Sword of State: The Forging, by Richard Woodman
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Sword of State: The Forging, by Richard Woodman
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Winter 1644, the Tower of London. Colonel George Monck is confined to his prison chamber in St Thomas’s tower, charged with high treason. A brilliant soldier, admiral and military governor, Monck joined the King’s men in besieging Nantwich. But the Parliamentary side’s more disciplined army successfully routed them, and Monck was thrown in jail. Brooding and despondent, Monck’s troubles look to intensify when he starts an affair with Anne Ratsford, a married woman who is caring for him in The Tower. In an age when adultery is not only a mortal sin, but a capital offence, Monck is not only risking his reputation, but his life. But then his fortunes begin to change. Word of his prowess has reached Parliament, and he is offered a position within their army.
All that stands in his way is his honour…
In The Forging, the first book in the Sword of the State trilogy, award-winning author Richard Woodman recreates the true story of George Monck, a giant of the 17th Century. Monck is all but forgotten today, yet his legacy is nothing less than the British monarchy and a famous regiment - the Coldstream Guards. Captain Richard Martin Woodman LVO is an English novelist and naval historian who retired in 1997 from a 37 year nautical career, mainly working for Trinity House, to write full-time. His main work is 14 volumes about the career of Nathaniel Drinkwater, and shorter series about James Dunbar and William Kite, but he also written a range of factual books about 18th century and WW2 history. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now. Sword of State: The Forging, by Richard Woodman- Amazon Sales Rank: #866092 in eBooks
- Published on: 2015-03-07
- Released on: 2015-03-07
- Format: Kindle eBook
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. I enjoy the Age of Fighting Sail genre and I have ... By David E. Eppenstein, Jr. To begin, I was provided with a free PDF copy of this book in exchange for an objective review. With that formality out of the way I will say that I became a fan of Mr. Woodman through his Drinkwater series. I enjoy the Age of Fighting Sail genre and I have come to consider Woodman even more enjoyable than Patrick O'Brian and his Aubry/Matarin books. Reading this book now has me viewing Woodman in a new and brighter light. If I have any complaint about this book it is that it was too short and it left me wanting more. I realize it's the beginning of a trilogy so I guess now I'm hooked. Nice going Endeavor Press. I knew almost nothing about George Monck before reading this book and now I want to know more. Can an author ask for a better complement? A More recent reading of a biography of William Marshall makes me think of Monck as a like personality. Both men served the greater good of their country rather than the personalities in power and distinguished themselves as honorable public servants and English heroes. I look forward to reading the remainder of this series and what might come from Mr. Woodman's imagination thereafter.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Alchemy of Fact and Fiction By Johnny Wilson Sword of State: The Forging builds the foundation for a potentially interesting series of historical fiction. This tale of English Civil War General George Monck is not the typical type of historical fiction with which I’m generally acquainted. It isn’t even quite the type of historical fiction for which author Richard Woodman is known. The difference is not only that this is about military battles on the land as opposed to the fighting sail which I’ve normally read; the difference is the twofold reality that Woodman is attempting to be faithful to an actual historical figure (instead of his fictional sailing protagonist, Nathaniel Drinkwater) and that he has chosen a protagonist with a command perspective rather than the down in the trenches hero of Bernard Cornwall’s Sharpe or C. S. Forester’s Rifleman Dodd.Woodman’s publisher graciously provided me with a review copy. They will probably be horrified at my reaction. I would have to say that readers looking for the battlefield action of a Sharpe will be very disappointed. Sword of State: The Forging reads more like the actual memoirs of its protagonist, told in correspondence and military reports, than a military novel. Yet, this aspect of the book is somewhat endearing. It doesn’t pander to the reader. It challenges the reader to enter the era of the English Civil War and visualize multiple perspectives: the Parliamentary forces versus the guerrillas of Ireland, Catholic Cavalier versus Protestant Roundhead, royal patriot versus Commonwealth patriot, and professional military officer versus officer via patronage. The narrative focuses upon ambition, logistics, loyalty, and prosecution of opportunity. My primary frustration is that the conceit used by Woodman in the novel offers more of the aloof perspective of an after-action report than the heat of battle.To be honest, my middling reaction to this volume is due to the way Woodman piqued my interest by beginning the story from the perspective of one Ensign John Churchill (Duke of Marlborough anyone?) and then, starting the story with his protagonist as a defeated leader, a prisoner in the Tower of London. I wanted to find out how Monck was able to justify switching sides to fight for the Commonwealth and then, to pave the way for the Restoration. Then, I was hooked because Monck went to Ireland under Cromwell and later, to Scotland. Yet, Monck believed he was still a patriot and loyal to his king while fighting these battles. The book reached its apex during that campaign in Scotland.In spite of misgivings about the idea of using a memoir style to advance the narrative, one cannot help but admire phrases like Monck’s assertion, “I know nothing of politics, nor have any desire to make good the deficiency.” (p. 33 of manuscript) I also resonated with: “Men have two ways to come by wisdom, either by their own harms, or other men’s miscasualties: And wise men are wont to say (not by chance, nor without reason) that he who will see what shall be, let him consider what hath been: For all things in the world at all times have their very counterpane with the times of old.” (p. 40 of manuscript) And though I do not agree, Monck’s suggestion to his brother the priest that, “You have the cure of souls, brother, But I have a duty towards them while they live and seek to provide for their families. Parliament has at least established a kind of peace over England and that most are grateful for.” (p. 73 of the manuscript) Perhaps, though, the most telling statement was Monck’s decisive response to Cromwell, “Sir, the Scots have numbers and their hills; these are their advantages. We have discipline and despair, both qualities that will prompt our men to acquit themselves well; these factors are our advantages. My advice is to attack at once.” (p. 92 of manuscript) As one can see, despite my misgivings, the book is well-written—artistically and eloquently.In addition to the sterile feeling of the memoirs conceit, my other major frustration is that this volume didn’t explain how Monck came back to the Royalist cause in an honorable fashion. I felt like this volume was a little light and it would have been better to extend the narrative to capture Monck reaching at least some of the destiny portended in the “proem.” To be sure, Woodman’s publisher doesn’t need to worry. I will have to read the sequel to satisfy my curiosity. I just wish this foundational book would have offered a bit more substance.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Entertaining and Informative By Walt I lucked in and found this free when I was looking for historical fiction about the Commonwealth. It was the first Woodman book I'd read. (Now I'm reading A SHIP FOR THE KING).Woodman's got delightful prose! It's smooth stuff. This book's a bargain. (I'd like to sample the Drinkwater series - I'm a Hornblower fan - but the Kindle prices on those are ridiculous, obviously set by his Luddite publishers.)It's nicely researched, this Duke of Abermarle book.My only criticism is that the hero's attitude toward religion smacks of 21st Century mores. (That goes for the hero's in A SHIP FOR THE KING, as well.) Religion WAS politics - finding a man who didn't care about church then was like finding a man who doesn't have an opinion about government services now. (And Monck MUST have attended church while fighting for the Commonwealth - why don't we see and hear that?)And were the "fanatics" (Commonwealth) so different and so wrong? Cranmer on the pyre was in living memory then! Charles I deliberately sought out a Catholic queen, established a Catholic colony in her name, and appointed Laud as Archbishop. It wasn't only the Congregationalists, Anabaptists, and Presbyterians who had God's praises in every correspondence.But that's a quibble. Read this. You'll be entertained and learn stuff. Hard to find that kind of book.
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