Upstream Reviews Presents…!

Let’s talk history, shall we?

Artwork by Caroline Furlong

Autumn always makes me think of the past. Whether that is my own past, the world’s history, a specific historical personage or event, the fact remains that it happens every year. The leaves die and fall, the air turns crisp and cold – and of course, All Hallows Eve approaches.

But before we dive into the horror everyone promotes at this time of year, why don’t we take a look at the past proper. While we sit by the fire with our hot cocoa or drink some cider with family and friends, let us think back to times that were. Let us remember, remember, those who came before and left the marks by which we count time and the eons of the world.

After all, not every ghost comes to us looking to scare or maim us. Some do not have unfinished business, either. They just might prefer to tell us a story instead….

YA/Middle Grade Works

Do you know a young boy or girl who has declared history “boring”? Do you want that young person to learn how wrong he or she is? Then take a look at the titles below and see what there is to see:

The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery

In an interesting turnabout, the Revolutionary War is seen through the eyes of a British family to whom an American prisoner of war has been entrusted. Technically the young prisoner is in Uncle Lawrence's custody, but the children soon forge a forbidden friendship with him after he nearly dies in an attempted escape. He becomes the Reb and they, his Redcoats. But when they learn of some events leading to his coming to Europe, even Uncle Lawrence, embittered by the unjust death of a friend in America, thaws toward him-but this doesn't stop the Reb from scheming to escape.

Constance Savery deftly weaves themes of trust and forgiveness into an interesting plot with likeable characters.

Madeleine Takes Command by Ethel C. Brill

Madeleine Verchère's story is based on a true account of colonial French Canada of the 1690's. Harassed by Iroquois, the Verchère family's fort must keep a continual guard. Fourteen-year-old Madeleine is left alone with two younger brothers and few others when the Indians attack. We follow the brave and determined stratagems of Madeleine and her small circle. Madeleine's youthful leadership, especially of her brothers, will win the reader's admiration.

Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith

Earnest, plain-spoken sixteen-year-old Jeff Bussey has finally gotten his father’s consent to join the Union volunteers. It’s 1861 in Linn County, Kansas, and Jeff is eager to fight for the North before the war is over, which he’s sure will be soon.

But weeks turn to months, the marches through fields and woods prove endless, hunger and exhaustion seem to take up permanent residence in Jeff’s bones, and he learns what it really means to fight in battle—and to lose friends. When he finds himself among enemy troops, he’ll have to put his life on the line to advance the Union cause.

Beorn the Proud (Living History Library) by Madeleine A. Pollard

Two cultures, two faiths, struggle against each other in this exciting story by Madeleine Polland. You can almost hear the clash of arms and taste the Great Hall feasts in this authentic recreation of 9th century Europe, when Viking raiders ravaged the coasts of Ireland. Amid the battles and shipwrecks and deeds of bravery and treachery, twelve-year-old Beorn learns Christian humility from his young captive, Ness, the daughter of an Irish chieftain.

Servant To The Wolf by Sue Wentz (reviewed here)

In 106 A.D., a fifteen-year-old slave boy comes face to face with the hazards of arrogance, bigotry, and hatred: primarily his own.

Marcus has a great life. A rich man's personal servant living in the heart of the Roman Empire, he's well-fed, well-educated, good-looking, and respected by everyone around him.

Blacksmith Lupus, "the Wolf," will always carry the scars of his own experience with slavery. A foreign born "barbarian" and now a freedman, Lupus works his trade and lives a simple life, trying to put his past behind him.

When a twist of fate causes Marcus to tumble from his comfortable lifestyle into the ownership of Lupus, conflict erupts between the prideful slave and the humble smith. But there just might be more to Lupus than meets the eye. When danger threatens, maybe it's not such a bad thing to be a Servant to the Wolf.

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

In 1841 a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan’s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.

Manjiro, a 14-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about this new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives there for some time and then heads to San Francisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider.

With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the emperor to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (Midnighters) by Jean Lee Latham

Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat,” an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor’s world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn’t promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.” Nat’s long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors’ Bible”), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.

