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Sparrowhawk VI: War

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The men who made the American Revolution were giants. Their story has never fully been told - till now. The 5 previous volumes of Ed Cline's "Sparrowhawk" series showed us two brave youths developing independent minds and spirits ... one, a transported felon, the other, the son of England's nobility. In Book 4 a corrupt king and parliament tried to bleed the colonies, with the Stamp Act and Navigation Acts ... amid the first stirrings of resistance, as Patrick Henry dared to speak treason. In Book 5, Jack Frake and Hugh Kenrick drew swords to block the stamps from being landed in Virginia.

As Jack Frake explains:

"What cleaves us is as wide as the ocean that separates us. It is a distance between souls, between minds, between ways of looking at things. That ocean helped to create that cleavage. It removed our ancestors for a time, as it once removed us, from the immediate concerns and power of kings and the ambitions of men who would be kings, and allowed us to see what could be accomplished without them. It allowed us to see clearly - those of us who bothered to see - what was necessary for men to live their lives unfettered by allegiances to the arbitrary and superfluous ... Once that was done, we could bow no more, neither to nature nor to kings nor to men who would be kings ..."

In this, the last volume of the series, the action explodes. The thrills begin when Etain, Jack's wife, grabs a musket to oppose customs men come to ransack her house ... and the excitement does not let up. The Sons of Liberty march north, to the bloody slopes of Bunker and Breed's Hills ... where in the shock of battle, lives are destroyed ... then back to Virginia to meet the murderous assault on the town of Caxton by the crown's lackeys, and to take part in the Sparrowhawk's fiery last battle.

With every decade, we grow more distant from the American Revolution - distant not just in time, but in attitude. A political and intellectual establishment more corrupt than king or parliament tries to make us forget what the revolution was about, and why our forebears fought. How many years has it been since you heard anyone speak out for "individual rights" or "the pursuit of happiness"?

Ed Cline does speak out. Eloquently, with immense literary skill. His classic inspires us - as it will inspire generations to come - to swear, with rectitude: We, too, will not submit.

Mr. Cline's final Sparrowhawk novel brings the series to satisfying conclusion. Plot twists keep the reader's attention and the action is relatively balanced between the two main characters, Hugh Kenrick and Jack Frake. As in the past, Kenrick is the more interesting character, much more of a work in progress, and with a much wider range of contacts. Nonetheless, Jack Frake is challenged with uncharacteristic doubt and uncertainty.

You may find the viewpoints of some of Mr. Cline's characters throughout the series overemphasized (particularly Frake's), but this is not straight fiction. The author has a very particular political point of view and he uses the characters to explore and illustrate not only this, but various others that were current in the 18th century. There may be some anachronism in this, but it doesn't detract. This is literature that makes one think. That I do not agree with all of Mr. Cline's premises does not mean that I found Sparrowhawk any less worthwhile, indeed, it is more valuable for having done so. I would like to see what happens if Mr. Cline applies his talents to another era of history.

Volume Six of Ed Cline's Sparrowhawk series is a rousing, action-packed finale to what has been a landmark drama of ideas leading up to the American Revolution. In "War," Cline brings together a huge cast of characters and resolves their various conflicts with thunderous finality. To put it succinctly: in this final volume, the time for talking is over; the time for shooting has arrived. And shoot they do!

If you've read the entire series, this finale is a just reward--although some readers might need a stiff drink and a whisk broom to brush themselves off.

Ed Cline is to be congratulated for producing such a memorable series of historical novels.

This whole series has been a great window into the past, in a way that history classes should be. By creating fictional characters and placing them amidst accurate historical settings, the author is able to provide a much better picture into the hearts and minds of the actual people involved in the events. This book nicely integrates various threads from the past books, and while some are resolved, others are not. In my humble opinion, there is room left for another book to show the effects after the war, and to illustrate the process of creating this country (economically and politically) from the ashes.

This final in the Sparrowhawk series of the events prior to the War of Independence commencing 1776 will I believe be a classic to be referred to for all those wanting to understand and appreciate the fundamental philosophical differences that triggered this struggle. That these distinctions have been so profoundly captured within such wholesome charachters, whose development has shown the flaws and virtues which made for those forces for change and conflict. Those same attributes that we see challenging us today. These are powerful charachters and I can say without hesitation that this has been one of the finest reads I have had the pleasure of indulging in. I look forward to reading further great pieces from this author. He is a refreshing voice in that world of mediocrity and chattering trivia. Well done Mr Cline, job well done. I salute you.

I've followed the players through all six of the books, and appreciated how Edward Cline kept my attention from start to finish. The players captivate one's imagination to the point of temptation to turn to the last pages, yet knowing that the detail in the pages will only support the ultimate conclusion. Thanks, Ed, for a wonderful series.

Excellent read, a worthy successor to O'Brian, Forester, fine character development, outstanding usage of 18th century terms. I have read all six; only wish he would continue.

The Sparrowhawk series of books by Edward Cline are among my favorites. These books bring history from the dry text books of school to a living understandable enjoyable story. The series also teach morals without being preachy. All students in middle school and or high school should be required to read this series.