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Kings of the Boyne
Two kings, Three young soldiers. One battle to end all battles.
Eager to prove his courage and defend his family honour, young Irish noble Gerald O'Connor rides his warhorse Troy north in King James’s cavalry.
Brothers Robert and Daniel Sherrard march south from the once-besieged city of Derry with King William’s army.
The chosen field of battle – the Boyne – lies waiting, where victory will decide who rules the lands of England, and of Ireland.
And the fighting will decide who survives the deadly game of war.
Eager to prove his courage and defend his family honour, young Irish noble Gerald O'Connor rides his warhorse Troy north in King James’s cavalry.
Brothers Robert and Daniel Sherrard march south from the once-besieged city of Derry with King William’s army.
The chosen field of battle – the Boyne – lies waiting, where victory will decide who rules the lands of England, and of Ireland.
And the fighting will decide who survives the deadly game of war.
336 pages, Paperback
Published September 26, 2016
2 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Pierce
25 books87 followersFormer ghost-writer, Pierce published her first book for children in 2011. 'Spirit of the Titanic' received rave reviews and ran to five printings within its first twelve months. In 2018 she wrote the nonfiction 'Titanic, True Stories'. Her second children's novel 'City of Fate' is set during WW2's Battle of Stalingrad. This was followed by 'Behind the Walls', about the Siege of Derry, and 'Kings of the Boyne', about the 1690 Battle of the Boyne. Her latest children's novel, 'Chasing Ghost' tells the story of doomed John Franklin expedition to the Artic in 1845. In 2021, Pierce brought out a history of Dublin's O'Connell Street. New children's novel due out 4 Sept 2023, 'In Between Worlds, The Journey of the Famine Girls'.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 15, 2016
Nicola Pierce's latest novel follows the story of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 through the eyes of a variety of characters. The book can be read as a stand alone tale or as a sequel to her previous book Behind the Walls which dealt with the siege of Derry in 1689, as two characters from Behind the Walls also feature in the new book; brothers Robert and Daniel Sherrard. Also featured in the book are a young cavalry man Gerald O'Connor, his Parisien friend Jacques, their companions Michael and Joseph and a County Down farmer Jean Watson as well as King James and King William and their various advisors. Through the winter and spring of 1690 we see the young friends camping out and travelling wherever they are sent by the leaders of their armies as the day of battle draws ever closer, we learn of their fears and worries as they talk and write letters home and we see how they are changed by army life as they are forced to make decisions they never thought they would have to make including taking horses and livestock from hungry families and turning their backs on loved ones.
Finally the day of battle approaches and we learn the fate of all the characters we have grown close to. Nicola Pierce is a fantastic storyteller and here she condenses a number of complicated political and military events and makes them brilliantly readable and enjoyable. Her gift for bringing characters to life through their dialogue, interactions and quirks is uncanny and in a fantastic scene with Jacques, his girl Nancy and our young hero Gerald the three youngsters visit a bookshop in Drogheda. Gerald is a great lover of books and determined to purchase a gift for his sister but short of money he fears he will have to leave his chosen book behind, his friends however insist on helping him out. It's a wonderful little aside which beautifully demonstrates the author's skill at building characters that readers cannot help but root for. However that said there are also scenes which depict the ordinary soldiers on the other side of the battle lines. Throughout the author remains completely impartial in her storytelling. Even when it comes to describing the blunders and misjudgement of the leaders the story unfolds without judgement. This book is published by O'Brien Press for children aged 9 and upwards but I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Irish and British history.
October 5, 2016
REVIEW BY JACK - YEAR 11
Kings of the Boyne is historical fiction but in a different style. It is about the battle of Boyne in Ireland at the end of the glorious revolution. The story is very intriguing and plausible, and manages its (rather large) cast well, avoiding confusion. It alternates between following the two kings (William III and James II) and two soldiers in their respective armies (Daniel Sherrard and Gerald O’Connor).
My favourite part of the tale is the actual Battle of Boyne, where the individual stories of each character come together coherently. The best character for me is the widow, Mrs Watson. This is because her story feels genuine, and, it turns out, is genuine. In a plot line that it appears you simply could not make up, she leaves her children and pursues William’s army in an attempt to get her requisitioned horses returned.
The main thing I did not like about the book is that because it is written for a much younger audience than myself (age 10+), the dialogue felt quite simplistic. I understand this completely, but related to it is the issue of the author often changing from third person to first person and even changing tense sometimes, which I found annoying.
In conclusion, though I do not like some aspects of how it has been done, the stories that have been told here are so good that I would give it 4 out of 5 stars anyway. I also probably would recommend it to those in the age group it is intended for.
Kings of the Boyne is historical fiction but in a different style. It is about the battle of Boyne in Ireland at the end of the glorious revolution. The story is very intriguing and plausible, and manages its (rather large) cast well, avoiding confusion. It alternates between following the two kings (William III and James II) and two soldiers in their respective armies (Daniel Sherrard and Gerald O’Connor).
