The Fort

by Bernard Cornwell

Summer 1779: a British force of fewer than 1,000 Scottish infantry were sent to build a garrison in the state of Maine. But Massachusetts was determined to expel the British, and they sent a fleet to 'captivate, kill and destroy' the enemy. Told from both sides of the battle, this story features real figures from history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, War, American Revolution, Military Fiction, 18th Century

480 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2010

About the author

Cornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother, who was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his birth mother's maiden name, Cornwell.

Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.

He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.

As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.

Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.

Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.

After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.

A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.

In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.

Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.

Reviews

[Jason Koivu]

I tired…HA! I meant to write "I tried…" but I'm going to leave that typo in, because it's suitable. I tried reading The Fort and I tired of it.

Unless they're causing me to pull out my pubes or take a potato peeler to my eyeballs, I don't like to give up on books. However, as I neared the halfway point of this American Revolution historical fiction by Bernard Cornwell, I realized I had no investment in the characters and little interest in the story. The tweezers and spud peelers beckoned ominously.

I was surprised I was giving up on a Bernard Cornwell book, being such a big fan of his Sharpe series. He does battle action excellently and has a good eye for historical detail. Part of the problem with The Fort was that it takes a while for the action to develop. There's a good deal of backstory dumped on the reader in order to set the stage. I thought I'd enjoy this bit, since I just finished Nathaniel Philbrick's Bunker Hill and was clamoring for more on the Revolution. I called for it, but all that arrived was this slow-developing, seemingly insignificant engagement.

The other issue was that I had no Richard Sharpe type hero to immediately latch on to. In fact, I'm still left wondering whose meant to be the sympathetic character. There's some obvious meanies, such as truculent British officers, but there's also some backbiters and preachy types on the American side. It's fine by me if Cornwell intended ambiguity. It's not fine that I find neither side particularly appealing. I don't mind my allegiance for characters being up in the air, but I can't loath them all and keep my interest up for long…unless the loathing pushes my buttons and makes me shake my fist at them. No, these were the sorts of disagreeable folks you might meet like strangers at a friend's bbq, people you speak with just long enough to realize you want nothing to do with them and then discreetly move away to pretend you're admiring your host's knickknack shelf.

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles van Buren

TOP 1000 REVIEWER

5.0 out of 5 stars

excellent, history filled Bernard Cornwell novel

March 8, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

This novel is based on a military action in what was then a part of Massachusetts but is now Maine. The Penobscot expedition is not one of the better known battles of the American War of Independence. Possibly because it was a major defeat and for many decades, the worst U.S. naval defeat.

Cornwell usually does his research and I noticed no glaring historical inaccuracies. So. This novel offers some interesting insights into Paul Revere beyond just his seeming inability to get along with people. As with most Cornwell books, this one is well written with action and excellent character development. There is, perhaps, a bit more history in this one than is usual.

I received a copy of this novel as a gift.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you read history (or in this case, historical fiction), you often learn something unexpected, and in The Fort, something not very pleasant about our country’s beginnings. Cornwell unveils the virtually unknown military disaster of 1779, when a large force of American revolutionaries tries to dislodge a newly established British encampment on the coast of colonial Massachusetts (future Maine). It is not surprising that this battle has not been covered. I can only shake my head and wonder how we beat the superpower of the day with such incompetence displayed here. The book is not one of Cornwell’s most gripping stories. There are only a few characters that are interesting or appealing but he does confine himself to using real historical characters in most of the story. What slapped me upside the head was the portrayal of Paul Revere, he of the “midnight ride”. The Paul Revere in this story is not the one most Americans are going to recognize. He is not a hero in the only military operation he took part in. He is not even just a regular guy, he is just shy of despicable…and maybe not even that good. The American commander, Gen Lovell, is far out of his depth and he is a politician who schemes for glory back home rather than leading in battle. There are a couple of interesting American soldiers and the British commander and one of his lieutenants, John Moore, are treated well. John Moore will go on to have a famous and tragically-ended career in the British Army.

I used to hold Massachusetts and its citizens in highest esteem as the feisty leaders in our fight for freedom (only lamenting their descent into wimpy whiners as a modern devolution). This story, granted by a British author, shows a less admirable view of the state. I’m giving the book 3 Stars for bringing a chapter of the Revolutionary War to light.

[Nick Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Britain we had a brilliant cunning plan - we shipped out convicts to Australia and our religious nutcases over to the newly discovered America. In retrospect we are well aware that we should have left these two groups at home and shipped ourselves out to the paradise of Australia and the land of plenty that was America. But I digress, let's roll forward to the point where America tired of British rule, British Kings and, more importantly, British taxes. Obviously an unreasonable attitude but the War of Independence was their way of kicking us out and this novel, based on fact, is set during that war.

Some spoilers here, but I'm not sure if they count in a factual novel...

In 1779 a force of Scottish infantry with limited support from the Royal Navy was ordered to hold a key peninsula in Maine (called Majabigwaduce) while the Americans were equally determined to take it back.

British author Cornwell tries very hard to be objective and portray both sides in this conflict with balance. He obviously discovered an piece of American history that was not well known and decided to base a novel on it, partly because of the historical interest, but also because some key historical figures were involved, John Moore (later to become one of Britain's finest soldiers and leaders) and American Paul Revere (made famous by Longfellow's famous poem which gives him far more credit then he was actually due).

There is no doubt that this is an interesting book, but here Cornwell has taken an event and placed his story in it, he normally takes characters like Sharpe with distinct personality and then places them in historical events. It doesn't work like the Sharpe stories for this very reason as his main characters here were real and that does not allow him much to play with.

The Scots were inexperienced troops but had experienced and inspirational leadership and were regular soldiers who did this for a living. There was joint strategy and effective communication with the Royal Navy but the position was still very weak. Enter the Americans with more troops and a superior naval force, but with conflicting leadership and poor communications. From Cornwell's telling the American troops varied from experienced and brave marines to conscripts and volunteers who really wanted to be farming, not fighting. With naval and land commanders not agreeing on any strategy they delayed for so long that the Royal Navy turned up to re-enforce the garrison and the Americans decided to retreat. This was not from cowardice but, given that they no longer had the upper hand, was probably the best thing to do given the situation and that they had delayed for so long. Having said that, they had the chance to regroup where the river narrowed but once again poor leadership meant that they didn't do so, and as a result the fleet was destroyed by their own hands or by the British in the biggest American naval disaster prior to Pearl Harbor.

Of most interest was probably Paul Revere who comes over very poorly here, lazy arrogant and self serving - we Brits have hardly ever heard of him, but it may be hard for Americans to see a historical icon painted in a different light.

So this is an interesting book, but not a real page turner, it lacks tension because you know the outcome before you turn the first page. Cornwell has shed light on a small but important bit of history but fails to make it into an enthralling read.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody writes battle scenes like Bernard Cornwell, projecting you right into the smoke and heat of battle, and, in this one, we have battles on land and sea. This book is not in any series--it's a standalone about the Revolutionary War. Cornwell did some serious research into a rather obscure campaign in 1779 on the coast of Maine. This was the Penobscot Expedition, which came about because the British landed at the Penobscot River to establish a base for the Royal Navy to better fight against the privateers who were devastating British shipping. The soldiers who were landed included tough Scottish Highlanders, who set about building "Fort George." At that time, Maine was part of Massachusetts and it was the State of Mass. which organized the expedition to drive the Brits out of their territory.
One of the most interesting aspects of the campaign was the participation of the famous silversmith Paul Revere. However, his actions in the expedition would not be heroic to say the least. He would NOT live up to the celebrated portrayal as given us by Henry Longfellow in his poem. Another important participant was John Moore, on the British side. He would survive and go on to become one of Britain's greatest generals, dying in 1809 fighting the French in Spain. So there is a connection to Cornwell's Sharpe series, as Sharpe and his riflemen served under Moore in "Sharpe's Rifles."
I really like how Cornwell presents both sides, switching back and forth between the Americans and the British. I found I had sympathy for both sides (maybe even more for the Brits!). At the end, Cornwell does what he always does, giving us an Historical Note about what is fiction-and what is not. I appreciate that. I don't want to give away who won the battle in the end. But for those who are interested in historical fiction, particularly about the American Revolution, I think this is a must-read.

[Clemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2010, and its a standalone book about the American War of Independence.

