Bold and Blooded

Years of Blood #1

by Andrew Wareham

Bold and Blooded… Born into poverty in a small Northamptonshire village dominated by an overbearing pastor and a tyrannical father, young Micah Slater fought back against his father and was forced to leave. He joined the military who were to confront the marauding Scots. It was a time of bloody unrest in the country where people had to decide whether they were loyal to King Charles the first, or to the growing influence of the Parliamentarians, or possibly to themselves. The War hadn’t started, but it was only a matter of time before the country became anything but civil... Published by The Electronic Book Company

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2019

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable book for readers of historical fiction and follows Andrew Wareham’s fairly well-established path of young man from a lowly background discovering through force of circumstances that he happens to be good at military matters followed by swift promotion which begins to make his fortune for him. This author is usually very good at getting the historical details right, so I hope he won’t mind me having two niggles about this: 1) Tricorn hats weren’t used in England in the mid-17th Century - much more likely to have been broad-brimmed hats; 2) Armoured cavalry with pistols and carbines were not called “Dragoons” but “Horse”, as dragoons were true mounted infantry, often with flintlocks, and used as such to dismount, skirmish and harass the enemy from the flanks.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good soldiers tale with some issues

I enjoy Wareham's depiction of life during and just before the industrial revolution but I have noticed he gives short shrift to the women. It is especially apparent in this tale, with his protagonist's female family members apparently confined to the house. What could they be doing in there? As much work cooking, cleaning,mending and making clothes are without modern convinces, and assuming they take care of the garden (despite the impression I received of them literally being confined inside a small house) that they do nothing related to the stone cutting building is hard to believe. As hard to believe is that they never leave the household other than visiting the chapel. Apparently they have no relatives nearby? No aunts or grandmothers or cousins to visit?
The level of isolation is ridiculous.
Other than that, a well told and researched story.

[Roger B. Saphore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow moving all talk too bad I also purchased book number two as will remove both from Kindle!

Slow moving, drug on and on Have to add eleven more words in order to finish this so that I can delete .

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A goode start at begining

Parental misbehavior, strict religious upbringing, out into the wild world to get a job, what is the younger son to do? Join the army, not just any army but precivil war UK in the uplands of England

[09/01 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant storyline.

Wareham spins an interesting tale of a young man, who follows his beliefs and rises through the parliamentary forces. A fascinating insight into the lives and times of day period.

[Lelia Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

AGood book to read

I cannot wait for the second book to come out. You left me waiting for next book and the battles to come

[Joseph Herlihy · Rating 5 out of 5]

1641

Interesting look at the grittiness surrounding the major events in English history. As an American descended from a mix of each of the 4 “countries” making up the British Isles it gave (if true) context to from whence my ancestors came.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different read

I am unaware and knowable about the time and locations described in this story, any that I do possess come from reading other books about this time period and have little to judge the accuracy. My knowledge of the towns comes from being in them in the 1970s and 80s. I thought that many of the actions were inconsistent with reality and had away too many coincidences.