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Matthew Hervey #7
An Act of Courage
The seventh novel in the acclaimed and bestselling Matthew Hervey series finds Hervey alone and a prisoner in the fortress of Badajos on the Spanish border.
While Hervey – taken captive in the final pages of The Sabre’s Edge – plans his escape from the Spanish, his memories turn to 1812 when, as a young cornet, he was part of Wellington’s victorious army as it pushed its way north through Spain towards the Pyrenees. But first the British had to storm the fortress where he is imprisoned Badajos – a fortress of huge strategic importance – where French resistance was at its most fierce and most bloody.
Both The Sabre’s Edge and Rumours of War were Sunday Times bestsellers in hardcover.
While Hervey – taken captive in the final pages of The Sabre’s Edge – plans his escape from the Spanish, his memories turn to 1812 when, as a young cornet, he was part of Wellington’s victorious army as it pushed its way north through Spain towards the Pyrenees. But first the British had to storm the fortress where he is imprisoned Badajos – a fortress of huge strategic importance – where French resistance was at its most fierce and most bloody.
Both The Sabre’s Edge and Rumours of War were Sunday Times bestsellers in hardcover.
496 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2005
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About the author
Allan Mallinson
44 books87 followersBrigadier Allan Lawrence Mallinson is an English author and was an officer in the British Army.
Mallinson is best known for writing a series of novels chronicling the (fictional) life of Matthew Hervey, an officer serving in the (fictional) British 6th Light Dragoons from the late Napoleonic Wars through subsequent colonial conflicts in India, North America and south Africa.
Mallinson is best known for writing a series of novels chronicling the (fictional) life of Matthew Hervey, an officer serving in the (fictional) British 6th Light Dragoons from the late Napoleonic Wars through subsequent colonial conflicts in India, North America and south Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 7, 2021
Read this book in 2006, and its the 7th volume of the wonderful "Matthew Hervey" series.
The year is now AD 1826, and our main protagonist Matthew Hervey at Christmastime being a prisoner at the famous fortress prison of Badajoz.
This place with a history during the Peninsular War, its the place where the British fought the French in one of the most bloody and brutal confrontations in AD 1812, and its there that Matthew Hervey is reminiscing about his his achievements and failures.
While contemplating his fate in that prison, he will get help from friends to get him out of that place and into safety.
What is to follow is a wonderful tale about war and personal human feelings towards war that will take Matthew Hervey from a feeling of desolation towards elation, and it will give him perspective about life in the army and without it and thus appreciate all elements about that life, and he will especially realise that while being in prison in Badajoz, giving him some kind of peace of mind.
Highly recommended, for this is another brilliant human addition to this wonderful series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Excellent Courageous Act"!
The year is now AD 1826, and our main protagonist Matthew Hervey at Christmastime being a prisoner at the famous fortress prison of Badajoz.
This place with a history during the Peninsular War, its the place where the British fought the French in one of the most bloody and brutal confrontations in AD 1812, and its there that Matthew Hervey is reminiscing about his his achievements and failures.
While contemplating his fate in that prison, he will get help from friends to get him out of that place and into safety.
What is to follow is a wonderful tale about war and personal human feelings towards war that will take Matthew Hervey from a feeling of desolation towards elation, and it will give him perspective about life in the army and without it and thus appreciate all elements about that life, and he will especially realise that while being in prison in Badajoz, giving him some kind of peace of mind.
Highly recommended, for this is another brilliant human addition to this wonderful series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Excellent Courageous Act"!
October 28, 2013
I've tried reading Allan Mallinson's output before, which is why this one was relegated to a bog book.
It sure looks exciting from the front cover doesn't it ? Cor, sojers, fightin' an adventure !
Well the covers the best bit.
Come on now, that can't be right Mr D, surely ? Well it is. and to coin a phrase, I'll tell you why.
You see this isn't Sharpe. No. Or even Lausard. This is the top end of the British army. I have no doubt that this book recreates the pomposity, snobbery and tactical incompetence associated with this period accurately, but oh gawd is it boring. It takes ages to get going and when it does I found myself not giving a damn.