Set in the year AD 1779, and the War of Independence in its third year, a British force of less than one thousand Scottish infantry are sent to Maine to build a garrison there.

The State of Massachusetts is determined to expel the British, and when they sent a fleet to destroy and kill their enemies, they will come in for a nasty surprise, enforced on them by the British.

All main characters are real historical figures, and their tales, letters, diaries and conscripts, taken from both sides of this clash, with the likes of Paul Revere and John Moore, are developed into a truthful and thrilling adventure where both sides are fairly and equally treated by the author in a most delightful way.

Very much recommended, for the author brings this encounter between the Americans and British very much alive with verve and honesty, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Marvellous Story About The American War Of Independence"!

[Richard Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the usual Cornwell book in that there was no one central hero. However, after battling through the quite slow (but necessary) first quarter of the book, I really started loving it. Especially the introduction os Lt. John Moore. Growing up my great aunt would often read me my fav poem about the Scottish hero:

THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE AFTER CORUNNA

by: Charles Wolfe (1791-1823)

Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note,
As his corse to the rampart we hurried;
Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot
O'er the grave where our hero we buried.

We buried him darkly at dead of night,
The sods with our bayonets turning,
By the struggling moonbeam's misty light
And the lanthorn dimly burning.

No useless coffin enclosed his breast,
Not in sheet or in shroud we wound him;
But he lay like a warrior taking his rest
With his martial cloak around him.

Few and short were the prayers we said,
And we spoke not a word of sorrow;
But we steadfastly gazed on the face that was dead,
And we bitterly thought of the morrow.

We thought, as we hollow'd his narrow bed
And smooth'd down his lonely pillow,
That the foe and the stranger would tread o'er his head,
And we far away on the billow!

Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone,
And o'er his cold ashes upbraid him--
But little he'll reck, if they let him sleep on
In the grave where a Briton has laid him.

But half of our heavy task was done
When the clock struck the hour for retiring;
And we heard the distant and random gun
The the foe was sullenly firing.

Slowly and sadly we laid him down,
From the field of his fame fresh and gory;
We carved not a line, and we raised not a stone,
But we left him alone with his glory.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Fort' tells the story of one of the lesser-known military actions of the American War of Independance.

A force of three small Royal Navy warships and 750 men under the command of General Francis McLean have been ordered to build a fort at Penobscot Bay, Massachusetts from which to control the New England seaboard and offer a place of refuge for loyalists fleeing from the American rebels. Forty-one American ships and 900 men are ordered to "captivate, kill or destroy" them.

The novel is told from four perspectives – both British and American, to give the reader a feel for the personal rivalries that can make or blight military expeditions. I initially found this confusing but as the story progressed, it became less of an issue.

Now I must admit that I enjoy reading historical fiction, but the American War of Independence isn't something that I've studied in any great depth, and this event was completely new to me. As usual it is apparent that Cornwell has done his research and the battles scenes are well written; yet I also felt that something was missing, a real human element.

On the back cover of my copy there is a line taken from The Times newspaper, "Cornwell's gift is to make his stories sound as though he is reporting from the front lines." Of all the books by the author that I've read this quote seemed most apt for this particular book. There is such a focus on historically accuracy that very little attention is given to the personal lives of the characters. Now I realise that this novel is a stand-alone and most of the people who appear within it are real historical figures and much of their actions is based on authentic documents giving the book a feeling of authenticity and eliciting feelings of anger and frustration to some of the characters; but whilst I enjoyed reading about an incident and people that previously I knew absolutely nothing about, overall it felt flat and one dimensional, like a news reporter trying desperately to sound impartial. However, I did enjoy reading what came of the main characters after these events unfolded. 2.5 rounded up to 3.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

MINI REVIEW: This smoothly written book covers the mostly unknown Penobscot Expedition of the American Revolution. According to some historians, it was the worst naval war blunder since Pearl Harbor.

Paul Revere is shown to be an arrogant incompetent suffering court martial after the failed attempt against the British (but he appealed it under peculiar circumstances later); prickly Commodore Saltonsall is the fall guy in an attempt to have the other states cover the costs and General Peleg Wadsworth may be the only true hero of the upper echelon's land commanders.

