‘Captivate, kill or destroy the whole force of the enemy’ was the order given to the American soldiers in the summer 1779.
Seven hundred and fifty British soldiers and three small ships of the Royal Navy. Their orders: to build a fort above a harbour to create a base from which to control the New England seaboard.
Forty-one American ships and over nine hundred men. Their orders: to expel the British.
The battle that followed was a classic example of how the best-laid plans can be disrupted by personality and politics, and of how warfare can bring out both the best and worst in men. It is a timeless tale of men at war.
The Fort tells the story of the military action which took place at Penobscot Bay where General McLean of the British Army was sent to set up a garrison to control the New England seaboard and offer a place of refuge for loyalists fleeing from the American War of Independence. The American rebels in their turn planned to oust the British in a show of strength. The novel is told from four perspectives – both the British and American, and for each side descriptions of the action on land and at sea. This gives the reader a feel for the complexity of what was going on and also the rivalries which can cause problems for military expeditions. One problem I initially had with this approach though is that some of the sections, particularly at the beginning of the book, were quite short and I had to stop to remind myself which side I was reading about; but as the story progressed this became less of a distraction. I found myself becoming increasingly engrossed in the story and eager to find out what happened next.
The American War of Independence is not something I have studied in any great depth so the story of Fort George was completely new to me. As with all of his novels Mr Cornwell has obviously spent a great deal of time researching this period, and this action in particular, and has conveyed a real feel for warfare at the time. I was particularly impressed with his descriptions of the navel engagements from both a tactical point of few and from the perspective of the sailors. Such battles must have been truly terrifying for the participants.
Fans of Bernard Cornwell’s ‘Sharpe’ novels may be surprised by this book; it has a very accurate historical focus but less attention is given to the personal lives and romantic relationships of the characters. Having said that, most of the people who appear in this novel are real historical figures and much of their conversation and actions is based on authentic documents. This gives the novel a real feeling of authenticity, placing the reader in the midst of the conflict and eliciting feelings of anger and frustration towards some of the people (I have completely changed my view of Paul Revere!) whilst leaving me wanting to know more about others (in particular Lieutenant John Moore who went on help reform and develop the British Army and who appears to have been a fascinating character).
The Fort is not a novel for those who like historical stories where the main protagonist is in a fight of ‘good and evil’ against an opponent who holds some sort of a grudge against them, and where the hero then goes on to win the day pretty much all by himself. But if you like a well-researched, accurate account of a little known event in history then I would recommend that you take the time to read and appreciate The Fort.
‘The Fort’ can be found on Amazon
Bernard Cornwell’s website
More of my book reviews can be found here
Summer 1942. When Bernie Gunther is ordered to speak at an international police conference, an old acquaintance has a favour to ask. Little does Bernie suspect what this simple surveillance task will provoke . . .
‘Winter Of The World’ is the second part of Ken Follett’s trilogy about the twentieth century. It is an ambitious novel, taking readers from 1933 through the Second World War to 1949. The plotting is complex with characters in the US, England, Germany and Russia who experience some of the key points of this period of history – the rise of Hitler, the Nazi euthanasia programme, the war in Europe, Pearl Harbour, war in the Pacific, the development of the atom bomb, the aftermath of war in Germany – the list could go on and on. The raft of characters and wide ranging storylines does mean that some important parts of this period of history are missed or skimmed over, but that is perfectly understandable.
‘The Nightingale’ is a novel which will grip you from start to finish with its portrayal of life for two sisters in France during the Second World War. Vianne’s husband is taken by the Germans to a labour camp. Having a daughter makes Vianne cautious, intent on ensuring that they both survive the war. Her sister, Isabelle, is younger, more daring; a girl who has felt unloved for most of her life and feels she needs to do something, anything, to give meaning to her existence. Yet as the years progress, as hunger and lack of all luxuries set in, so the characters change to meet their changing circumstances. Small changes at first, but for each action there is a consequence leading, almost inevitable, to more dangerous actions. This is real life in the sense that it is moral choices that people make which mould them, choices which they sometimes wish they didn’t have to make but which cannot be avoided.
Two weeks before D-Day, the French Resistance attacks a chateau containing a telephone exchange vital to German communications – but the building is heavily guarded and the attack fails disastrously.
Paris in 1895. Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish officer, has just been convicted of treason, sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil’s Island, and stripped of his rank in front of a baying crowd of twenty-thousand. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, the ambitious, intellectual, recently promoted head of the counterespionage agency that “proved” Dreyfus had passed secrets to the Germans. At first, Picquart firmly believes in Dreyfus’s guilt. But it is not long after Dreyfus is delivered to his desolate prison that Picquart stumbles on information that leads him to suspect that there is still a spy at large in the French military. As evidence of the most malignant deceit mounts and spirals inexorably toward the uppermost levels of government, Picquart is compelled to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also his most deeply held beliefs about his country, and about himself.
Before reading this novel I had a sketchy knowledge of the Irish War of Independence. ‘The Soldier’s Farewell’ has brought it to life for me. Set in England and Ireland in 1921 this novel follows the Ryan brothers through these momentous historical times. Stephen is an Irishman who fought for the British during the First World War, he is subsequently sent to London as part of the Irish Delegation to help with negotiations for the independence of Ireland. Joe, his brother, is jailed for his actions as a member of the IRA. Through the two brothers we follow the political and military upheavals of the early 1920’s, the ending of one war and the beginning of a new, more sinister conflict.
Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn, are well known facts of history. Most people even know the names of some of the other people who played key roles in this matter. What Hilary Mantel has done in ‘Wolf Hall’ is to breathe life into these people. To flesh out the brief, dusty biographies of history into living, breathing people. People we can love or hate, laugh with or laugh at, care for or hope for their downfall.
Dorinda Balchin - Author 