Posts Tagged ‘Wellington’

Follow Me to Glory - First in the Ian Carlyle Series

The title of the first book in the Ian Carlyle Series is “Follow Me to Glory.”  The Crimean War, during which the bulk of the story takes place, was an absolute disaster. There had not been a major war in Europe for 40 years, since Wellington fought Napoleon. In 1854, the British were ill prepared to fight such a large-scale war. Too many of the lessons learned against Napoleon had been forgotten, and Wellington was no longer around. The butcher’s bill for this forgetfulness was paid in soldiers’ lives.

I chose the title because Ian Carlyle’s dream is to follow in his soldier-father’s footsteps and lead men in battle. For Ian Carlyle, as he comes of age, this means to lead men to “glory.”

In that earlier time, and I fear too often today, those who first go to war, and those at home who cheer them on, have this sense that “glory” is out there, a prize to be had if your brave enough, or lucky enough.  The reality falls way below this naïve expectation.  Warriors know that better than anyone.  They know that sometimes you have to fight, but there isn’t a damned thing about it that you can call “glory.”

Ian manages to navigate through some rather horrendous challenges as he grows to manhood. He overcomes these hurdles and evolves into such a warrior and leader, but the story is more about his coming to terms with what glory isn’t, then what it is.  Most folks who have been in harm’s way, the soldiers who have to fight the dirty, ugly wars, will explain that truth. In the end, it boils down to kinship with your fellow soldiers, an intense commitment to those in your charge, and plain, simple survival.

Last action of Ian Carlyle before Sevastopol in the Crimea, painting by Peter Culos