My favourite part of the tale is the actual Battle of Boyne, where the individual stories of each character come together coherently. The best character for me is the widow, Mrs Watson. This is because her story feels genuine, and, it turns out, is genuine. In a plot line that it appears you simply could not make up, she leaves her children and pursues William’s army in an attempt to get her requisitioned horses returned.
The main thing I did not like about the book is that because it is written for a much younger audience than myself (age 10+), the dialogue felt quite simplistic. I understand this completely, but related to it is the issue of the author often changing from third person to first person and even changing tense sometimes, which I found annoying.
In conclusion, though I do not like some aspects of how it has been done, the stories that have been told here are so good that I would give it 4 out of 5 stars anyway. I also probably would recommend it to those in the age group it is intended for.
October 25, 2016
We know the outcome of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, but who were the people fighting this battle? And why were they fighting on the side of James or William?
In 2015 Nicola Pierce published the excellent "Behind the Walls" about the Siege of Derry, that started in the Winter of 1688. In that book we first meet Daniel and Robert Sherrard, two Protestant teenage boys from Derry. They helped to close the city gates when the Jacobite army approached. In "Kings of the Boyne" the Sherrard brothers have joined King William's army. In this new book we are also introduced to Gerald O'Connor from County Offaly and his French friend Jacques who are in King James's army. We read about their respective journeys to the river Boyne with the two Kings. Why did they join? What was on their minds? What were their hopes and expectations? And then the battle starts and we read about these young men fighting, hoping to survive. And there are the two Kings; William and James. James was not only William's father in law, he was also William's uncle. How did they end up fighting each other in Ireland? "Kings of the Boyne" is a children's novel but, like Nicola's other books, is never dumbed-down. Some of the fighting is gruesome and written in a visual way. This is a book that adults will enjoy just as much a children will. An awesome read!
In 2015 Nicola Pierce published the excellent "Behind the Walls" about the Siege of Derry, that started in the Winter of 1688. In that book we first meet Daniel and Robert Sherrard, two Protestant teenage boys from Derry. They helped to close the city gates when the Jacobite army approached. In "Kings of the Boyne" the Sherrard brothers have joined King William's army. In this new book we are also introduced to Gerald O'Connor from County Offaly and his French friend Jacques who are in King James's army. We read about their respective journeys to the river Boyne with the two Kings. Why did they join? What was on their minds? What were their hopes and expectations? And then the battle starts and we read about these young men fighting, hoping to survive. And there are the two Kings; William and James. James was not only William's father in law, he was also William's uncle. How did they end up fighting each other in Ireland? "Kings of the Boyne" is a children's novel but, like Nicola's other books, is never dumbed-down. Some of the fighting is gruesome and written in a visual way. This is a book that adults will enjoy just as much a children will. An awesome read!
July 6, 2020
This was chosen from a list of suggested books about the Irish/English conflict. An historical fiction about the two kings fighting over Ireland in 1690, King James (dethroned) and King William (Dutch by birth, but King James nephew - and also his son-in-law). If you made this up, you would be getting eye-rolls. Each chapter takes the point of view from one of the half dozen characters that provide a perspective for why they are involved. This book is short, the fact that I came away with an engaging story line that kept me interested and involved in all their narratives PLUS learned about British Royal history, socio-political and church history draws high praises for the author, Nicola Pierce.
June 21, 2023
I remember vaguely learning about the battle of the boyne in one of Mr. D history classes, which was probably covered in one lesson.
The book is very well put together, coveing the build-up to the battle the battle and the aftermath in great detail. Following the friendships adventure and horrors of battle of character from both sides. On one side, the williamites with the Sherrard brothers from derry and Gerald O' Conner in King James's cavalry fighting alone side the Jacobites only to be let let down by an uninspiring coward James. A bad tactician who believed god spoke to him and didn't take the advice from his tactical advisors. King James must of set a land record that day getting from the Boyne to Dublin.
The book is very well put together, coveing the build-up to the battle the battle and the aftermath in great detail. Following the friendships adventure and horrors of battle of character from both sides. On one side, the williamites with the Sherrard brothers from derry and Gerald O' Conner in King James's cavalry fighting alone side the Jacobites only to be let let down by an uninspiring coward James. A bad tactician who believed god spoke to him and didn't take the advice from his tactical advisors. King James must of set a land record that day getting from the Boyne to Dublin.
May 16, 2017
It's 1690, the year King James and King William of Orange began the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. They, along with thousands of soldiers, fought for religion, power, money, honor, hope, and peace. Gerald O'Connor, Robert and Daniel Sherrard, and the two kings' points of view tell this story remarkably well. Having read many books about war, I thought this one did a good job of expressing the cruelty, misunderstanding, and emotions that happen on the battlefield.
It was helpful to have some prior knowledge of the Battle of the Boyne and Irish history before reading this book, but I think anyone who likes historical fiction would enjoy Kings of the Boyne.
It was helpful to have some prior knowledge of the Battle of the Boyne and Irish history before reading this book, but I think anyone who likes historical fiction would enjoy Kings of the Boyne.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews