'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.

'Eagle's Cry', by David Nevin (2000)

Instead of another William Martin book, as promised last time, the subject of this critique will be Eagle's Cry, by David Nevin. This novel of early United States history concentrates on causes and effects of westward expansion in the opening years of the 19th century. Eagle's Cry opens with George Washington's death in 1799 and concludes in 1804, following the Louisiana Purchase. Most of the characters are historical figures, from Jefferson, Madison, Burr and John Quincy Adams to Meriwether Lewis, Andrew Jackson and (briefly) Napoleon Bonaparte. These characters' differing narrative viewpoints on the events of those fateful years are presented in alternating chapters. Historical names are supplemented by fictional characters Danny Mobry, the French Louisiana-born widow of an American trader, and her two married black slaves Tom and Millie. A brief 'Author's Note' following the novel explains some of Nevin's historical thinking, although the somewhat ambiguous title is not explained.

The five criteria:

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

Yes; especially some events less familiar to me, such as the Haitian Revolution. Score = 4

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

This novel is composed almost entirely of documented historical events, told in a highly entertaining style. Score = 4

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

Quite accurate as far as it goes, though biased and not always complete. The 'Author's Note' confesses some of Nevin's sins, like referring to Jefferson's party as "Democrats". Some omissions, such as a failure to mention the Barbary Wars begun during Jefferson's presidency, were probably intentional, limiting the novel's scope to western-related events. Another major omission is the lack of any native American voice. Not surprising, perhaps, in a novel that lionizes Jefferson, Madison and Jackson. Score = 3

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

As noted above, Jefferson, Madison and Jackson come off better than they probably were. As Nevin notes, "Burr apologists" will take issue with their man's portrayal. Lewis' character seems much more detailed than historical evidence allows. For instance, during a visit to Jefferson at Monticello, he meets Sally Hemings and speculates inwardly on the ambiguous nature of her behavior toward her master. I don't know enough about Jackson to comment on his fictionalized character; a good biography will be placed on my non-fiction reading list. Score = 3

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

Yes; I plan to read 1812 sometime soon. Score = 4.

'The Lost Constitution' by William Martin (2007)

As promised before I got sidetracked with text searches in Google Books, the subject this time is The Lost Constitution, another New England historical by William Martin. The title gives away one big difference between this book and Cape Cod. The focus of this story is a document rather than a place. That difference releases the action from restriction to a small geographical area. Martin takes advantage of that release to let his story roam all over New England. Another thing the title tells you is that the earliest historical period in this novel will be close to 1787, when the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to produce a new form of government for the United States. In fact, the historical story begins in 1786 with Shays' Rebellion. Martin describes those events as illustrating the need for a stronger national government to replace the weak Articles of Confederation.

The fictional element of the story takes the form of a quest for a semi-legendary 'lost' copy of the first draft of the Constitution belonging to Massachussets Convention delegate Rufus King. This plot line is similar to one in Cape Cod, which included a lost ship's log purportedly written by the captain of the Mayflower. The action shifts back and forth from the present to a sequence of historical periods and places, as a modern antiquities dealer attempts to trace the movements of the missing document through the years and generations. A collection of shady and/or dangerous characters are also pursuing the document, for a variety of reasons. This plot line gives The Lost Constitution a historical-thriller feel, a la Da Vinci Code. OK, no spoilers; let's move on to the five criteria:

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

Yes. A large number of historical people are incorporated into the novel, from the aforementioned Daniel Shays and Rufus King to Harriet Beecher Stowe and Joshua Chamberlain. Interesting places too, such as Crawford Notch and Newport, R.I. during the Gilded Age. Plenty of inspiration here. Score = 4

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

Yes. The historical story traces the political, social and economic evolution of New England, including longer-term trends such as the rise and fall of the textile industry. Score = 4

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

As in Cape Cod, Martin seems to be very strong on historical accuracy. Score = 4

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

Again similar to Cape Cod, historical characters are either mentioned only in passing or given small supporting roles. The biographical information given about these characters is accurate; there's just not much of it. Score = 3

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

Definitely, although none of Martin's novels are written in series. I might give New England a break and read Citizen Washington next. Score = 4.

A tip for better Google Books text searches

I've been reading Champlain's Dream (not a novel, I know), by David Hackett Fischer, and was curious about a colorful character known as "Captain Provençal"; Champlain's swashbuckling uncle. I typed the name into the Google search box but was disappointed to get only two relevant hits. I looked again at the search box; oops, I had typed "captain provancal". Correcting my spelling yielded much better results. Even the misspelling, however, led me to Champlain's Dream in Google Books. I decided to do some search engine testing there, since I already knew that the Captain was mentioned many times.

