Tainted Dawn: The Great War, A

Submitted by Jim Greenwald on August 14, 2012 - 09:16

Book Information:
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Author's Summary

August 1789. The Rights of Man. Liberty. Equality. Idealism. Patriotism. A new age dawns. And yet, old hostilities persist: England and Spain are on the brink of war. France, allied by treaty with Spain, readies her warships. Three youths - the son of an English carpenter, the son of a naval captain, and the son of a French court tailor - meet in London, a chance encounter that entwines their lives ever after. The English boys find themselves on the same frigate bound for the Caribbean. The Frenchman sails to Trinidad, where he meets an even more zealous Spanish revolutionary. As diplomats in Europe race to avoid conflict, war threatens to explode in the Caribbean, with the three youths pitted against each other. Will the dawn of the boys' young manhood remain bright with hope? Or will it become tainted with their countrymen's spilled blood? "...compelling characters and an exciting plot... Much like the Hornblower series, A Tainted Dawn demands sequels. Let's hope B. N. Peacock is already hard at work on the next volume!" Former U. S. Naval Officer Carl Jensen, Ph.D. Director, Center for Intelligence & Security Studies University of Mississippi

MWSA Review

This is a historical novel centered on the lives of three young men whose chance synchronistic meeting in chapter one is but a hint of their lives crossing again and again in this historical naval novel set on the horizon of war in the late 1700’s. The author B. N. Peacock blends a very distinctive style in her balance of narration and dialogue to keep the story moving and it is obvious it is well researched making the characters believable especially in focusing on the cultural tension between the three young men.

I found the book a slow read only because I am not all that familiar with the language and customs of that time period and I am not a naval reader. I required a dictionary but if you are a navy buff and into the history of that time period, you will have no problems. I did enjoy the book mainly because of the focus the author placed on these three men and their individual problems and I kept wondering what the outcome would be.

What I liked best about this book is its accurate depiction of the historical and cultural conditions of the time and the dialogue that made you feel you were right there- sitting in the 17^th century. I believe this book would appeal to historians, navy veterans and I would recommend it to High School teachers for 9-12^th grade students. I can think of no better way to learn history than through a well research, well written historical novel.

Reviewed by: Edward Kelly (2012)

Author(s) Mentioned:

Peacock, B.N.

Reviewer:

Kelly, Edward

Work Type:

Book Reviews

Tags:

Fiction