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Whoever knew that Britain was a hair’s breadth away from declaring war on America in 1862?
“A friendly little war, one might say. For us, it’s an attractive course of action. First, we can prevent Napoleon from establishing a permanent base in the Americas. Second we put ourselves in a position to help the Confederates – if that suits us – or to keep them out of Mexico if they win their war.” Lord John Russell (the Foreign Secretary) to Lord Palmerston (the Prime Minister)
A Friendly Little War is a gripping new novel that sheds light on Europe’s powerful and relatively unknown role in the outcome of the American Civil War. The book will delight lovers of historical dramas, action adventures, and old-fashioned romance novels alike. The hero, Yankee Charles Bartlett, finds himself drawn reluctantly into the world of nineteenth-century intrigue and diplomacy when he is sent to Europe to spy for his President, Abraham Lincoln, after disgracing himself in the Battle of Bull Run. His on-again, off-again romance with his bewitching Irish landlady, Lady Carra, will keep readers intrigued until the last page.
“Aficionados [of the American Civil War]… are strangely ignorant about what happened in Europe or on the high seas. Yet it was there that the fate of the Confederacy was determined. Not Antietam or Gettysburg or Vicksburg decided the destiny of the United States as a nation. The decision was made in the chancelleries of Europe, and, except for a few major battles, the outcome was influenced more by what happened on the sea than on the land.” Philip Van Doren Stern Introduction to: The Secret Service of the Confederate States in Europe
Meticulously researched, the book immerses the reader in real world events and historical characters across both sides of the Atlantic and through the complexities of nineteenth-century international politics, in which every country is a pawn in a game of diplomatic chess. Bartlett finds himself negotiating the corridors of power in France, entwined in the fledgling Irish independence movement, negotiating with Spanish forces in Mexico and stealing top-secret weapon designs.
About the author
John Sherman, who died of a stroke in 2007, was the two times great nephew of the famous Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman (who has a cameo role in the book) and the only living male descendant of the general and his three brothers.
He was born and brought up in Venezuela and educated at Yale and Harvard. He worked in the banking and investment sector in Latin America, New York and London. His talent for writing lay dormant until his retirement upon which he combined his love of history and literature in the writing of this outstanding novel. He is survived by his wife, Xandra, and two of his three sons, Charlie and Peter. His third son died last year, tragically young, from cancer. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be divided equally between The Stroke Association and Cancer Research and it is dedicated to John and his son Ian.
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A Friendly Little War Sample Chapters.
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