The Coffee Pot Book Club Ranger Interview - Timothy Ashby and Mary Anne Yarde

RANGER: Storm of War Book 1

Publication Date:17th January 2022

Publisher: Sharpe Books

Page Length: 347 Pages

Genre: Historical Action/Adventure

To visit the Coffee Pot Book Club website and original publication of this interview, please click here.

West Indies, 1796.

Alexander Charteris - the mixed-race son of an aristocratic planter and a slave mother - is raised as a gentleman amidst the country houses and London drawing rooms of Georgian England. Tricked out of his inheritance by his cousin Pemberton - Chart is kidnapped and transported to the island of Grenada where he endures the hell of slavery on a sugar plantation.

When Pemberton arrives at the plantation, accompanied by Chart’s former lover, Lady Arabella, he orders Chart’s torture and execution. A slave revolt ensues, before the order can be carried out. Chart initially joins the revolutionaries but is sentenced to death for refusing to take part in a massacre of British colonists. Aided by the beautiful daughter of the rebel general, Julian Fédon, Chart escapes.

He is recruited into a new British unit called the Loyal Black Rangers and promised freedom if he fights against the French.

Chart confronts conflicting loyalties as he leads his men in vicious bush-fighting. He rises through the ranks and plays a pivotal role in the bloody battle that crushes the rebellion.

But the soldier must confront one more enemy, that of his treacherous cousin, before he can find peace.

"A rip-roaring tale, based on real characters and events, and introducing a fabulous dual heritage hero for our times." Saul David, author of Hart of Empire

INTERVIEW:
Mary Ann: Congratulations on the recent release of Ranger (Storm of War, Book 1). Before we begin, please tell us a little about who you are and what compelled you to write historical fiction?
History has fascinated me since my earliest childhood memories. Soon after learning to read, I was captivated by Rosemary Sutcliffe´s tales of Roman Britain and F. Van Wyck Mason´s wide-ranging historical novels. For me, historical fiction brings the past to life more effectively than non-fiction (although I have also published histories with a narrative approach to make dry facts more appealing to readers).

Mary Anne: Could you tell us a little about your new book and what inspired you to set your story during the West Indies Campaign (1793-1798)?
I lived on the Caribbean island of Grenada between my early teens and 20s. As a teenager, I spent more time exploring historical sites – old forts and plantations - and indulging my love of archaeology. I was aware of the wars and revolutions that had convulsed the island in the late 18th century, the most notable of which was Fedon´s Rebellion from 1795-1796, an insurrection against British colonial rule backed by Revolutionary France. Later, in London, I researched this conflict and published a two -part article about it in the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. I always planned to write a work of fiction about Grenada in the 18th century with a focus on Fedon´s Rebellion.
The result, Ranger, is the story of Chart, a mixed-race man, born the son of an aristocratic English plantation owner and a Garifuna (Black Carib) mother. After his mother´s death following his birth, Chart is taken to England and raised as a gentleman in London and Leicestershire. He wants a career as a soldier, but as mixed-race men were denied British Army commissions, he joins the East India Company army and fights in the Mysore campaign. His father is murdered, leaving his estate to Chart, who returns to London and is cheated out of his inheritance by his cousin, who then has Chart kidnapped and taken to Grenada to be enslaved on the family plantation. Chart is freed by Fedon´s Rebellion, but is appalled by the rebels´ cruelty. He escapes from them and is recruited into a new British Army unit called the Loyal Black Rangers (which really existed). Caught between two worlds, conflicted about his identity, Chart serves with distinction and becomes an officer.

Mary Anne: What were the challenges you faced in researching this period of history?
I didn´t face many challenges. There is a great deal of primary source material available (much of which I used for my previous articles), and I had explored the island terrain as a young man. My biggest challenge was to bring my conflicted, mixed-race protagonist “to life” – to try to imagine myself in his shoes in the 18th century.

Mary Anne: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of writing Historical Fiction during this era?
To be honest and relate history truthfully, without being concerned about whether some people might be offended. For example, I describe in brutal detail the horrific treatment of slaves on some West Indian plantations, all based on primary research sources such as 18th century diaries. On the other hand, the leader of Fedon´s Rebellion, Julian Fedon, was a mixed-race man of French descent who was himself a major slave owner and planter, and his brother was Grenada´s chief “slave catcher”. History is nuanced. We can interpret it, but facts should be immutable.

Mary Anne: One last question, what are you currently working on?
My non-fiction biography, Elizabethan Secret Agent: The Untold Story of William Ashby (1536-1593), will be published on 30 March in hardback. I am also researching my next (Storm of War, Book 2) novel set during the War of 1812 when the British Army burned Washington DC and was badly defeated at the Battle of New Orleans.