Historical Fiction

What? You didn’t think I was going to list books just for YA and Middle Grade audiences, did you? That would be boring!

The Secret of Seavale (The Markham Series Book 1) by Blake Smith (reviewed here)

A cottage by the sea, nestled in a respectable neighborhood. It should be a safe haven…

Elizabeth Markham has run away from school and seeks the house of her godmother, six miles outside of Portsmouth. Seavale Cottage is a place of peace, and Elizabeth will be safe under Mrs. Brownhurst’s care.

But she arrives at Seavale only to discover that Mrs. Brownhurst has gone away, leaving Elizabeth to fend for herself. She finds assistance in her servants and in her very obliging neighbor, Captain Randall, and all is well until Seavale is beset by strange nighttime happenings. Elizabeth is about to discover that her place of refuge holds more danger than she ever dreamed, and she must gather all of her courage and resources if she and her friends are to survive the secret of Seavale.

Stiger's Tigers (The Stiger Chronicles) by Marc Alan Edelheit

A tarnished legacy. A dangerous mission. The beginning of an epic destiny…

Nobleman and born soldier Ben Stiger never backs down from a fight. Even as the son of an infamous imperial general, an outcast from society, he refuses to crumble under the unforgiving shadow of his once-powerful family’s disgrace. When he’s reassigned from his crack company to the struggling southern army, he’s eager to help turn the tide against a growing, deadly rebellion.

Supported by his faithful lieutenant, Eli, one of the last remaining elven rangers, and a holy Paladin on a quest for the High Father, Stiger fights to gain control of his new company, resentful and mediocre soldiers… who he must train and then lead on a desperate mission to reach an outpost cut off by the enemy. But as he force-marches his men through hostile territory, the veteran commander faces more than he ever expected, rebels, bandits, a magic relic from an age long gone, and an ancient evil freshly risen that has the potential to destroy the empire he loves and serves.

Can one outcast hero make a difference and save his empire from annihilation?

Stiger’s Tigers is the engrossing first book in the Chronicles of an Imperial Officer epic fantasy series. If you like brave champions, sword and sorcery, breathtaking twists and turns, and authentic battle scenes, then you’ll love Marc Alan Edelheit’s Roman-inspired adventure series.

King Rat (Asian Saga) by James Clavell

The epic novel of war, savagery, and survival in a Japanese POW camp by the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell

Japanese POW camp Changi, Singapore: hell on earth for the soldiers contained within its barbed wire walls. Officers and enlisted men, all prisoners together, yet the old hierarchies and rivalries survive. An American corporal, known as the King, has used his personality and wiles to facilitate trading with guards and locals to get needed food, supplies, even information into the camp. The imprisoned upper-class officers have never had to do things for themselves, and now they are reduced to wearing rags while the King’s clean shirt, gained through guts and moxie, seems like luxury in comparison. In the camp, everything has its price and everything is for sale. But trading is illegal—and the King has made a formidable enemy. Robin Grey, the provost marshal, hates the King and all he represents. Grey, though he grew up modestly, fervently believes in the British class system: everyone should know their place, and he knows the King’s place is at the bottom.

The King does have a friend in Peter Marlowe, who, though wary of the King and himself a product of the British system, finds himself drawn to the charismatic man who just might be the only one who can save them from both the inhumanity of the prison camp but also from themselves. Powerful and engrossing, King Rat artfully weaves the author’s own World War II prison camp experiences into a compelling narrative of survival amidst the grim realities of war and what men can do when pushed to the edge. A taut masterwork of World War II historical fiction by bestselling author James Clavell.

Simon the Coldheart by Georgette Heyer [Oh, look, it’s $0.99! Also, please ignore the awful Kindle cover, it’s not that type of book….]

‘Simon the Coldheart’ was one of Georgette Heyer's earliest books. In the early 15th century, during the middle of the Hundred Years' War, England and France were fighting for sovereignty over France. It was a time of hand-to-hand combat, the invention of the longbow, and real knights in armor. Simon Beauvallet was born in 1386, the illegitimate son of Geoffrey of Malvallet. After his mother's death in 1400, he and his half-brother, the legitimate son and heir of his father, became great friends of the Prince, fighting against France.
Known for his silence and nicknamed ‘the Coldheart’, Simon nonetheless loved children and had a complex and deep personality. After the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, he was sent to besiege Bellamy, where he met the lady, Margaret, who eventually surrendered to the English and became his bride.

