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Redcoat Kindle Edition
It is autumn 1777, and the cradle of liberty, Philadelphia, has fallen to the British. Yet the true battle has only just begun.
On both sides, loyalties are tested and families torn asunder. The young Redcoat Sam Gilpin has seen his brother die. Now he must choose between duty to a distant king and the call of his own conscience. And for the men and women of the prosperous Becket family, the Revolution brings bitter conflict between those loyal to the crown and those with dreams of liberty.
Soon, across the fields of ice and blood in a place called Valley Forge, history will be rewritten, changing the lives and fortunes of these men and women forever.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper Perennial
- Publication dateJuly 30, 2019
- File size6397 KB
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Electrifying . . . [Cornwell] is a master at describing battles as observed by the participants." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Cornwell's command of historical detail is one of the great strengths of his writing..." -- Washington Times
From the Publisher
About the Author
Bernard Cornwell, bestselling author of the Warlord Chronicles and the Sharpe series, is married and lives in Cape Cod, USA.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One
The Bloodybacks stole through warm darkness to the killing.
A hidden moon silvered chasms of cloud and offered a wan glow which silhouetted the jagged spikes of pine tops on the western horizon. The eastern sky was unclouded; a pit of blackness studded with the clean brightness of stars. The paths beneath the trees were dark, utter dark, a blackness in which long files of men cursed softly.
The sun would rise to bring the steamy, breath-stealing heat of the full day; yet even now, in the night's small hours, there was a close, stifling warmth that made the men sweat beneath their thick woolen coats. Red coats. The men were soldiers; six companies of Redcoats who followed their leaders through a wooded defile toward a tavern, a crossroads, and the enemy.
A stream made its homely sound to the south, the wind rattled pine branches, while the night hordes of insects drowned whatever noise the nailed boots made on the dry and fallen needles. A whispered order was passed down the files of men. They stopped and crouched.
Private Sam Gilpin's hands were slick with sweat. His body prickled with the heat. A horse whinnied.
It had to be an enemy's horse, for the Redcoats had come on foot. Even the General was on foot. The sound told Sam that the enemy must be close, very close, and, despite the cloying warmth, he shivered suddenly.
His musket would not fire. None of the soldiers' muskets would fire, for they had been ordered to unscrew the dog-heads and take out their flints. A musket without a flint could not spark the powder, so it could not fire a bullet, but nor could a careless man stumble in the dark and fire a shot which would warn the enemy.
The Redcoats had come in the warm darkness, in silence, and the enemy was close.
"Follow!" Again the order was a whisper. Sam's company was led off the path into the blackness beneath the trees. Each man tried to walk silently, yet twigs snapped, dry pineneedles crunched together, and once a brass-bound musket butt crashed loud against a pine trunk.
The sound made the men freeze, but no warning shout came from the enemy lines. Sam wondered if the enemy was waiting, awake and ready. Were their muskets loaded, flints drawn back, cocked to blast flames and smoke and death into the trees? His heart pounded heavy with the fear of a soldier before the killing. Sweat stung his eyes. It was hard to breathe the resinous air. The file moved again and Sam saw the smear of a red glow to his left and he knew it marked the enemy encampment.
"Down!"
Sam stopped, crouched. The redness was the remnant of a camp fire. There were other dying fires visible through the trees. The glowing embers revealed the shapes of dark buildings. Again a horse whinnied, but Sam could see no movement around the fires.
"Bayonets! Bayonets!" The order was a hoarse whisper.
Sam tugged his bayonet free of its scabbard. He had sharpened the blade to a wicked point in the dusk; now he slotted it over his musket's muzzle and twisted it into place. The grease that kept the bayonet free of rust was sticky on his palm. All around him he could hear the scrape and click of blades being fixed and it seemed impossible for the enemy not to hear, but still there was no shout or musket flash. Sam took a leather lace from his ammunition pouch. He tied one end around the blade's shoulder, and the other. he lashed to the musket's sling-swivel. Now no enemy, could seize and wrench the blade away, nor, twisting the bayonet free of dead flesh, would he lose the weapon to a corpse.