The audio book (my second "read" of this story) is a B minus to B compared to the novel.

WHEN READ: September to November 2010; CHARACTERS: A minus; STORY/PLOT POINTS: A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fort is Cornwell's look at the Penobscot Expedition of 1779. The British Secretary of State for the Colonies Lord George Germain, the 1st Viscount Sackville, and his Under-Secretary, William Knox, were responsible for the war effort and wanted to establish a base on the coast of the District of Maine (which until achieving statehood in 1820 was a part of Massachusetts) that could be used to protect Nova Scotia's shipping and communities from American privateers and raiders.

The Massachusett's Congress decided to send a Massachusett's Militia force, backed by 44 ships from American privateers and the Continental Navy, to Penobscot to drive away the British. What follows is a tragic comedy showing why militia forces are a joke. A study of the military history of the Revolutionary war shows the relative ineffectiveness of militia forces, time and again. The best of the militia leave to join the Continental Army, the dregs and detritus stay in the militia. This will be patently obvious to anyone reading this. As is the marked difference in quality, discipline and martial prowess of the Continental Marines comparative to the militia halfwits.

I will not ruin the story for you, though it's history and not really a "surprise". Still, it is worth reading. An exciting battle between the British and the American rebel forces. It is rather tragic, from an American side, to see the sheer idiocy and amateurishness of the so-called "leaders" of this mess. General Lovell comes under a pall of incompetence, and rightly so, while Cornwell does try to explain why Commodore Saltonstall of the Navy didn't bring his forces forwards. The lack of combined arms is laughable. All Americans should thank God for the Continental Army and Marines (plus a nod of appreciation for the Prussian von Steuben for teaching the Continental forces Prussian drill)- for if the Revolutionary War were left to the militias and civilians-then we'd be drinking tea, eating fish and chips and worrying about Brexit.

Well written, interesting and highlighting a relatively obscure conflict zone- Cornwell writes another excellent historical fiction. Highly recommended to anyone who likes a great story or loves historical fiction.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bernard Cornwell is one of my favorite historical fiction writers and when I saw this in the library and it didn't seem to be part of a series I jumped on it. It's very good but not as great as other books by him but I did enjoy myself reading about a part of history I knew very little about. 3.7 stars for me.

[Olethros · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Tendencias realistas muy logradas.-

Género. Novela histórica.

Lo que nos cuenta. Relato novelado de los hechos que rodearon la Expedición Penobscot en verano de 1799 que, durante la Guerra de laIndependencia de los Estados Unidos, trató de expulsar de la zona a los británicos que se habían fortificado en la bahía del mismo nombre en territorio de Massachussets.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Milo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. An OK read but expected better from Cornell especially given the time period. First Cornell book that I've not enjoyed.

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I still consider Bernard Cornwell one of the more consistent authors that I've read, The Fort is not one of his best. While some positive hallmarks of his writing remain present here: brilliant action sequences, clear prose, and a fast-paced and well-plotted narrative, several things bogged this story down. The first was that as a story, it's a rather ho-hum execution of a siege. There are hundreds of pages of almost nothing going on. And while Cornwell often brings a lot of color to his characters, the story itself was littered with so many secondary characters, it was honestly tough to keep track of everyone.

I do feel that some of my enjoyment was hindered by reading the blurb in the dusk jacket (which is also the description in the Goodreads title above.). The dust jacket literally tells you who wins the battle. So one would assume that means that the battle is resolved early and the book covers other things? No. The battle resolved on page 430 of a 450-page book. So the entire thing lacked suspense. Someone at Harper should be fired for that. So definitely don't read the description if you want to read the book. But honestly, Cornwell has better out there than a mostly unimportant 3 week battle during the Revolutionary War. But can you call it a battle when there was barely any fighting?

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as thrilling as Cornwell's typical work, perhaps because he was more constrained by more historical records than are available for many of his novels. Also, because reading The Fort is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. The story details America's worst naval disaster prior to Peal Harbor in 1941. The debacle on the Penobscot in 1779 was failure of leadership--just who the historians may still debate. The British acquitted themselves honorably and professionally and survived when even they expected to lose, while the Americans delayed, fought among themselves, feathered their own nests, held councils and voted (voted!!!) and finally defeated themselves.