Non-Fiction

History is filled with errors, mistakes, great victories, and bitter betrayals. Curl up this autumn with some of these books that take you through events that some may wish were forgotten by all:

Scapegoats of the Empire: The True Story of Breaker Morant's Bushveldt Carbineers by George Witton (Edward Witton) [Oh, it’s free on Kindle!]

George Witton's Scapegoats of the Empire was published in 1907; however, only seven copies of the book survived. According to persistent rumours, the Australian government suppressed the book because its untold story of a slice of colonial history was an embarrassment to the British Empire.

George Witton wrote the book to show that he, "Breaker" Morant and Handcock, who fought in the second Boer war as members of the Bushveldt Carbineers regiment of the British army were scapegoated by the British authorities in South Africa. They were court-martialled for the war crime of summarily executing twelve Boer prisoners of war, which they admitted. However, they claimed that they were obeying the unwritten, but widely-known "take no prisoners" policy of Lord Kitchener.

Both Morant and Handcock were executed by firing squad in February 1902, allegedly to appease the Boer government in order to facilitate the peace Treaty of Vereeniging signed in May 1902, which ended the Second Boer War.

George Witton served twenty-eight months in prison, after which he returned to Australia, and wrote this gripping account.

George Ramsdale Witton (28 June 1874 - 14 August 1942) was a lieutenant in the Bushveldt Carbineers in the Boer War in South Africa.

Harry "Breaker" Morant (9 December 1864 - 27 February 1902), a larger-than-life character, is a major figure in the book. He was born to parents who ran a British workhouse but passed himself off as well-educated and a member of the British upper class, creating romantic legends about his past. He went to Australia "for the colonial experience" and was variously a drover, a horseman, a bush poet and balladeer, a petty criminal and a military officer. Morant and Handcock have become folk heroes in modern Australia. . Their court-martial and death have been the subject of books, a stage play, and an award-winning Australian New Wave movie by director Bruce Beresford, depicting them as Australian icons and martyrs.

British Concentration Camps: A Brief History from 1900–1975 by Simon Webb

This revealing history explores Britain’s use of concentration camps from the Boer War to WWII and the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The term concentration camp will forever be associated with the horrors of Nazi Germany. But the British were the true driving force behind the development of these notorious facilities. During the Boer War, British concentration camps caused the deaths of tens of thousands of children from starvation and disease. In the years after World War II, hundreds of thousands of enslaved agricultural workers were held in a national network of camps.

Not only did the British government run its own camps, they allowed other countries to set up similar facilities within the United Kingdom. During and after the Second World War, the Polish government-in-exile maintained a number of camps in Scotland where Jews, communists and homosexuals were imprisoned and sometimes killed.

This book tells the terrible story of Britain’s involvement in the use of concentration camps, which did not finally end until the last political prisoners being held behind barbed wire in the United Kingdom were released in 1975. From England to Cyprus, Scotland to Malaya, Kenya to Northern Ireland, British Concentration Camps: A Brief History from 1900 to 1975 details some of the most shocking and least known events in British history.

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by J.H. Paterson

“Darkness fell almost immediately, and everything became extraordinarily still. The silence of an African jungle on a dark night needs to be experienced to be realised; it is most impressive, especially when one is absolutely alone and isolated from one’s fellow creatures, as I was then.”

In the late 19th century, the British began construction on a railway linking Uganda with the Indian Ocean. The railroad's passage through Africa crossed over the Tsavo River in Kenya, and thus the British Army brought Lieutenant-Colonel John Henry Patterson in to lead the thousands of workers as they began the bridge's construction. Throughout the next nine months, the construction site encountered a pair of lions that would stalk the campsite, drag workers from their tents, and devour those workers at nighttime. The killings occurred daily and the lions became bolder with each passing week. Nothing seemed to work for Patterson to stave off the lion attacks.