In case you haven't used it, Google Books has a great search feature that will search within a book and show snippet views of passages containing your search terms. I was puzzled, though. A search usually highlights instances of the search words. My search showed only a page of the book, without any highlighted words. That was when I discovered my spelling error. Correcting the spelling improved my results in the regular Google Search, but still no highlights appeared in the Google Books text search results. Maybe capitalization is important? I tried searching on "Captain Provencal" - still no highlights. It was only when I replaced the regular "c" with the French "ç" that the search found and highlighted the name "Captain Provençal" inside Champlain's Dream. It seems that the search engine inside Google Books is much less "fuzzy" than regular Google Search. So, to find exactly what you're searching for, don't forget those diacritical marks.

'Cape Cod' (1991) by William Martin

Cape Cod is, on one level, a multi-generational study of the well-known historic place and several families that lived there, somewhat in the style of Michener or his younger admirer Edward Rutherfurd. On another level, it's a behind-the-history detective story, adding a present-day plot line featuring descendents of early families and a search for a legendary lost document. The mystery plot reminds me of Stone's Fall, by David Liss. Add the two together and you get a novel that's highly entertaining yet packed with historical detail.

The five criteria:

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

Most definitely. From cryptic clues to past visits by Vikings of Vinland and early European explorers (Hudson and/or Champlain?) to the native American tribes awaiting the arrival of the Pilgrims, to fishermen, privateers, smugglers, whalers, runaway slaves and reclusive writers; Cape Cod is full of potential side trips into historical study. Score = 4

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

As noted above, the history content was high throughout the novel. Although there is some interesting historical speculation, I didn't find any distortions, errors or significant omissions. Recently, I've been searching out novels that include events leading up to and during the Revolutionary War, and was not surprised to find that it was a time when not too much happened on Cape Cod other than coastal smuggling. The major events occurred in nearby Boston and elsewhere, but one interesting event is included - the shipwreck of HMS Somerset in 1778. Score = 4

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

Judging from the follow-up study I've done, events and historical characters included in the novel seem to be presented accurately. The story includes some interesting fictional speculations, such as the story of what really caused the wreck of the Somerset. In future, I'm going to find one or more straight history texts and/or biographies to read in conjunction with historical novels, but Martin seems to be very good on historical accuracy. Score = 4

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

Most historical characters are only mentioned in passing, but a few have a bit of dialog, including pre-Revolution era lawyer James Otis (born on Cape Cod) and a beach-wandering Henry David Thoreau. Young Senator Jack Kennedy does a cameo in a telephone conversation. Score = 3

5. Would I read another novel by this author, continuing in this historical period, with these characters?

Definitely; in fact, I already have. Next post will be The Lost Constitution. Not a sequel, but set in New England. Score = 4.

'The Wind in the Forest' by Inglis Fletcher

The Wind in the Forest is a 'historical romance', written way back in 1957 by Inglis Fletcher. A search for pre-American Revolution settings at historical novels.info led me to this one (as with the Edward Cline Sparrowhawk series). Curiosity overcame 'historical romance' skepticism when I learned that Herman Husband and William Tryon appear as characters. Tryon was colonial governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771, then was promoted to become the last colonial governor of New York. Husband is both less well-known and more interesting. Labeled today as a 'populist', he became the main propagandist for the North Carolina Regulators. The Regulators were settlers in the western parts of the colony (Piedmont), who organized to oppose what they saw as unfair taxation and policies imposed on them by the eastern-dominated government. Against this backdrop of colonial politics, the fictional characters are primarily members of old planter families. As Fletcher describes it, these families were torn between loyalty to the colonial status-quo, sympathy for the injustices suffered by the westerners, and hunger for the latest London fashions. The struggle of opposing forces previews the revolutionary break with the mother country a few years later.

The 'romance' aspects of the novel were not overdone and, in fact, were no more prominent than in most historical novels. A different issue is likely to be more troubling to the modern reader; Fletcher's benign depiction of slavery. The novel is full of happy, hymn-singing, 'yes, Massa - no, Massa' slave characters. No whippings, runaways, horror stories of kidnapping and transport from Africa or fears of slave revolt disturb the idyllic tranquility of the plantations. Still, the story is not about them and doesn't try to promote slavery or demonize slave owners.

The five criteria:

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

I picked up this novel because of its inclusion of Herman Husband. Although Fletcher claimed that his fictionalization was based on his own writings, he came off as ultimately less interesting than straight history would indicate. The same thing happened to Tryon and other historical characters. On the other hand, my interest in the east/west, rich/poor issues of the time were piqued. Score = 3

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

Most of the important events of the Regulator uprising are included (although lacking depth), and those events are integral to the story. Score = 3

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

The narrative follows historical events pretty faithfully, without obvious invention or distortion. Analysis of those events and the characters' motivations are, however, pretty shallow. Score = 3

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

As noted in 1. above. Score = 3

5. Would I read another novel by this author, continuing in this historical period, with these characters?

Possibly - this novel seems to be part of a series. They are mostly out-of-print, however, and not easily found. Score = 2.

