I Read Books: A Call To Arms

A Call To Arms

Mathew Hervey is in Rome in 1819, having resigned from the army at the end of the previous book.. There he meets a few people, including the historical poet Shelley, and works through his problems, mostly to do with his failure to bring his former commanding officer to book, which led to the death of his wife and orphaning of his daughter. After getting caught up in a skirmish between Austrians and Italians he decides to rejoin his regiment.

The regiment is being sent to India, and Hervey is put in charge of a troop of “widow’s men”, one that exists only on paper. He manages to recruit a number of excellent prospects, and a few dodgy ones, but doesn’t have time to train them (thanks to the six month voyage of no riding) before there is a big exercise which they then cock up thanks to a misunderstanding of the general. Obviously they can’t blame him so Hervey takes his troop on a detached mission with his friend Somerville.

The king of Burma almost immediately starts making demands (exiles keep raiding his territory, and also he wants to annex Assam) and there is intelligence that he has warboats ready to attack. Hervey must take his newly competent but unblooded troop on a daring mission.

Read This: For some 19th century adventure with some details on how you go about actually recruiting cavalry troops
Don’t Read This: If a bit of imperialism on behalf of John Company is not your idea of fun