This review comes from the perspective of an avid reader who generally prefers literary fiction, usually historical fiction. But, with any well-written novel relating to historic events, questions arise for the reader: How much of this is true? Did these characters really exist? What actually happened? The search for answers to these questions leads to personal research that goes beyond Wikipedia…and the pursuit of memoirs and/or scholarly nonfiction accounts that will reveal the real truth about historic events.
One of the factors that initially drew my interest in this book is the setting. When most of us think about the Caribbean and West Indies today, we imagine ourselves blissfully sipping rummy drinks on sunny beaches, charmed by the Spanish, British, and French cultural influences. We do not comprehend the horrific events that occurred two and a half centuries before.
This book provides a comprehensive account of a short time period in the history of the area detailing how competing interests in the West Indies led to a dreadful war and incredible loss of life. The researcher and author, Craig Chapman, sets the stage in the Prologue with this question, “How did an American colonist come to die fighting aboard a British warship off the Spanish Main while serving in the British Army during an obscure war with a ridiculous name?”
He begins by establishing the context, reviewing the political conflicts and economics of the time, climatic challenges, and threats to health from disease and malnutrition. What follows is a chronological account of events from each point-of-view: British, Spanish, French, and American colonists. Each encounter and battle is developed in depth, complete with well-placed maps (many created by the author) to assist the reader in following military movements and strategies. A glossary at the back of the book is also an aid to those unfamiliar with the terminology.
My compliments to the author for keeping this reader engaged and entertained. While the many elements are complex, the story is told with easy readability. With clear, concise writing, the author includes excellent descriptions of armaments, warships, mutiny, epidemics, and many ironic and compelling back stories. He weaves in components that constitute good writing (fiction and nonfiction) - foreshadowing, intrigue, anticipation, deception, and drama. That said, I want to assure the history nerds out there, you sticklers for fact, that this is a scholarly account of events as they actually occurred. This book is clearly the result of masterful research (it must have been a huge task to create this book). It is thorough, yet not overwhelming, and gives a detailed, behind-the-scenes look that you don’t usually get from fiction.
In short, this book is a very interesting chronicle (even for those who prefer fiction!) of a little-known and overlooked time in history. Readers will learn why this conflict became known as the War of Jenkins’ Ear and have a peak at what likely became the seeds of the American revolution. What can we learn from this account of one “small" event in history? Cooperation is key to the success of any endeavor. The lack thereof can result in terrible loss.
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