Regimental Affair [Hardcover]

Allan Mallinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2001

The year is 1817, and Captain Hervey has returned from India to an England in turmoil. The clamour for parliamentary and economic reform is bringing the country close to revolution. In the 6th Light Dragoons, things look grim, as Hervey and his new commanding officer are on a collision course.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The England that Capt. Matthew Hervey returns to after heroic duty at Waterloo and in India scarcely resembles the one he left merely a year before. As Mallinson recounts in lively detail, it's now 1817 and political agitators chip away at the established order, criminals prowl the streets and unemployed soldiers, trimmed from her majesty's bulging forces, bloat the ranks of the lazy and useless. Hervey, saddened by the state of his beloved country, rejoices at his new assignment: second in command of his old regiment, the 6th Light Dragoons. Soon, however, the dashing, fiercely loyal officer begins chafing under his new commander, the pompous, sadistic Lord Towcester. Having been promised a promotion once Towcester steps down, Hervey struggles to keep a stiff upper lip as he leads his Dragoon regiment on missions to ambush French smugglers on the Brighton coast and squash marauding Luddites in Nottingham. Sent to Canada, Hervey takes his wife, Lady Henrietta, along with him; in the New World disaster strikes, causing Hervey to vow vengeance on Towcester. Mallinson (Honorable Company) brings this third entry in the series to a close as Hervey teams up with U.S. troops to lend a hand with the westward expansion, setting the stage for a frontierlike adventure next time out. Mallinson's otherwise highly entertaining, cleverly executed plot suffers occasionally from excessive period detail and a dearth of suspense. His prose, however, is sure and steady, and his deft treatment of the honorable yet never priggish Hervey makes him a hero readers will not only root for but follow into battle.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this third in a series (after Honorable Company and A Close-Run Thing), Capt. Matthew Hervey returns from India to England in 1817, where his Sixth Light Dragoons are guarding Brighton and dealing with French smugglers. Later, by sharp contrast, the setting moves to America during the Indian Wars. The villain throughout is Lord Towcester, Hervey's cowardly and inept superior officer, who is bent on destroying his underling's career. This, of course, leads to a bitter showdown. In addition to the barracks scenes, readers also get glimpses of domestic social strata via vignettes of Hervey's marriage to Lady Henrietta Lindsay. Acknowledging the influence of Patrick O'Brian, Mallinson set out in this series to tell a similar story among the cavalry, and he succeeds nicely. Recommended, especially for public libraries. Fred M. Gervat, Concordia Coll. Lib., Bronxville, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Press; First Printing edition (March 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0593043758
• ISBN-13: 978-0593043752
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,578,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read., March 28, 2002

By 

Lee J. Pryor (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Regimental Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

I have now read all three of Allan Mallinson's novels of the life and times of Matthew Hervey and have enjoyed each one. The latest was especially interesting to me and brought back memories of my own time on active and reserve duty in the US Army. Assuming the historical truth of the book the parallels with the army I served in from 1967 to 1996 are striking including the relationships between officers and enlisted and even the description of the General Inspection. There are many good leadership lessons in this book for younger officers just coming up in ranks. Having served in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam I feel a certain affinity to Captain Hervey, although my horse was of iron and not flesh and blood.

I do feel that the books could be improved with the inclusion of maps and perhaps a glossary of military terms from the period of the novels. Many times it is necessary to infer the exact meaning of a term by a careful reading and re-reading. Perhaps Major (? guessing at the rank here since I note he is a serving British Army officer) Mallinson's English readers are familiar with all the old terms but unfortunately many of us from the colonies are not. Maybe it is necessary to purchase and read his book "Light Dragoons" to appreciate and understand the terms.

In any case I recommend this book as a good read of military historical fiction. I look forward to the next installment in the saga.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hervey Rides On .... Slowly, February 19, 2003

By 

Roger Kennedy (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Regimental Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

Mallinson continues the Hervey series with our hero having returned from derring-do in India. He must settle into dull regimental life with the 6th Light Dragoons who have changed much since he last served with them. Mallinson manages to make peace time service in England interesting in what would normally be dull fare. The style of the writting at times is a little like Jane Austen writing historical fiction! Mallinson writes very formally, almost stiff at times, but he does convery a period feel for his characters more than some authors attempt to do. His descriptions of regimental life and the various personalities that exist in a cavalry regiment are most vivid. No doubt much of this is taken from his own expereinces in the modern British army where regimental life has not changed all that much over the years. This stiff, rather paternal system comes across clearly in this story. At times a bit tedious the book rewards the reader who persists. There are interesting descriptions of post Waterloo England where much discontent existed with lay-offs and army reductions. Issues of civic disorder in an era where local Police had yet to be fully developed provides for imformative reading. The reader can see how difficult it was for the army to control civil matters. Hervey's imaginative responses to different situations makes us admire our intelligent hero, and the constant friction he has with his imcompetent Lieut-col. gradully builds suspense throughout the novel.

Hervey's relationship with his wife is warm and loving, and there is much thoughtful character development here. When the regiment is transferred to Canada relief comes from dealing with civil disorder in England, but new friction soon developes with tragic consequences for Hervey and his lovely wife. All of this is well done, if a bit slow at times. Mallinson does not write in the rapid-fire fashion of some authors of historical fiction, and this may put off some readers. Where the series is to go now is hard to say, but I shall look forward to Hervey's continued adventures.

Note: The helmit pictured on the cover of this book appears to be more of a Heavy Dragoon helmit as opposed to what the Light Dragoons wore in this period.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Regimental Affair, March 19, 2002

By 

K. Freeman (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Regimental Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book comes so close -- and misses so heartbreakingly.

Mallinson has a fascinating topic and setting, appealing characters, an excellent grasp of his subject and a good knowledge of the English language.

But he isn't good at telling stories. Over and over, he slips into exposition, sometimes about things only peripherally related to the plot, sometimes about important points. Over and over he builds up tension, leads up to an action scene, only to painfully disappoint the reader by skipping to when it's all over. Even at the end, which contains an undeniably moving fight scene, he seems to have a certain distaste for the action, and description is lacking. The plot, interesting in itself, suffers from a lack of flow and cohesion.

This is the continued story of Matthew Hervey. Rejoining his regiment, he finds them in the grip of an incompetent, vicious commander, Towcester. Through battles with Luddites and a trip to America, he must deal with Towcester's spite. Meanwhile, he marries Henrietta, and she follows him to America, with tragic results. Though the plot device of the malevolent officer is hardly new, it's a good one. But, as I said above, it isn't as well handled as it could be. The potential drama very much gets lost. The end of the book, which is dramatic, feels as if it should have come as the climax, halfway through.

Appealing characters, especially secondary characters, and a dramatic conclusion can't quite save this book. I feel bad giving it a 2, but I can't help thinking the author is capable of much better work, if only he would learn to storytell.