Time to do some Reading

Ok, everyone and they're bother is doing president stuff for presidents day today. I don't want to compete with the History Channel, etc. There's ton's of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday info out there, so I don't think I can dig up something new in that arena.

Anyway, it's nice to have a day off to relax and do some reading, right? I recently did this 8x10 oil painting of a Continental Dragoon after reading some really good historical fiction. It's not often that I read historical fiction. So much of it is just fiction set in a period setting. Not so with "Nor the Battle to the Strong" by Charles F. Price. The book is a great story and a great history lesson at the same time! Here's a few things that set it apart from other historical fiction:

First, Price unapologetically uses the period vernacular in his prose. The story is set during the southern campaign of the American Revolution and the dialog is authentic to the time and place. In most cases, he uses the old terminology in context so you can figure it out but you will find yourself googling a few terms. I love the fact that he doesn't dumb it down.

Second, he tells the tale from two levels. One from the top down through the eyes of General Nathanael Greene, perhaps one of the most under appreciated heroes of the Revolution. It's very reminiscent of "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara. High praise indeed. The other view is from the fictional character Private James Johnson who joins the army to avoid starvation. Ironic? His gritty depiction of the common soldier goes right down to the bad case of dysentery our hero gets. He's forced to go into battle having just lost control of his bowels. Clearly, Price is not glorifying war!

Third, Charles Price is also an artist and so he sprinkles his book with wonderful little pen and ink drawings of objects important to the story. It's an nice addition and helps the reader to visualize the events taking place.

Finally, it's definitely NOT predictable! If you are looking for constant, thrilling action a la the "Sharpe" series this is not it. The character of James doesn't see his first battle until the very ending of the book and let's just say he's not exactly Henry Flemming of "The Red Badge of Courage" hoisting the flag and leading the regiment in the charge.

For the serious history student who wants to read a little fiction, this is your book. Enjoy!