Cornwell is too kind to the partisan bickering and amateur soldiery which doomed the Massachusetts expedition before it began. Nevertheless Cornwall develops the tale as it unfolds allowing the locomotive to gather momentum and then careen out of control and finally into ruin.

Well crafted but not an enjoyable read, perhaps the sufficiency of historical records crowded out Cornwell's usual flair and humor.

Still, a good read.
The Fort

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Fort" is the story of a very little known conflict during the Revolutionary War. The battle took place in Upper New England at Penobscot Bay. The battle took place on both land and sea, but is best known as the greatest naval disaster in American History prior to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The English, in an attempt to establish a base of operation, sent a small expeditionary force of both men and ships to build a fort and naval base. The force consisted of less than a thousand soldiers and three small sloops.

The State of Massachusetts sent a fleet of over forty vessels and about the same number of soldiers as the English. The were to "captivate, kill, or destroy" the English invaders. The American Patriots should have easily overcome the English garrison but the two ranking American officers, Commodore Dudley Saltonstall and Brigadier-General Solomon Lovell, were at odds with each other in how to conduct the battle. The indecision, ineptitude, and irresolution of these two men led to the defeat of the Patriots.

One of the main characters of the book, Paul Revere, a man revered (sorry for the play on words) in American History is shown to be anything but a hero. Altough he did ride to warn of the British invasion, he was put a small player on a larger stage. His claim to fame was due to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere". The poem was to instill patriotism during the Civil War; not an accurate telling of an historical event, in fact, Revere never finished his mission.

At the end of the book, Cornwell details the lives of the main characters after the battle. Some went on to greater things, while others suffered for their actions, or inactions as it may be.

Paul Revere faced court-martial for cowardice and disobedience. Commodore Saltonstall was court-martialed and relieved of his command.

Bernard Cornwell, once again, proves that he may well be the best writer of historical fiction. Although written as fiction, I would dare say that most of this book is factual history.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bernard Cornwell is widely known as "Britain's storyteller." The Sharpe novels, the Grail Quest trilogy, "Stonehenge," the Warlord Chronicles, and the Saxon Tales are all steeped in the legends and lore of Britain and western Europe. True, with the Starbuck novels and "Redcoat" Cornwell has written a bit about America, but in general his prolific pen has focused on matters on the east side of the pond.

With "The Fort," his latest novel, Cornwell balances the score a bit. "The Fort" focuses on the ill-fated Penobscot expedition where an overwhelming Continental force - combining naval, infantry, and artillery forces on a grand scale - completely failed in its objective to oust a small British force from its spot at the mouth of the Penobscot River in what is now Maine. This is a painful novel for Americans to read, as in addition to the military defeat our forces suffered, Cornwell also uncovers a long-forgotten tale - the story of the cowardice of Paul Revere.

Yes - that Paul Revere - the guy in the poem. It turns out that in reality, the only time Paul Revere faced the British in arms he was a complete skunk. As an officer leading the American artillery, Revere neither knew his business nor led his forces with anything approaching dispatch, initiative, bravery, or duty. Instead, in a well-documented event, Revere actually fled on a barge to preserve his personal baggage rather than save American sailors from capture by a British ship. When you add this to his utter incompetence as an artillery officer who was more concerned with a hot breakfast than hot cannon, you get one damning indictment of an American hero.

All in all, this expedition was marred by bad luck and appalling leadership. Cornwell spreads the blame around - the infantry commander Lovell and the naval commander Saltonstall also disgrace themselves on numerous occasions. Choose your poison, and the Continental leaders and soldiers from it: indecision, pride, sloth, a failure to read terrain or the enemy, and an embarrassing unwillingness to fight. Combine those failings with poor communication and you've got an incompetent army.

Cornwell illustrates these failings as only he can - excellent characterizations of real historical figures combined with bloody action scenes. "The Fort" may not be Cornwell's greatest book, but there's too much competition for that title anyway. This is a thrilling, exasperating book about a tale that should be well-known, and not just by military historians. Check it out.

[Xpdite · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of Bernard Cornwell's best books.

His Rebel series covered the American civil war; this
concerns the Independence period and a time when parts of the north, north America
were dangerously poised between the old world and tea party officials.