There was fear in Sam, but also exhilaration. He feared letting his comrades down, he feared Captain Kelly's disappointment or Sergeant Scammell's scorn, he feared his own fear, yet he also had the fire of a young man's pride inside him. They were the redcoated Bloodybacks, the kings of the castle, cocks of the dungheap, and soldiers of the King, and in a moment they would be unleashed like rough-pelted hounds to tear and savage the King's enemies.
Footsteps sounded to his right and Sam saw the tall dark shape of Sergeant Scammell pacing along the company's front. "You're not here to fucking dance with the buggers, you're here to kill the fuckers. You hear me?" Scammell's voice was a mere whisper, but still fearsome. Few men in the company liked Scammell, but even those who hated him were glad of his presence this night, for, in the confusion of battle, the Sergeant displayed a chilling efficiency. The embers of the enemy's camp fires reflected dull red on the steel of Scammell's seventeen-inch bayonet.
Sam fingered his own greased blade. It was a threesided bayonet, channeled to release blood so that the blade would not stick in flesh. It was not a weapon for cutting, but for stabbing. "Go for their bellies or throats," Scammell was whispering. "Don't tickle the bastards, kill diem!"
Captain Kelly and Ensign Trumbull had their sabres drawn. The two officers stood at the edge of the trees, staring at the enemy. Kelly was tall, quiet, and liked by the men Trumbull was thirteen, a schoolboy given an officer's coat: and despised. Sam saw the small twitching of the Ensign's sabre blade and knew the boy was nervous.
Sam's twin brother was Also nervous. "You'll stay Close, Sam?" Nate asked.
From AudioFile
Product details
- ASIN : B07RDKJJV9
- Publisher : Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (July 30, 2019)
- Publication date : July 30, 2019
- Language : English
- File size : 6397 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 506 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #181,092 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Bernard Cornwell was born in London and worked in television until he met his American wife and moved to the US. Denied a work permit, he wrote a novel and has been writing ever since.
A master storyteller with a passion for history, his current bestselling series, THE LAST KINGDOM, is centred around the creation of England. It is also a major TV series on Netflix, with Bernard playing a cameo role in season three. The fourth season is currently being filmed.
He is also the author of THE GRAIL QUEST series, set in the Hundred Years’ War, THE WARLORD chronicles, set in Arthurian Britain, a number of standalone novels, one non-fiction work on Waterloo and the series with which he began, the SHARPE series.
For exciting news, tour and publication details, and exclusive content from Bernard visit www.bernardcornwell.net and like his author page on Facebook/Bernard.Cornwell
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book an enjoyable and gripping read. They praise the story quality as great and excellent, with real historical details thrown in. The book captures the turmoil of the Revolutionary War without being overly patriotic.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book enjoyable and engaging. They appreciate the British perspective and happy ending. The story is described as an exciting adventure novel with plenty of intrigue, strong characters, and a happy ending. Readers praise the author's writing style as well-written and enjoyable.
"...addressing a fascinating period of history, there is also plenty of intrigue to it and it is just an all-around great story, avoiding predictability..." Read more
"An exciting adventure that captures the turmoil of the war of independence without all the patriotic ferver claptrap that so often accompanies this..." Read more
"...His two main female characters are strong and clever, which is refreshing in a novel about war...." Read more
"...However, I learned a lot from reading this book as well as enjoying the story behind it. The attitude of the Britsh toward the war was interesting...." Read more
Customers enjoy the story quality. They find it engaging and easy to read. The book is described as an excellent historical novel by Cornwell, who is considered one of the best writers of historical fiction. Readers mention that the story is gripping and easy to believe.
"...just an all-around great story, avoiding predictability and just pleasant to read. I found myself wondering why it hasn't been made into a movie...." Read more
"...The attitude of the Britsh toward the war was interesting. Easy to believe. I'm sure the colonies didn't seem like much at that time...." Read more
"...This is one of his earlier works, but it's still historical fiction at it's best." Read more
"The master storyteller again takes the reader into the past to see life as a soldier The British soldier is the hero of many of his tales, from..." Read more
Customers enjoy the historical accuracy of the book. They find it an excellent Revolutionary story that captures the turmoil of the war without all the patriotic overtones. The information is rich about the Revolutionary War, which is helpful for writers. The characters and plot show a more complex and nuanced version of the American Revolution. The book fulfills its promise as a great tale and is thoroughly enjoyable.
"...Apart from addressing a fascinating period of history, there is also plenty of intrigue to it and it is just an all-around great story, avoiding..." Read more
"An exciting adventure that captures the turmoil of the war of independence without all the patriotic ferver claptrap that so often accompanies this..." Read more
"...The book takes some unexpected twists, which will definitely get your heart racing. I wish he had written more books on the Revolution...." Read more
"Born and raised in Pennsylvania but this book brought the trials of the War for Independence and the fighting around Philadelphia into clarity...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2019What an enjoyable book. I have been a fan of Bernard Cornwell for some time, but this was the first book of his which I have read which wasn't part of the Sharpe series. Apart from addressing a fascinating period of history, there is also plenty of intrigue to it and it is just an all-around great story, avoiding predictability and just pleasant to read. I found myself wondering why it hasn't been made into a movie. It would blow the Patriot out of the water. Thank you, Mr. Cornwall, for once again providing some much-needed reading pleasure!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2012An exciting adventure that captures the turmoil of the war of independence without all the patriotic ferver claptrap that so often accompanies this subject.
This novel allows us to see the events through the eyes of the youth of the time. It also highlights the absurd mentality of colonialism of the 18th century.
The novel also illustrates the innocence and idealism that followers have for a cause, which they sometimes follow blindly and without question.
The charachters also depict the darker side of the human soul through anti heros who only manipulated both sides of the struggle for their own ends, and not the higher causes that the majority believed
- Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2025Came on time and was in good shape. Gently used.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2019As a follow up to reading "The Fort", I wanted to see how Cornwell would treat another venue of the American Revolution. He did not disappoint. He doesn't hold back on the horrendous cost of war, which I actually appreciate. His characters will reel you in. His two main female characters are strong and clever, which is refreshing in a novel about war. His descriptions of the landscapes will paint wonderful paintings in your head as you just wish you could go back in a time machine to see them. The book takes some unexpected twists, which will definitely get your heart racing. I wish he had written more books on the Revolution. He does them awfully well!
- Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2011I have loved everything Cornwell has written, and like this book too, but I was a little disappointed with the amount of spelling and typing mistakes. It looks more like it is has been converted from a scanned copy of the original using OCR than a real digital version. I haven't read the physical book to see if those errors exist there too (I am not that anal) but surely eBooks should be coming from the same source as the physical copies.
Getting a 4 out of 5 as I don't want my score to detract from what is otherwise a good read.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2024My daughter got a A on her report so I guess it was a good buy
- Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2023An average read for me, and for me a deceiving title. The story, titled Redcoat, is mostly about British Officers during the Revolutionary war, and their love lives while occupying Philadelphia.
Redcoats fighting a war, not so much.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2013Bernard Cornwell is always a good read. However, I learned a lot from reading this book as well as enjoying the story behind it. The attitude of the Britsh toward the war was interesting. Easy to believe. I'm sure the colonies didn't seem like much at that time. But also the attitude of the colonists which was also interesting. I had always thought they were all 100% behind the separation from England. I have read several books and taken a class on the American Colonies lately all of which have given me more insight into this pivotal time in our nation's history.
Top reviews from other countries
- haradReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars A bit tok many characters, but they seemed real.
I like the way Cornwell creates drama from historical events and brings to life how it feels like during the time, without being a dry textbook. The story has quite a few characters and storylines that sometimes seem jumbled up, but the characters seemed to be consistent.
Overall an enjoyable read, although I do prefer the other historical fiction that he wrote , Sharpe.
- Stephen N. PrinceReviewed in Germany on December 6, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant story of the American Revolution
The first of two books Bernard Cornwell wrote of the American War of Independence, the second being 'The Fort', written much later. It is a pity that he hasn't returned more often to this fascinating era - he obviously knows the history well. I bought the Kindle version although I already have the hard back, because I like the gadgets in Kindle - the only thing I missed are the maps that Mr. Cornwell provided for the printed versions. Brilliant book, a must for all Cornwell fans.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on April 15, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Enjoyed the book immensely.
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Christiane GERRARDReviewed in France on October 29, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Histoire du passé
Lecture de loisir, bien aimé
- Cesar GuardaminoReviewed in Spain on November 10, 2014
4.0 out of 5 stars simple reading interesting english side
Bernard is neutral not favoring neither loyalist nor revolutionaries personal interest prevails in the war course interesting till last line