Valley Forge

Imprisoned in Boston with the defeated army, Captain Jamie Skoyles escapes with Elizabeth Rainham, the woman he loves, and, after a series of adventures, reaches Philadelphia where the British army has camped for the winter. Washington’s men, by contrast, have to endure the freezing cold of Valley Forge and are dogged by a lack of food and other resources.

Working as a spy for the British, Skoyles gets inside the American camp and courts all kinds of dangers. His spirits are lifted when Elizabeth joins him in Philadelphia but another new arrival is less welcome. Major Harry Featherstone is the man from whom Skoyles took Elizabeth. Bent on revenge, the major contrives to have Skoyles arrested on a charge of treason and he languishes in prison to await a court martial. The only way that Skoyles can escape is to rely on help from the enemy. In a tense climax, he is confronted with the biggest decision of his life.

Valley Forge is a compelling study of some of the darker aspects of war when loyalties become blurred and when individuals put private grievances before their duty to their country. The book is a brilliant sequel to David Garland’s Saratoga.