'Rabble In Arms' by Kenneth Roberts (1933)

Rabble In Arms is the second novel of a Revolutionary War trilogy by Kenneth Roberts, following Arundel. The two novels have the same publication date, but it's unclear whether they were written in the same year. They have very different first-person narrative styles. Steven Nason, the fictional woodsman of Arundel, has an archaic, plain-spoken manner meant to invoke that particular time and place. Nason returns as a character in Rabble In Arms but the narrator this time is another fictional resident of the little town of Arundel, Maine. Peter Merrill is the son of a shipbuilder and a fourth-generation native son. Peter uses none of the archaic terms, stilted speech and provincial attitudes of Steven Nason, making the Merrills seem both more contemporary and less authentic. Another returning character from Arundel is Nason's rough-and-ready friend Cap Huff, who has lost none of his fractured syntax, sideways reasoning and light-fingered ways. I did, however, miss Nason's commentary on his friend's idiosyncrasies.

As the novel opens in March 1776, Peter and his younger brother Nathaniel are in London on a mission to sell one of their father's ships. A letter from home tells of the hardships suffered by those in Arundel who seem to lack zeal in support of the Revolution. The elder Merrill asks his sons to return as soon as possible, as their stay in London has aroused the suspicions of the local Patriots. Upon their return, they are persuaded to join Nason and Huff in a company preparing to march from Arundel to reinforce General Benedict Arnold's little American army in resisting a British invasion from Canada.

The brothers are not entirely convinced that taking on the British army is a good idea, but realize that their family will be safe from patriotic persecution only if the Merrills join the cause. Their story joins with Arnold's from the strategic retreat from Canada through the climactic American victory at Saratoga, New York. In addition to the excitement of the historical story, Roberts adds romance, espionage and comic relief from the irrepressible Cap Huff. I felt that the fictional characters were not as well-drawn as in Arundel, but still engaging.

The five criteria:

1. Did the novel inspire me to further historical research?

Not as much as Arundel, since I knew more about these events before reading the novel. Still, Roberts' portrayals of Arnold and other historical characters makes me want to read more about them, and about those world-changing years. Score = 4

2. Did the novel include enough history to make it an interesting historical story?

Yes. The Saratoga campaign culminated in the victory that ended the British threat in the north. Roberts includes extensive historical detail; military, political and personal. Score = 5

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

Yes. Once again, Roberts is scrupulously faithful to historical sources. Details of battle scenes and military life are certainly somewhat fictionalized, but have an authentic feel. Score = 5

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

Roberts casts most of the historical characters as heroes or villains, without much in between. Hero-in-chief is once again Benedict Arnold. Principal villains are Horatio Gates and James Wilkinson. Each of these men was certainly more complex than Roberts' fictionalized portrayals, but the novel does not attempt nuanced character studies of historicals. In the next to last chapter, Roberts (speaking through Peter Merrill) postulates a somewhat fantastical justification of Arnold's later treason. However, other than that speculative bit and the good-vs-evil simplification, the historical characters' actions seem to be accurately described. Score = 4

5. Would I read another novel by this author, continuing in this historical period, with these characters (or new ones)?

Definitely. The third volume of the trilogy is The Lively Lady. My library doesn't have it, so I'll have to buy it at some point. Score = 4.

'Arundel' by Kenneth Roberts (1933)

Yet again, the great historical novel site HistoricalNovels.info has facilitated my discovery of a very fine historical novel author, Kenneth Roberts. Arundel is the first in a Revolutionary War trilogy, following the adventures of several fictitious residents of what later became the state of Maine. The novel's first-person narrator Steven Nason and his family are traders and proprietors of an inn serving the little town of Arundel, later renamed Kennebunkport (today's Arundel lies further to the north). Steven has become an accomplished backwoodsman by the time he reaches adulthood, knowledge he gained by accompanying his father on trading trips among the Indians. Steven joins Colonel Benedict Arnold's small expeditionary force in the fall of 1775 to help guide him through the northern wilderness to attack British-held Quebec.

Being written in 1933, the writing style of Arundel sometimes seems quaint, but never dated. Steven's narration and private thoughts are related in a convincingly provincial and straightforward style, without condescension. I had fun finding definitions for some of the archaic words and activities.

