To Forge a Nation
An Immigrant Journey in an Immigrant Land
To Forge a Nation, historical fiction based on historical fact, retells the stories of seamen, laborers, millionaires, farmers, builders, prospectors and clergymen forging lives during the Age of Immigration and western expansion when the U.S. immigrant population reached as high at 75% of total population. Subsequently, primarily through the entertainment industry, many formerly insignificant persons and events have taken over historical center stage, while persons and events of actual significance at the time are no longer recognized, or their legacies forgotten. To Forge a Nation brings back those times, events and people.
To Forge a Nation is a history book, albeit historical fiction, including geography and religion because it is a history book. Was seafaring in ships-of-sail romantic? What did Civil War soldiers think, feel? The medics, nurses, wives? In the latter 19th century, how important was education? Religion? Race? What have we forgotten?
Historical events and personages seen from a pastor’s eyes reflect the ambient 19th century perspective when the Bible was by far the most widely read book in America, and McGuffey’s Readers were school fixtures. How different was our worldview? As a culture, have we progressed or regressed?
In historical fiction writing, while filling-in historical gaps is challenging, the bigger challenge is accurately determining what happened on either side of the gap. History book depictions can vary, disagree, or even mislead. Writing historical fiction consequently requires extensive research, and further research. Interview. Get on a plane and go see for yourself. Accuracy, however, is the mantra of the historical fiction writer.
To Forge a Nation is an 871-page novel researched and written over 22 years. In places a page-turner, in others, as in the actual moment, the reader is required to stop and think. As one reader summarized: “At the end, I felt a combination of satisfaction and exhaustion, having just lived a second life.”
Coming Soon
NAJAF
“De l’audace, encore de l’audace, toujours de l’audace!”
Najaf was inspired by the 2007 ambush of 50 combined U.S. Special Forces and Iraqi Counter Terrorist Force (ICTF) soldiers by a 600-to-1,000-man, well-trained jihadi force called Jund as-Sama’a or Soldiers of Heaven. The seven-hour battle was lightly (and inaccurately) reported by American media because the greatly outnumbered Special Forces and ICTF soldiers were victorious, no Americans were killed, and the Soldiers of Heaven lost 263. No news there.
The French word “l’audace” in the subtitle means audacity, bravery, daring. The subtitle phrase originated with French Revolution leader Georges Danton in 1792 (paradoxically beheaded during the Reign of Terror), was subsequently embraced by Napoleon and, much later, by American General George S. Patton. Audacity, bravery and daring also worked well for Najaf’s main character, Special Forces SFC Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson.
Betrayed and kidnapped by Muslim Emergency Response Unit members in the U.S. Army, Jackson, a senior noncom nearing retirement, exercises remarkable audacity and daring. He considers his predicament an opportunity and, wanting to learn as much as he can from his captors, is extraordinarily successful because, through extensive experience, training and l’audace, he turns the tables, becoming the kidnapper, and as opportunities to learn present themselves, he continues rather than escaping.
At the opportune time with information Hizb’Allah desperately does not want him to have, being chased, Jackson makes it to American sanctuary. Back with the U.S. Army, however, he is subsequently ambushed a second time – by the Army legal bureaucracy which, in spite of his accomplishment through innovative, mission-command daring and audacity, charges him with violating UCMJ 106a, Espionage; UCMJ 104, Aiding the Enemy; and UCMJ 99, Misbehavior Before the Enemy. Further, in violation of Code of Conduct Article III, he did not attempt escape when opportunities arose and, in violation of Article V, he is accused of cooperating with the enemy, providing more than name, rank, service number, and date of birth. Tab revocation (total dismissal from the Green Berets) is also in play. The underlying bureaucratic motive, becoming more common for soldiers nearing retirement and who have acted outside of blinkered central command micromanagement, was dishonorable discharge and elimination of post-service benefits. Thanks for your service.
But Jackson finds he has friends in unexpected places: a savvy attorney with a personal grudge against the Army, and a Separation Board member – a major who began as an enlisted man – uniquely only interested in the truth.
Then comes a third ambush, beginning the pivotal 2007 Battle of Najaf.