Patterson published The Man-Eaters of Tsavo in 1907 to chronicle those nine months where the lion attacks intensified to the point where the bridge’s construction had to be halted. Included in Patterson's account of the “Man-Eaters at Tsavo” are other stories from his time in East Africa.

Queens Die Proudly by W. L. White

From the Kirkus review from June 1943: "He has done it again -- has W. L. White, author of THEY WERE EXPENDABLE. This time he has taken the incredible story of the Flying Fortresses in these terrific days when most of our air force in the Pacific died on the ground at Clark Field and elsewhere, leaving a handful of stalwarts and a few battle-scarred planes, Again -- as in the Battle of Britain - 'never have so many owed so much to so few' -- for these few held the southwest Pacific against incredible odds. Fatigue and momentary peril of death and hope destroyed and over-strained equipment could not defeat them. From the Philippines to the siege of Javal Island fortresses and open sea; the deserts of Australia and the tiny outpost of Darwin -- the flying Fortresses battered the enemy and left their soars. But in the process many of these queens of the air 'died proudly.' White tells the story -- as he told the story of the PT boats -- through the words of the man who survived and who now form the crew of Brett's transport plane, the 'grissled old Flying Portress -- the Swoose.' It in a superb story, with all the heartache and the humanity and the gallantry and the fears and the drama of those early months of what was then a losing battle. All that has been done since was built on what those few gave -- and White makes you feel it, as he did in THEY WERE EXPENDABLE. A more complex story, perhaps -- more technical at times. But what a challenge to Americans everywhere. Sure to top sales in a runaway.

Classics

Remember, the classics are not safe. They are actively attempting to rewrite them. If you have unabridged copies, keep them. If you have older copies, keep those. If you do not?

Well, take a look at the books below and grab one while you can!

A Man for All Seasons: A Play in Two Acts by Robert Bolt

The classic dramatization of Sir Thomas More's historic conflict with Henry VIII—a compelling portrait of a courageous man who died for his convictions.

Sir Thomas More—the brilliant nobleman, lawyer, humanist, author of such works as Utopia—was a long-time friend and favorite of Henry VIII, ascending to the position of Lord Chancellor in 1529. Yet he was also a staunch Catholic, and when Henry broke with the Church in 1531 after the Pope had refused to grant him a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, More resigned the Chancellorship. In 1534, Parliament passed a bill requiring all subjects to take an oath acknowledging the supremacy of England's king over all foreign sovereigns—including the Pope. More refused, was imprisoned, and finally was executed in 1535.

Cyrano de Bergerac (Translated by Gladys Thomas and Mary F. Guillemard with an Introduction by W. P. Trent) by Edmond Rostand

Based on the real life of the seventeenth century French dramatist of the same name, “Cyrano de Bergerac” is Edmond Rostand’s classic romantic play. Cyrano, a cadet in the French Army, is a talented duelist, poet, and musician, however he has extreme self-doubt in matters of love due to the large size of his nose. Cyrano is conflicted by his inability to summon the confidence to tell the woman that he adores, Roxane, how he truly feels. He writes her a letter expressing his love with the intent of giving it to her during a rendezvous, however, when he learns that Roxane is in love with another, a handsome new cadet, Christian de Neuvillette, he withholds his admission. Christian lacks the intellect and wit to woo Roxane and enlists the help of Cyrano who, despite being against his own self-interest, agrees. First performed in 1897, “Cyrano de Bergerac”, is one of the most popular plays in the French language, which brilliantly dramatizes the idea that beauty is only skin deep and that true love is about more than just physical attractiveness. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, follows the translation of Gladys Thomas and Mary F. Guillemard, and includes an introduction by W. P. Trent.

Sir Gawain and the Lady of Lys by Wauchier de Denain (Author), Jessie Laidlay Weston (Translator)

A new edition of Jessie Laidlay Weston's 1908 translation of the classic Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Lady of Lys, drawn from a manuscript compiled by Wauchier de Denain in the 14th century. This story, which was not part of the original Arthurian legends complied by Thomas Malory but emerged from the same folklore tradition, continues the story of Sir Gawain, most famous for the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Comics and Graphic Novels

History has many mysteries. Look into some familiar ones through a new medium by clicking the linked works and seeing the comics they connect with!