It's the latter we're concerned with here and the rather parsimonious number of stars garnered overall bear no relation to the book's quality.

It is stellar.

I've read quite a lot of Bernard Cornwell and there's usually a fair amount of boilerplate going on;
"...behind the shield wall." etc. Fun, but after a while, kind of predictable.
This book is entirely different and, in its own way I think, important. It shines a forensic new light on a piece of terrain much picked over, indeed stamped flat, by those who might be called: The Grand Mythologisers.

"The Fort" is soundly researched and properly respectful of the historical record, however uncomfortable that
might be for some readers nurtured on a US foundation mythology saturated with unexamined fabulo-tastical elements.

For example: how oppressed were the Americans by the British, actually? ... ( hint: taxes don't count - I want concentration camps, slavery, death marches, torture, random murder and the dreadful prospect of rich tea biscuits....)

The truth is that Americans weren't nearly as good , nor the British nearly as bad, as too many Americans are still brought up to believe. This book will forever be a mote in the eye of anyone who overly 'reveres' big Paul, for example.
It has a big cast but stay with it; it'll grow on you. It's worthwhile. It will tell you some intriguing stuff about the military history of the period.

It's also quietly balanced and fair. Which means, in a small way, it manages to chip away at a large granitic untruth, while remaining a very good read.

[Nancy Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Penobscot Expedition of 1779 is the worst US Naval disaster before Pearl Harbor. It's a perfect lesson in how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I found this book very difficult to read because of that fact. It seemed as if every page delivered a new disaster and/or stupid move by incompetent leaders of the Colonial forces. I felt the frustration of better commanders and soldiers having to obey what they knew as utterly mindless orders and wanted to smack the stupid general. A battle that should have been won in one day was stretched out to three wasted weeks resulting in abject failure all because of the incompetence, shortsightedness, and meanspirited nature of the Colonial leaders. Even the British General in charge of the fort could not believe his luck in the stupidity of his foes. He was a sensible, decent man and was prepared to surrender the "fort", which was in the earliest stages of construction and therefore indefensible, but the Colonials refused to attack! Ultimately the Colonial Naval Commander was forced to take the blame for the defeat, only because the Massachusetts Militia, whose campaign it had been, wanted to recover their horrendous expenses from the Federal government. Another old story.......

Nobody tells a battle story like Bernard Cornwell! He brings everything an everyone alive, and the reader experiences the emotions of all the characters. Just as fascinating as the story itself is his Historical Note at the end of the book. And if you thought you knew about Paul Revere......wow.....you're in for a huge surprise!

[Ed · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read 43 of Bernard Cornwell's books. I doubt if I ever gave any of them a rating of less than 4 stars, most of them 5. This offering was excruciatingly boring and if the author had been anyone other than Cornwell, I would have abandoned the book half way through. As it is, I skipped through the last 200 pages reading the first and last sentences of paragraphs or inferring where the story was going as I skimmed along the surface. I did read the Historical Notes word for word and realized they may have been the best part of the book.

I cannot say reading the book, the story of 1779 Majabigwaduce campaign on Penobscot Bay, was a total waste of time. I learned some things that I would have never known. For instance, I had no idea what an insufferable jerk, Paul Revere was and that if it wasn't for Longfellow's 1861 poem, he would not have his reputation as a hero but rather as a self-involved egotist if we remembered him at all.

I also learned how each state, in this case Massachusetts, could mount a military campaign on its own, not even informing the Continental Congress of its intentions. Of course they had to pay for the campaign, in this case, close to 2 million pounds or around 300 million dollars in today's currency.

That this was the worst U.S. naval defeat up until Pearl Harbor was news to me. The loss of 37 ships and hundreds of men has not been a point of pride in the history books.

There are some heroes on both sides of the conflict, General Peleg Wadsworth of the Massachusetts Militia and Captain Welch of the Marines on the American side and General McLean and Lieutenant John Moore on the British side. There were far more blameworthy combatants on the American side. In addition to Revere, there was Commodore Saltonstall, who was eventually blamed for the entire disaster and General Lovell, the militia commander who could almost be accused of cowardice if not terminal cold feet.