'Outlander', by Diana Gabaldon

Normally, I stay away from the sub-genre known as 'historical romance', even though the more modern sort can be much more interesting than the bodice-rippers of the past. I made an exception for Outlander, first in the time-travel-to-the-past series by Diana Gabaldon, because later novels in the series are set in pre-revolution America. The period suffers from a dearth of novelists with significant interest in the history underlying the fictional story, so I went fishing. I hadn't previously read any of Ms. Gabaldon's novels, so I didn't know what to expect. Also, when choosing novels that are part of a series, I prefer to start with the first.

Outlander is set in the highlands of Scotland, beginning in 1945 and time-traveling back to 1743, just before the Jacobite Uprising of 1745. My historical accuracy antennae were aroused early in the opening section. The setting was September, 1945 - just a few months after the end of World War II. The novel's heroine, Claire, goes into a small highlands town and discovers that bare wartime shop shelves are now suddenly overflowing with goods. It doesn't take much study to conclude that, in reality, it's very unlikely anything like that happened. The UK was dead broke after the war, and stayed in a severe depression for a good many years. The 'Inspector Troy' series of historical-crime novels by John Lawton show a much more accurate picture of wartime and post-war Britain.

Following this opening section, I was prepared for the worst when Claire is magically transported back in time to 1743. However, apart from the usual difficulties involved in viewing the past through modern writing and the romanticizing of conditions in a remote, impoverished pre-industrial society, Ms. Gabaldon avoided issues of historical accuracy by the usual expedient of fuzzy details. Some actual place names are used (e.g. Loch Ness), and a few historical places (e.g. Fort William). The fictional Castle Leoch is identifiable as the historical Castle Leod, seat of Clan Mackenzie. The fictional castle is occupied by fictional Mackenzies (a real clan). The cast includes fictional members of several other actual highland clans, including Fraser, Grant, Munro and Ross. A few major political figures are mentioned in passing; the 'Old Pretender' James II, his son 'Bonnie Prince Charlie', King George II, but that's about it.

How does this novel rate on my five criteria? Let’s see:

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

There wasn’t a whole lot of historical material to use as a jumping-off point for further investigation. Score = 2

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

No historical events or characters are included in the narrative, except where briefly mentioned as background. To be fair, the bulk of the action takes place in a short period of time, from autumn of 1743 into early winter of 1744. Thus, the novel has more of a setting than a story, in historical terms. Score = 2

3. Was the depiction of historical events accurate?

Outlander is first and foremost a romance novel, so historical accuracy is bent to that task. That said, it’s perhaps not completely fair to criticize a lack of accuracy. Still, when I read a novel that includes ‘historical’ in its genre classification, I expect the author to make an effort. In some areas, such as folk medicine and Highlands geography, the author goes into great descriptive detail. History gets much less attention. Score = 1.

4. Was the depiction of historical characters accurate?

There are no historical characters, so no score.

5. Would I read another novel by this author, continuing in this historical period, with these characters?

Probably not. Score = 1.

'Sparrowhawk, Book Two: Hugh Kenrick'

Sparrowhawk, Book Two: Hugh Kenrick, by Edward Cline, is the second novel in the Sparrowhawk series. It picks up the historical timeline in England right after the end of Book One (around 1750), with a new but familiar cast of characters. The main difference in the two stories arises from the differing social status of the titular characters. Where Jack Frake was a working class boy who became a smuggler, Hugh Kenrick is the only son of a wealthy aristocrat who becomes an intellectual radical. Hugh's father and uncle, in addition to their titles of Baron and Earl respectively, are secret investors in various smuggling operations, reaping the rewards of the illegal activity without any real risk. The story chronicles Hugh's coming of age much the way Book One did with young Jack.

The two main characters are also similar in sharing the moral outlook inspired in author Edward Cline by the novels of Ayn Rand. Thus, Hugh Kenrick and his actions suffer from the same plausibility issues that marred Jack's story. Hugh's very different social standing directs him through a very different set of circumstances, but the same moral challenges. Many of the supporting cast are also familiar from Book One. Instead of a band of philosophical smugglers, Hugh trades insights with a secret society of London free-thinkers. Instead of a villainous step-father, family resistance comes this time from Hugh's class-conscious, vindictive uncle. Henoch Pannell, bane of the smugglers in Book One, shows up again to personify the amoral social climber. An African former slave with the colorful name of Glorious Swain, also a member of the secret group, becomes Hugh's friend and mentor following a chance meeting, much as Jack Frake was befriended by one of the smugglers.

Despite the predictability of the fictional story and characters, Cline has studied his history and doesn't take obvious liberties with it. The novel includes many interesting details of life among 18th century British gentry. How does it score on my five criteria? See the post on Book One. All the scores are identical, and the accompanying comments very similar. I'm still interested in reading more of the Sparrowhawk series, but perhaps a bit less so this time.

It's time to try something different, so my next historical novel read will be Outlander, first in the time-travel-to-the-past series by Diana Gabaldon.