It's not even Napoleonic. Well not technically it's a decade after it was all over and based on flashbacks to the siege of Badajoz (which Cornwell has already done with aplomb) and the relatively obscure civil war spilling over and around the Portugese/Spanish border.
Dull as ditchwater. Major Hervey isn't a particualry likeable character anyway and this effort doesn't improve that. He's a smartarse soldier and a sycophant. I found myself wishing they'd have left him in Badajoz and thrown away the key.
It drones on and on, bringing in even more ghastly titled characters which you all hope get massacred. Maybe I'm being harsh though. Or maybe spoilt on a diet of Cornwell, Scarrow and Igguldsen.
You make your own mind up. If you like a stuffed shirt hero, dull prose waffling on and on about teeth-itchingly military regulations and minutae then fine. If you want a rollocking good read with action and excitement then perm any one (whatever happened to the pools?) from Cornwell, Scarrow, (both), Igguldsen , Howard, Kilworth, Napier, Mercer, Flint, or Shaara.
It sure looks exciting from the front cover doesn't it ? Cor, sojers, fightin' an adventure !
Well the covers the best bit.
Come on now, that can't be right Mr D, surely ? Well it is. and to coin a phrase, I'll tell you why.
You see this isn't Sharpe. No. Or even Lausard. This is the top end of the British army. I have no doubt that this book recreates the pomposity, snobbery and tactical incompetence associated with this period accurately, but oh gawd is it boring. It takes ages to get going and when it does I found myself not giving a damn.
It's not even Napoleonic. Well not technically it's a decade after it was all over and based on flashbacks to the siege of Badajoz (which Cornwell has already done with aplomb) and the relatively obscure civil war spilling over and around the Portugese/Spanish border.
Dull as ditchwater. Major Hervey isn't a particualry likeable character anyway and this effort doesn't improve that. He's a smartarse soldier and a sycophant. I found myself wishing they'd have left him in Badajoz and thrown away the key.
It drones on and on, bringing in even more ghastly titled characters which you all hope get massacred. Maybe I'm being harsh though. Or maybe spoilt on a diet of Cornwell, Scarrow and Igguldsen.
You make your own mind up. If you like a stuffed shirt hero, dull prose waffling on and on about teeth-itchingly military regulations and minutae then fine. If you want a rollocking good read with action and excitement then perm any one (whatever happened to the pools?) from Cornwell, Scarrow, (both), Igguldsen , Howard, Kilworth, Napier, Mercer, Flint, or Shaara.
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June 26, 2016I enjoyed the boys' comic adventure and battles content but, although I carried on and read the whole series of books, I found his obvious religious bent a little tedious.I would still recommend it to anyone who reads the "Sharpe" (Cornwell) type books
November 8, 2012
Quite enjoyed this one, but can't help think that Mallinson regretted setting the first of the series at Waterloo, so that Hervey's adventures in the Peninsula campaign had to be told as flashbacks in this story. I do think his hero is a bit wet compared to Sharpe or Captain Aubrey though
September 2, 2012
For me, 3 starts means a readable book. Not a classic,not something that I think school children will be forced to read in 100 years, but neverthless enjoyable.
August 31, 2014
I enjoyed this book mainly for the detail of life in the 6th light dragoons. I assume it is part of a series but I have not seen prior or latter books.
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June 26, 2016Most excellent! Matthew Hervey's luck in his career continues to hold, but his personal life is a bit of a wreck, and it's very interesting!
April 11, 2017
Another Hervey story, following a recent pattern in this series of jumping back and forth in time, in this case between the battle of Talavera in 1809, the third siege of Badajoz in 1812 and Hervey's current predicament in 1826 as a captive in Badajoz. Military politics plays its usual part, and the connection between the two Badajoz settings becomes clear in the end. As usual, there is some murky technical horse and cavalry business (easily excused) and a certain lack of clarity in battle descriptions. No matter; one gets the gist of it, and several of the set pieces are outstanding. And even though some of Hervey's career and personal life decisions are questionable, his bravery and commitment are not. In short, he's a human being, if a bit obsessive one, and we root for his success.
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May 26, 2019I utterly love a historical novel and ponies are an added bonus.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews