Review of The War Is Over Captain
Posted: 16 May 2022, 18:28
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The War Is Over Captain" by Warren Tindall.]
The War is Over Captain by Warren Tindall is a historical fiction novel. Captain Hugh M’Glemere is a Scottish soldier in the King’s Foote regiment. He briefly described his military history. He was never cut out to be a farmer, so he became an ensign in the British Army when he was sixteen. He has been a career soldier since that time. The novel takes place at the end of the Napoleonic Wars and Hugh is in the clerk’s office looking for the pay for his regiment. It has not arrived. He is angry that his future seems limited to completing twenty-five years of service and retiring in poverty at half of his usual salary.
Through a chance meeting with Solomon Woolsey, a wealthy Jewish businessman, Hugh is offered a paying job. Woolsey suggests that he can complete the job while he waits to be called back to active duty. Woolsey owns several coal mines and several ships. He asks Hugh to travel by ship to a small town in Russia and escort his son’s betrothed, Hodah, back to Scotland for the wedding. Woolsey is very wealthy and will pay handsomely for the service. He even offers to pay the men in Hugh’s regiment to accompany him. The war has just recently ended, so it is still dangerous to travel. It would be too dangerous for Hodah to travel for the wedding without trained soldiers to accompany her. In addition to these issues, there are Cossacks controlling aspects of the small Jewish town where the young girl lives with her father. The Cossacks have a violent history and have been known to target the Jewish community. Will Hugh and his men successfully get Hodah and bring her back to Scotland without endangering themselves or the villagers?
I enjoyed reading this book. It seemed very detailed and authentic for this time in history. Hugh M’Glemere is a complex and fascinating character. He is a strong leader and the men of his regiment look up to him. What I liked most about his character is that he was constantly learning and evolving. He was not a sailor and not familiar with how to navigate and travel by ship; however, he was a fast learner. Eventually, he developed the necessary skills and encouraged the members of his regiment to develop the same skills. It was also interesting that respected the opinions and knowledge of the female characters in the book. During this time in history, women were not always encouraged to contribute at a professional level. Hodah could speak several languages and Hugh relied on her to translate in various ports. There was also a woman who was a healer and kept everyone healthy on the ship with natural remedies. Hugh never hesitated to consult with her and valued her opinion.
The book provides fascinating descriptions of the experiences of the group as they travel through different countries. They face hardships and struggle to complete the task they have been given by Woolsey. Will they succeed? The hardships experienced by the travelers regarding fresh food and water on the ship seemed authentic for this time in history. Initially, the advanced sailing terminology was confusing. However, the author explained the terms and the relevant concepts very well throughout the book. I felt like I learned a lot by reading this book. The author is knowledgeable about this time in history. There was nothing that I disliked about this book.
There were less than ten errors in the book, so I believe it was professionally edited. I recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction novels or novels about the military during the time of the Napoleonic Wars. For the reasons stated, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I gave it a perfect rating because it is a gripping story that will keep readers engaged until the very end.
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The War Is Over Captain
View: on Bookshelves
The War is Over Captain by Warren Tindall is a historical fiction novel. Captain Hugh M’Glemere is a Scottish soldier in the King’s Foote regiment. He briefly described his military history. He was never cut out to be a farmer, so he became an ensign in the British Army when he was sixteen. He has been a career soldier since that time. The novel takes place at the end of the Napoleonic Wars and Hugh is in the clerk’s office looking for the pay for his regiment. It has not arrived. He is angry that his future seems limited to completing twenty-five years of service and retiring in poverty at half of his usual salary.
Through a chance meeting with Solomon Woolsey, a wealthy Jewish businessman, Hugh is offered a paying job. Woolsey suggests that he can complete the job while he waits to be called back to active duty. Woolsey owns several coal mines and several ships. He asks Hugh to travel by ship to a small town in Russia and escort his son’s betrothed, Hodah, back to Scotland for the wedding. Woolsey is very wealthy and will pay handsomely for the service. He even offers to pay the men in Hugh’s regiment to accompany him. The war has just recently ended, so it is still dangerous to travel. It would be too dangerous for Hodah to travel for the wedding without trained soldiers to accompany her. In addition to these issues, there are Cossacks controlling aspects of the small Jewish town where the young girl lives with her father. The Cossacks have a violent history and have been known to target the Jewish community. Will Hugh and his men successfully get Hodah and bring her back to Scotland without endangering themselves or the villagers?
I enjoyed reading this book. It seemed very detailed and authentic for this time in history. Hugh M’Glemere is a complex and fascinating character. He is a strong leader and the men of his regiment look up to him. What I liked most about his character is that he was constantly learning and evolving. He was not a sailor and not familiar with how to navigate and travel by ship; however, he was a fast learner. Eventually, he developed the necessary skills and encouraged the members of his regiment to develop the same skills. It was also interesting that respected the opinions and knowledge of the female characters in the book. During this time in history, women were not always encouraged to contribute at a professional level. Hodah could speak several languages and Hugh relied on her to translate in various ports. There was also a woman who was a healer and kept everyone healthy on the ship with natural remedies. Hugh never hesitated to consult with her and valued her opinion.
The book provides fascinating descriptions of the experiences of the group as they travel through different countries. They face hardships and struggle to complete the task they have been given by Woolsey. Will they succeed? The hardships experienced by the travelers regarding fresh food and water on the ship seemed authentic for this time in history. Initially, the advanced sailing terminology was confusing. However, the author explained the terms and the relevant concepts very well throughout the book. I felt like I learned a lot by reading this book. The author is knowledgeable about this time in history. There was nothing that I disliked about this book.
There were less than ten errors in the book, so I believe it was professionally edited. I recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction novels or novels about the military during the time of the Napoleonic Wars. For the reasons stated, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I gave it a perfect rating because it is a gripping story that will keep readers engaged until the very end.
******
The War Is Over Captain
View: on Bookshelves