation in a smoke-filled room—entertaining, slightly unbelievable, and ultimately concerned with the power of the human voice to defy insignificance.