Cornwell's research was, as usual, first-rate and complete, maybe too complete. I felt he bogged down relating conversations and other minutiae that could have easily been condensed. I also did not connect with the major players as I always have in his other books. Perhaps, in this case, he was dealing with historical figures rather than his imaginary heroes like Richard Sharpe, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Thomas Hookton and Nathaniel Starbuck.

This novel will not keep me from reading upcoming Cornwell offerings but I was disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but of the six criteria of "How to know you are reading a bad book", this one hit four of the six.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1779, most of the action of the Revolutionary War had moved south but the British began an effort to establish a British garrison and naval base at Penobscot Bay on the coast of New England. They worked to rapidly build a fort there which they named Fort George. But while the walls of the fort are still just starting to be built, the rebels (Americans) throw a large force at them, far outnumbering them with foot soldiers, marines, and naval ships. However, this battle would go down in history as a major defeat for the Americans and the worst naval disaster up until Pearl Harbor.

Historical fiction can be tricky. The best of the genre must balance historical accuracy with good storytelling. Bernard Cornwell has long been a master of combining the two but in this one I think he falls a little short on the story aspects. This novel is packed-full of extremely accurate historical details. In fact, all characters depicted are historical with the exception of those whose sir name begins with the letter “F” (and there are very few of those). The story is told through the eyes of a few key individuals including the commanding officers of both sides. We get a lot of their views on what should happen and what actually happens, and it is interesting to see the various perspectives on display. Notably, Paul Revere is a character in this battle and his true less-than-noble nature is revealed, countering the image that most of us have in our minds today.

The history presented here is interesting, if not exactly uplifting, especially for Americans. However, I found the book to be a slow read. Battle scenes are infrequent. When they come around, they are typical Cornwell battle scenes, meaning they are intense, bloody affairs. War is not glorious. I would wish for more of those and less of the inner thoughts of the officers, less of the meeting rooms with all of the lengthy pretense of decision making, and less of the minutia of life in a war camp waiting for a battle to occur.

Perhaps the best part of the entire book was the author’s afterward where intriguing details are offered about the characters we just read about, including their future lives after the battle. Looking back, I can say I enjoyed it (mostly) but wouldn’t put it at the top of my Bernard Cornwell list.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fort by Bernard Cornwell
American revolutionary war, a little known battle outside of military history buffs, Fort George. . Based on events over three weeks in July and August of 1779 The historical fiction part is following a couple of young people around the battle edges.

So in theory It should have been an astounding American victory with a fleet 40 ships & over 1100 men in their landing force pitted against 3 lightly armed British Royal Navy ships and almost 700 infantrymen albeit some very Scottish tough nuts. But high American losses on the first day of fighting led to a stand offish approach to the conflict by the American commanders Brigadier General Solomon Lovell & Commodore Dudley Saltonstall they became entangled in indecision, bickering, blaming the other, which ultimately led to their demise. They floundered around uselessly until a powerful British relief force arrived and trapped them in the harbor, rather than face capture they scuttled their fleet and fled, leaving most of their force behind as casualties or captured. I found it intriguing the issues faced by the commanders on all sides is portrayed very well, their decisions or American side "lack of", fascinating Cornwell brings to life the atmosphere very vividly.

Side note, Paul Revere very weirdly came across, not as commonly depicted in most histories as a hero of the revolution but as a self serving arrogant lazy stupid bastard and after this debacle was never to serve in any capacity in the revolutionary army ever again, which kind of says it all.

As it stands as a defeat it was probably conveniently forgotten, but hard lessons were taught internally & wouldn't have been forgotten in a hurry

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could easily be subtitled "Paul Revere is a Cowardly Jerk," and the author pokes more than a few holes in the myth of Boston's favorite revolutionary, although he is not the primary character in this book. In The Fort Cornwell breaks from his usual tendency to focus on a single character's point of view, except when necessary for the story. In this book, he jumps around from character to character, which made it harder to get into the book initially. While the story is historically accurate, Cornwell's sympathy is clearly with the British, both as individuals and from a military standpoint - without giving too much away, the American "amateur army" (made up of a mix of militia, regulars, and privateers, officered in some cases by part-time soldiers and politicians) is rather outclassed by the British professional army. I'd give this a solid "3": enjoyable and of historical interest, but not Cornwell's best work.

