A Regimental Affair: (The Matthew Hervey Adventures: 3): A gripping and action-packed military adventure from bestselling author Allan Mallinson

(Paperback)

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The year is he year is 1817, and Captain Matthew Hervey has returned from India to an England in turmoil. The clamour for parliamentary and economic reform is bringing the country close to revolution. Every day the newspapers report conspiracies, violent assemblies, machine-breaking, arson and murder. There is no professional constabulary, and the onerous task of policing fails increasingly to the army, especially the cavalry. In the 6th Light Dragoons, things are not as they were. There is a new commanding officer - wealthy, vain, arrogant and cruel. No Waterloo veteran, he takes an immediate dislike to Hervey who, somehow, must earn a recommendation for promotion, while guarding his integrity and the loyalty of his men. Hervey's personal life too is about to change as he marries Lady Henrietta Lindsay - a relationship that will profoundly affect his future. Storm clouds gather as the Sixth suffer the trauma of a regimental flogging and put down Luddite violence in the Midlands. Finally, they are sent to Canada where, in the aftermath of war with the United States, tension along the border is still high. Although Hervey does not know it, he and his commanding officer are on a collision course, and the consequences for them both will be devastating...In this, the third instalment of Matthew Hervey's adventures, Allan Mallinson mixes rich and complex characters with a narrative that drives forward across the field of conflict, leaving heartbreak and betrayal in its wake.

Reviews

"'Assured and capable...a fine read - charming, intelligent and occasionally witty'" The Times "'Many fascinating strands woven into this beautifully written saga endorse the author's mastery of narrative. Sympathy, style and control mark the polished horseman; these talents are surely applicable to this talented writer'" Country Life "'A riveting tale...Matthew Hervey has now joined Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe and Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey'" Birmingham Post "'The novel's re-creation of the period ... should keep fans of the regency military-romance genre happy'" The Sunday Times "'Confirms his undoubted talents and marks him out as the heir to Patrick O'Brian and C.S.Forester'" Observer

Author Bio

A professional solder for thirty-five years, Allan Mallinson began writing while still serving. His first book was a history of four regiments of British light dragoons, one of which he commanded. His debut novel was the bestselling A Close Run Thing, the first in an acclaimed series chronicling the life of a fictitious cavalry officer before and after Waterloo (The Tigress of Mysore is the fourteenth in the series). His The Making of the British Army was shortlisted for a number of prizes, while 1914- Fight the Good Fight won the British Army's 'Book of the Year' Award. Its sequel, Too Important for the Generals, is a provocative look at leadership during the Great War, while Fight to the Finish is a comprehensive history of the First World War, month by month. Allan Mallinson reviews for the Spectator and the TLS and also writes for The Times. He lives on Salisbury Plain.