Book: Battle Flag By Bernard Cornwell
Krishna
We have reviewed many of this author’s book from his various series. I will skip the Warlord Chronicles which has only three books but we have reviewed Sharpe series (until Sharpe’s Trafalgar so far), Saxon series (up to War Lord, the last one), GrailQuest and even some standalone stuff (Stonehenge, for instance). So this author’s style is familiar and liked by me. This one belongs to the Starbuck Series in which the last book we reviewed is Copperhead.
This book starts with the physically unimpressive but massively talented Stonewall Jackson leading the Confederate troops.
Starbuck is advised by Colonel Bird that Starbuck’s enemies are looking to kill him in battle through treachery and advises him to see transfer to another regiment. Starbuck refuses. In deep anger, the commander who hates Nathaniel Starbuck (because his brother Adam and the fanatically preachy father are also Starbucks in this story) and passes over command to a cowardly man who just wants to hide and watch other units either fight the Yankee enemy or just lose. Nate decides he wants some of the fun and decides to attack in defiance of his ‘superior officer’.
However Swynward was seen lying senseless and Nate leaves him to die. However, Swynward wakes up a changed man and swears that he has found God and will not touch liquor. He also apologizes to Starbuck for ill treating him.
They discover a river crossing that is shallow and Swynward asks Starbuck to guard it. The commander, Falcouner, already jealous of Starbuck and now disgusted with the ‘born again’ Swynward, countermands the decision. He is supported by the lazy and spineless Moxie, who detests Starbuck as well. Swynward and Starbuck are arrested for resisting orders and while they wait in the tent, other officers go for a party with special ladies as treat afterwards. Meanwhile the Yankees just breeze in, destroy their ammunitions and also kill a number of them.
Stonewall Jackson is not pleased. He sends Faulconer back to Boston and then promotes Starbuck over Moxie.
He comes up with an audacious plan to go behind enemy troops and surround it while Lee comes and crushes the army at the other end. Incredibly they reach their goal and sabotage spectacularly three trains – although they were empty and so no plunder in them.
The story is more simplistic than the earlier ones but there is enough of thrills and action to satisfy the fan or even a casual reader. There are good guys (Starbuck for the South though he is the son of a Northern preacher and Adam Falcouner who defected to the North) and bad guys (Moxie in the South and Kyle in the North) proving that both the good and evil elements were on both sides.
The battle ends in a thrilling finish and unexpectedly Nate meets his estranged father the priest who had ridden to celebrate the ultimate victory and had to go back disappointed.
All of this is exceptionally told.
But still…. This is not the best from the author, even in this series.
6/10
— Krishna