As I hadn't read any of my fellow authors' contributions to this Charity Anthology prior to publication, I've taken the liberty of reviewing their delightful offerings for "Tales from the Sergeant's Pack".
A delightful collection of Short Stories & Novellas in aid of St Luke's Hospice, Plymouth.
~
A Tale of Two
Engagements by A.C.A Hunter: Historical.
Take a moderately sized British
package ship mid-Atlantic with limited protective gun-power, and looming on the
near horizon is an unidentified ship on full sail – thus the scene is set for a passing
encounter. But is the ship French? If it is then Captain Finlay, his crew, and
passengers are in dire straits. What is worse, Captain Finlay feels doubly
responsible for his passenger sister, and when out-going fire from his cannon
causes the ship to shudder from stem to stern, and in-coming fire shatters ship
and humans to splintered fragments, Louisa refuses to abide to her brother’s
command to act the lady, and thus keep her head below decks?
Here we are given an action packed short novella, a good sense of life
aboard ship in wartime, and sufficient insight as to why Louisa is aboard her
brother’s ship.
~
Bobbing
in the Dark by Cliff Beaumont:
Contemporary Ghost Story.
Here we have the greatest ever
scheduled re-enactment Waterloo 200 in celebration of the bicentenary of the
Battle of Waterloo. With tents pitched in the Orchard at Hougoumont a British
contingent are taking a well-earned rest post-travel to the event. Amidst their
number is Mark Skinner, his mind awash with thoughts on how it must have been for
men of his rank and file in June 1815, and he’s not all that surprised when he's approached
by a fellow uniformed re-enactor, anymore than when another appears and orders
the first to fall in for duty. His own voluntary enlistment thus leads him into
a scary and thrilling mock battle, albeit he’s somewhat mystified by turn of
events, for at times it all seems a tad too real. But that’s what
re-enactment is all about ain’t it, with mock dead and wounded soldiers, else it
would be a mere walk in the park in fancy dress.
To say I thoroughly enjoyed this story; is to say it ticked all the
boxes for a suspenseful read.
~
The
Bravest of the Brave by David Cook: Historical.
In this story we are presented with
the inner perspective of Martial Ney, at the point where it is a case of do or
die for the French. Whilst the Emperor Napoleon, rides before his troops with
head held high as though Victory is theirs, Ney knows he must do his damn best
to achieve that outcome. But doubts linger in his mind questioning the sanity
of taking the initiative to advance against Wellington and the Allied Forces –
there has to be a better way but he has not the time to think it through.
Praying to heaven God is with the Emperor, Ney spurs his horse forward, and the
rest is History – so
to speak.
This is another story by David
Cook that sets the scene with excellent sense of time and place and no quarter
given to the squeamish reader. After all, war is war – Enjoy!
~
The
Chancer by Francine Howarth: Historical.
This is my naval orientated contribution
to the anthology, thus I cannot pass comment!
~
A
Person of No Consequence by Alison Stuart:
Historical Romance.
~
Picture a glittering ballroom and
fine array of coming-out damsels in search of wealthy husbands, chaperones in
abundance like faded wallflowers, and young bucks in search of suitable brides.
Thus the scene is set for an elegant marriage mart, though not all the guests
are seeking marriageable prey. Hence a heart-stopping moment occurs, and
memories from the past leap to the fore and cause distress to one person,
whilst curiosity is heightened for another. But can one dare to dream the past
could ever be revisited in the present and secure a differing outcome?
A lovely sweet romance in Alison Stuart’s
inimitable and award winning style.
~
August
27th by Jacqueline Reiter: Historical Fact.
~
Here we have a brief glimpse of the Walcheren
Island Campaign of 1809, where the initial object of the British Navy is to blockade
the mouth of the Scheldt (Antwerp Netherlands) and the primary objective to
destroy the French fleet purportedly lying at anchor in Flushing. But as you will
see from the interaction between leading field commanders of their day, not all
are of like mind in how best to proceed or indeed cope with an unforeseen pestilence
that more or less has rendered their task nigh impossible.
For the most part the reader affords insight to proceedings as they
unfold through the eyes and thoughts of Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Keats, and it’s
easy to see how politics, personal ambitions, and military strategy oft clash
when things go awry.
~
A
Clash of Empires by Paul Bennett: Historical fact inclusive fictional
characters.
~
In this novella the reader is
transported to the American Colonies the year of 1763, when the Pontiac
Rebellion – in
opposition to British rule on former French territory – begins in earnest with a confederacy of
Native American warriors who attack British forts. But the fort in Detroit defies
all the efforts of a combined tribal force to destroy its very existence, and Pontiac thence lays siege to the fort. A siege is the last
thing any commander would willingly face, and whilst some might raise a white
flag, Major Gladwin is made of sterner stuff.
Again no quarter is given to the squeamish reader, for this is a war
situation, in which brutal retaliation is markedly atmospheric.
~
Over
the Moon and Faraway by Daniel Methwell: Fiction.
This story is set, I believe, in the
region of Aragon, Spain during the Peninsular War (1808-1814). If not, my apology
to the author, who spins an amusing yarn not unalike a “Carry-On” movie style
plot – as far as the
humour goes. Thus with bungling French troopers and equally bungling British
troopers, this story equates to laughs-a-minute, and combined with earthy
trooper language drifting across the ether, a somewhat blue hue prevails. And
yet, the awfulness of war is lingering beyond the veiled fringe of humour, and
one can almost hear the old soldiers recounting this tale with touches of
laughter and a tear to eye.
Suffice to
say, it’s an all round fun chuckle read.