[Mailaenderli · Rating 4 out of 5]

As per his usual, Bernard Cornwell did an excellent job with his research.
This is the story of one of worst sea battle of the United States; The expedition to Majabigwaduce. The Rebels (Americans) against the Tyrants (The English).
I loved that the story is told from both sides and at times (as you get to know and like the characters) I was torn with my allegiance. The book has many a page of historical notes at the end which I thought very satisfying. I wanted to know how some of the real life characters fared. Further, I love when authors can give you additional sources to extra reading material. A fine historic novel about an interesting time in US history. Oh and boooohhh Paul Revere.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bernard Cornwell normally excels at this type of story but, for some reason, I just didn't really gel with this book at all. Maybe that was due to its subject matter?

Set in, and dealing with, an event during the American war of Independence, I got the impression this was (almost) written for an American audience rather than a more international one.

Not his best work.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer 1779 and the third year of the American War of Independence. It is a tale of battle, personalities and politics, as the British establish a garrison at Majabigwaduce and the Massachusetts fleet try to dispel them, eventually, unsuccessfully. Forced myself to read it. I was interested in the personalities of the troops and their leaders. However I really enjoyed the ‘historical note’, should have read it first! Peleg Wadsworth was my favourite character – brave and idealistic.
How would you describe the pace of the book? A battle!

[Dan Marriott · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Bernard Cornwell that I’ve given a 2 star. Just didn’t enjoy it, he’s still one of my favourite authors though

[Sir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made Me MAD!! it's very well-written, as are all of BCs books. I won't get in to what angered Me, as it will ruin the story. This is a GREAT book.

[Nazzarena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bellissimo pezzo di storia, abbastanza misconosciuto. Purtroppo, però, non all'altezza del solito Cornwell.

[Hayden Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some might say that this book was boring or this book was not interesting enough but I found that this book was most helpful in understanding history through a more enjoyable context than a textbook. Considering it as a novel, it was one of the most interesting historical novels I have ever read. In this novel by Bernard Cornwell was published in 2010 and is not the typical Bernard Cornwell book. Bernard Cornwell is typically known to write historical fiction from the time periods such as the Napoleonic Wars and such and I believe that his style of writing consists of keeping the novel very historically accurate but also does a great job of keeping characters interesting. Often times characters conflict with what the reader wants them to do or what the reader thinks is logical to do is not so logical to that character. Characters come in many different varieties making them able to be enemies to the reader or very relatable.

"The Fort" is indeed a historical novel and describes the conflict that happened at Majabigwaduce in present day Maine after British soldiers decided to build a fort to help in the fight against the American colonies independence. The characterization is one of the best parts I think due to each character having a distinct personality that can very well be relatable to some readers while they could also anger others. Character comes in a wide range of ages and personalities that affect the decisions each character makes or do not make. One thing that could have made the characters better is making more conflict between characters with different personalities occur more. The plot is very original for this novel due to many ups and downs but it is also predictable sometimes on what is going to happen. The plot also revolves around geography a lot due to the vast area that this story takes place in. the plot is interesting to me even if it is not to others due to the historic value I took away from it.

I really have not read too many historical novels so I can not compare this novel to any other historical novels or any other books. I can say that the real life events do go along with the book but Cornwell makes it into a novel that is enjoyable by playing around with certain facts. "My Brother Sam Is Dead," written by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier, is similar to this novel in ways of characterization how it creates certain opinions of the characters by the reader due to conflicting ideas. There are also far fewer charters in it which limits the variety of personalities.

There aren't any controversial issues that the reader should be worried about and not any modern global issues due to the time period except the subject of bloody and gory descriptions of war which does bring life to the novel. The theme of this novel is obviously war and strategy due to the fighting and the brutality described in the novel with the careful planning and reasons for certain actions. The life lesson that the reader will discover is that war is a messy subject and that no lives are spared, avoiding conflict is the best decision at most times.

Overall this novel is great for anyone who likes history or likes a good realistic plot. Historians would like to read it along with the classic Highschool student. This novel is very appropriate for an advanced student who wants to understand the main parts of history without reading a boring history textbook. The strategy discussed will really get you thinking and certain decisions might make you go crazy.