The Fort: A Novel of the Revolutionary War

by Bernard Cornwell

Overview

“The most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today.” —Wall Street Journal

“Readers who haven’t discovered Bernard Cornwell don’t know what they are missing.” —New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn

From the New York Times bestselling author of Agincourt, the Saxon Tales, and the beloved Richard Sharpe series, Bernard Cornwell’s The Fort plunges prow-first into the largest naval clash of the Revolutionary War. Fans of the Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles and The Burning Landwill thrill to Cornwell’s triumphant return to American historical fiction in this gripping story of courage, strength and patriotism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062010872
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/03/2012
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	496
Sales rank:	266,294
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

BERNARD CORNWELL is the author of over fifty novels, including the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales, which serve as the basis for the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. He lives with his wife on Cape Cod and in Charleston, South Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

In a slight departure from his usual sword and musket epics, Cornwell (Agincourt) delivers a straightforward fictionalized account of a disastrous 1779 American military campaign in today's Maine (then Massachusetts) that's heavy on historical figures and tense battle scenes. After the British establish a fort on the Penobscot River, the Massachusetts patriots mount an expedition to oust the redcoats. Unfortunately, the campaign is poorly planned and ineptly executed, pitting an ill-trained and undisciplined force against experienced British soldiers and the Royal Navy. The commander of the American land force is Gen. Solomon Lovell, a useless and dithering Boston politician, and the American navy is led by Cmdr. Dudley Saltonstall, an obstinate officer who refuses to risk his ships. Then there's Paul Revere, artillery commander and shameful yellow belly. In fact, the only American officer with any spirit for a fight is a former schoolteacher, Gen. Peleg Wadsworth. This is a rousing yarn of clashing personalities, crashing cannons, and lively musket and bayonet work, along with spies, cowardice, and moments of incredible bravery. Cornwell presents a fascinating, accurate, and exciting history lesson enlivened with a generous blast of gun smoke and grapeshot. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly