Rifleman Dodd
-
-
4.1 • 54 Ratings
-
-
- $7.99
-
- $7.99
Publisher Description
This is a story of the Napoleonic war in Portugal in 1812. Rifleman Dodd is a British private cut off from his regiment who only seeks to return to his regiment, behind the French lines in a hostile and destroyed countryside. He avoids the French and hooks up with Portuguese irregulars, becoming their leader due to his rifle and military training. This is not a war as described by official historians. Forester reports the incidents without romantic excuses. What makes him convincing is his quiet manner and his systematic understatement. This is another grand development of Forester's Man Alone theme; Dodd survives, doing his duty, and though he believes his efforts at pricking the starving French army caused them to retreat, he never speaks of his actions. He was just happy to find his regiment.
Customer Reviews
Another unsung hero
C.S. Forester clearly likes to create stories where seemingly ordinary men find themselves in in extraordinarily important roles of which their contemporaries are unaware. He makes the point that many untold stories of courage and initiative can change big events in big ways. His short novel The Good Shepard is another great example of a good man making important life and death decisions. While the Hornblower series of novels and African Queen are his best known works, I have enjoyed every one of his books I have read because they portray good men making difficult decisions for the benefit of others.
A revaluation
I was introduced to an historical period i knew nothing about. This was a good read and kept me interested.
Rifleman Dodd
Excellent. Front runner to Sharpe