Drums of War series

Drums of War Series, by Peter Reese Doyle
Independence, Vol. 1, pb, 170 pp
Bunker Hill, Vol. 2, pb, 171
A Captive in Williamsburg , Vol. 3, pb,
(Providence Foundation, 1997, 1998)
Ages 6-12+

These three books of historical fiction are set in Williamsburg, VA as the Revolutionary War begins. So, we began reading volume one a day or two before we left for our visit to Williamsburg. We then read the first book while we were there and the next two after we got back home. It was a great combination!

The story centers on two families in Williamsburg, the Hendricks and Edwards. Fourteen year old Andrew Hendricks and his friend Nathan Edwards are the main characters. Their fathers are key participants in the patriot movement and the two boys are particularly keen on each others sisters. The books are intentionally written from a Christian worldview so the faith of the families is evident. There are good examples of faith, bravery, grit, resourcefulness, nobility and sacrifice. My boys (ages 7-10) really got into them. The books are not up to the level of Allen French, but they were good.

These books are great for learning. From our visit to Williamsburg I was struck about how careful and accurate these books were. Readers are introduced to key leaders who are not often talked about in other places as well key battles. I realized that the typical overviews of this era deal almost exclusively with the north once the War begins.

We particularly were excited by reading about Captain Innes in the books. While at Williamsburg we met and heard from one of the actors playing the part of Innes! We did not know if this character was a historical person or a fictional ‘typical’ character. Enough detail was given to him in some of the dramas that I suspected he was a historical figure, but we were delighted to encounter him in the book as the leader of the local militia. Here is a picture we took with Captain Innes- before we read about him in the books!

Many of the locations in Williamsburg are mentioned in these books so they are great to read in relation to a trip to Williamsburg. So we would highly commend both the books and the trip! Our boys loved Williamsburg and these books allowed us to keep thinking through all we saw there.