The five criteria:

1. Did the novel inspire me to further historical research?

Yes. For the first time since I began this blog, I had a straight history at hand to consult when in doubt about historical details. Willard Stern Randall's Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor helped to provide context for the novel. Google Earth also came in handy for viewing the country described and the route of Arnold's expedition. As he notes following the end of the novel, Roberts' sources included several journals kept by officers in Arnold's little army. These first-person accounts supply many of the day-to-day details that make the story compelling. Plus, I always appreciate it when writers of historical fiction acknowledge their sources. The only shortcoming is that, because the events occur in such a short time period and are related so thoroughly in the novel, there's not that much research left to do. Score = 4

2. Did the novel include enough history to make it an interesting historical story?

Yes. Arnold's expedition was probably the most amazing feat-of-arms performed by any military force during the Revolutionary War, even though it ended in failure. The story doesn't need much fictional 'spice' to make it a riveting tale. Score = 5

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

Yes. The novel is full of historical detail, much of it drawn from the journals and correspondence of the principal actors. Some of the details are still argued over by historians today, but nothing was intentionally altered. Roberts' faithfulness to historical sources contrasts with the liberties taken by most novelists for the sake of dramatic effect. Score=5

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

Roberts' descriptions of Arnold's physical prowess are unlike anything I've read elsewhere, and are perhaps exaggerated. Likewise the other-worldly woodcraft of the Indians. The personalities and actions of the historical characters are consistent with what I've read elsewhere. Among the 'historicals', Arnold gets the largest role, but many others get significant dialog time, including Henry Dearborn, Reuben Colburn, Daniel Morgan and Aaron Burr. Score=4

5. Would I read another novel by this author, continuing in this historical period, with these characters (or new ones)?

I have already begun Rabble In Arms, the sequel to Arundel. Can't wait to see what Steven and his friends do next. Score = 5.

'City of Dreams' by William Martin (2010)

After a short detour to discover David Nevin, I returned to William Martin and his danger-is-my middle-name antiquarian Peter Fallon. This time, however, Fallon leaves his native Boston for the bright lights of New York City. City of Dreams follows Peter and fiancée Evangeline as they track down a long-lost stash of government scrip - called "New Emission Money" - from the Revolutionary War. Of course, a variety of other characters are also looking for the money; for reasons good, bad and ambiguous. This plot line gives City of Dreams an action-thriller movie feel, a bit like National Treasure, perhaps.

Where Cape Cod centered on a place and The Lost Constitution focused on a document, City of Dreams does both. A similarity with both earlier Martin novels is the way the story jumps back and forth from present to past, in alternating chapters. The action all takes place in NYC but skips through the city's history, stopping infrequently and briefly to follow the movements of the missing bills. A comparison with Edward Rutherfurd's beefy New York: A Novel finds very few historical events or characters in common. Indeed, there is much less history overall and much more action to be found in City of Dreams. Partly, that's because there's a substantial contemporary plotline running throughout - a commentary on the history and philosophy of the national debt. When Martin was planning this novel, one suspects that the national debt angle came first, followed by the historical story of the financial industry and the debt; which of course was and is centered in New York.

Historical characters chosen for inclusion in the story also tend to have something to do with that history: Alexander Hamilton and J. P. Morgan are the most prominent. The main fictional characters in the historical sections belong to several generations of the same family, imparting a little of the Michener/Rutherfurd feel.

So, on to the five criteria:

1. Did the novel inspire me to further historical research?

Not so much this time, as I've already read several other books covering the same historical turf. The novel did, however, introduce me to Haym Solomon, a fascinating character who, along with Robert Morris, found the money to finance the American Revolution. Score = 3

2. Did the novel include enough history to make it an interesting historical story?

Yes. In the end, however, I felt that the treatment of the country's financial history was pretty shallow. It is a novel, of course, but some of the later events seemed to be chosen more for dramatic effect than historical relevance. For instance, two of the modern fictional characters are inside one of the World Trade Center towers when the planes hit on September 11, 2001. They both survive, and the presumed death of one contributes to her role in the plot later on, but the incident has no relation to the story of the new Emission Money and/or the national debt. A talented writer like Martin could have made much more of the financial narrative by including a little history of the Federal Reserve or the Glass-Steagal Act. Score = 3

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

Once again, Martin gets high marks for historical accuracy. For instance, the novel's account of New York City events during 1775 and 1776 squares with the straight history of Divided Loyalties, by Richard M. Ketchum. As noted above, my quibbles have to do with quantity, not quality. Score = 3

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

Yes - but there aren't many, and those who appear are just cameos, except for a bit of Hamilton and the remarkable Haym Solomon. Score = 3

5. Would I read another novel by this author, continuing in this historical period, with these characters (or new ones)?

Definitely. I'm still planning to read Citizen Washington, as soon as the hardcover remainders show up at Amazon (my library doesn't have it yet, so I'll buy a discounted hardcover and donate it when I'm done - as I did with City of Dreams). Score = 4.