THE MISSION OF JOAN OF ARC COMIC BOOK SERIES: COLLECTED EDITION

THE HEROIC LIFE AND DEATH OF ST. JOAN OF ARC!

At age 18, Joan led the French armies into battle. She was a peasant girl who couldn't even read, let alone fight a war. To save France from the English, she was going to need divine intervention.

The heavens answered her.

Joan received aid from St. Michael the Archangel, supreme commander of the heavenly armies. With his help, Joan led the French to victory on the battlefield, paving the way to the end of the Hundred Years’ War.

This two issue series follows Joan’s encounters with the Archangel, exploring her brief military campaigns in France, ending in her capture, trial and heroic martyrdom.

SERVANT OF THE SUFFERING: ROSE HAWTHORNE

Rose Hawthorne dreamed of following in her father’s literary footsteps. Nathaniel Hawthorne was becoming one of America's most well-known authors with the publication of The Scarlet Letter, and his success allowed the Hawthorne family to travel across Europe. Rose was eager to take-up the pen and show the world what she had to offer.

However, God had other plans for Rose. Through a series of remarkable events, Rose converted to Catholicism and gave-up her quest for literary fame. Instead, she was led to put her talents at the service of God and serve those suffering from incurable cancer. She even founded a religious order and became known as Mother Mary Alphonsa. Her inspiring life story is now made accessible in an engaging comic book format. 

LILY OF THE MOHAWKS: SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA

Caught between two worlds, Kateri Tekakwitha wants to live out her newfound Christian faith with every ounce of her being.

However, she is also under intense pressure from her Mohawk tribe to remain steadfast in the beliefs and traditions of their community.

What will she do?

Will she abandon her Christian faith? Or will she find a way to live in both worlds as a faithful Native American Christian?

Discover her radical choice in this exciting historical graphic novel on the life of St. Kateri Tekakwitha!

Films

Well, this is a bit scary. I went searching for John Wayne’s The Alamo and aside from a cut version on DVD and the Amazon Prime copy, I could not find a DVD copy of The Alamo that would play on a U.S. DVD player. Hmm. If you have a copy, readers, I suggest you hold onto it for dear life. We may need it before all is said and done….

The Patriot

In 1776 South Carolina, widower and legendary war hero Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) finds himself thrust into the midst of the American Revolutionary War as he helplessly watches his family torn apart by the savage forces of the British Redcoats. Unable to remain silent, he recruits a band of reluctant volunteers, including his idealistic patriot son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), to take up arms against the British. Fighting to protect his family's freedom and his country's independence, Martin discovers the pain of betrayal, the redemption of revenge and the passion of love.

Breaker Morant

In the waning months of the Boer War, the British Army arrested and court-martialed a trio of Australian infantry officers-Harry "Breaker" Morant (Edward Woodward), Peter Handcock (Bryan Brown), and George Witton (Lewis Fitz-Gerald)-over the summary execution of eight Boer POWs. The enduringly controversial tale of their prosecution is stirringly delivered in Bruce Beresford's acclaimed opus; Jack Thompson, John Waters also star. 

Sites & Links

Hey, it’s Sabaton. Leaving them off the list would be a crime against history!!! And let us not forget the other important history channels to consider here, to say nothing of sites that reprint works in the public domain….

First there is Sabaton’s website.

Next is Sabaton History on youtube:

Then there is Sabaton’s youtube channel:

For those who want to purchase reprints of books that are in the public domain, check out Monroe St. Press and their various republications:

This is their page for Young Readers.

Their page for Games, Activities, and How-To books.

And their Science Fiction & Futuristic page.

Then there is Forgotten History:

Oh, and let’s not forget itkaPOP Media, which reprints pulp, sci-fi, and fantasy works that are in the public domain!

Here is their About Page, and here are some of their recent releases:

3 Ways of Lead omnibus by Charles Alden Seltzer

Black But Comely by G.J. Whyte-Melville

Enter Without Desire by Ed Lacy

The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick

And finally, Forgotten Weapons: