Beau Geste

Beau Geste is a 1924 novel by Percival Christopher Wren. It details the adventures of the orphaned brothers Michael (also known as Beau), his twin Digby, and their younger brother John. This novel is most known for its popularization of the French Foreign Legion. It has been adapted for both theater and cinema.

This novel provides examples of the following tropes:

 * The Ace: Michael, especially in the eyes of his idolizing brothers.
 * Angsty Surviving Twin:, but of a more subdued manner
 * Badass Army: The French Foreign Legion, as romanticized by the book.
 * Bittersweet Ending:
 * Drill Sergeant Nasty: Though he's not a drill sergeant, Lejaune's personality fits. To the point where the Legionnaires mutiny.
 * Eagle Land: Hank and Buddy are primarily type 1.
 * Homage: given in Peanuts
 * Honor Before Reason: rather an extreme version.
 * Legion of Lost Souls
 * Meaningful Name: Beau Geste, meaning "beautiful gesture" in French. Takes on Fridge Brilliance once the truth about the Blue Water is revealed.
 * Mineral MacGuffin: The sapphire, Blue Water.
 * Of Corpse He's Alive: The climax of the book. Taken seriously, however.
 * Shout-Out: The whole "leave dead guys firing" plot resembles that in The Three Musketeers.
 * Sibling Team : The Gestes.
 * Undying Loyalty: The Geste's to each other. Also Hank and Buddy.