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Billy Battles #2
The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles
Billy Battles is definitely not in Kansas anymore.
As Book 2 of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy opens, Billy is far from his Kansas roots—and his improbable journeys are just beginning. He is aboard an ocean liner sailing to the Mysterious East (Hong Kong, French Indochina, and the Philippines), among other places.
The year is 1894 and aboard the S S China Billy meets a mysterious, dazzling, and possibly dangerous German Baroness, locked horns with malevolent agents of the German government, and battled ferocious Chinese and Malay pirates in the South China Sea. Later, he is inadvertently embroiled in the bloody anti-French insurgency in Indochina–which quite possibly makes him the first American combatant in a country that eventually will become Vietnam.
Later, in the Philippines, he is thrust into the Spanish-American War and the anti-American insurgency that follows. But Billy’s troubles are just beginning. As the 19th-century ends and the 20th century begins, he finds himself entangled with political opportunists, spies, revolutionaries and an assortment of malevolent and dubious characters of both sexes. How will Billy handle those people and the challenges they present?
As Book 2 of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy opens, Billy is far from his Kansas roots—and his improbable journeys are just beginning. He is aboard an ocean liner sailing to the Mysterious East (Hong Kong, French Indochina, and the Philippines), among other places.
The year is 1894 and aboard the S S China Billy meets a mysterious, dazzling, and possibly dangerous German Baroness, locked horns with malevolent agents of the German government, and battled ferocious Chinese and Malay pirates in the South China Sea. Later, he is inadvertently embroiled in the bloody anti-French insurgency in Indochina–which quite possibly makes him the first American combatant in a country that eventually will become Vietnam.
Later, in the Philippines, he is thrust into the Spanish-American War and the anti-American insurgency that follows. But Billy’s troubles are just beginning. As the 19th-century ends and the 20th century begins, he finds himself entangled with political opportunists, spies, revolutionaries and an assortment of malevolent and dubious characters of both sexes. How will Billy handle those people and the challenges they present?
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2016
11 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Ronald E. Yates
14 books146 followersRonald E. Yates is an award-winning author of historical fiction and action/adventure novels, including the popular and award-winning Finding Billy Battles trilogy. His extraordinarily accurate books have captivated fans the world over who applaud his ability to blend fact and fiction.
Ron is a former award-winning foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and Professor Emeritus of Journalism at the University of Illinois where he was also the Dean of the College of Media.
His book, "The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles," is the second in his Finding Billy Battles trilogy of novels and was published in June 2016. It has won multiple awards, including the 2017 KCT International Literary Award, the 2017 John E. Weaver Excellent Reads Award for Historical Fiction, the 2016 New Apple Literary Award in the Action/Adventure category and First Place in the 2016 Chanticleer International Book Awards in the Literary Category. It was also a finalist for the United Kingdom’s Diamond Book Award.
The first book in the trilogy, "Finding Billy Battles," was published in 2014 and was a Kansas Book Festival Selection and a finalist for a Chanticleer Laramie Award. Book 3 of the trilogy (The Lost Years of Billy Battles) was published June 6, 2018.
Ron has been a presenting author at the Kansas Book Festival and the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, among other venues. He is also the author of The Kikkoman Chronicles: A Global Company with A Japanese Soul, published by McGraw-Hill. Other books include Aboard the Tokyo Express: A Foreign Correspondent's Journey through Japan, a collection of columns translated into Japanese, as well as three journalism textbooks: The Journalist's Handbook, International Reporting and Foreign Correspondents, and Business and Financial Reporting in a Global Economy.
Before leaving the world of professional journalism where he toiled 25 years, Ron lived and worked in Japan, Southeast Asia, and both Central and South America where he covered several history-making events including the fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia; the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing; and wars and revolutions in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, among other places.
Ron's work as a war correspondent resulted in several awards, including the Inter-American Press Association's Tom Wallace Award for coverage of Central and South America; the Peter Lisagor Award from the Society of Professional Journalists; three Edward Scott Beck Awards for International Reporting, and three Pulitzer nominations.
He lives in Murrieta, California and is a proud graduate of the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas.
Ron is a former award-winning foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and Professor Emeritus of Journalism at the University of Illinois where he was also the Dean of the College of Media.
His book, "The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles," is the second in his Finding Billy Battles trilogy of novels and was published in June 2016. It has won multiple awards, including the 2017 KCT International Literary Award, the 2017 John E. Weaver Excellent Reads Award for Historical Fiction, the 2016 New Apple Literary Award in the Action/Adventure category and First Place in the 2016 Chanticleer International Book Awards in the Literary Category. It was also a finalist for the United Kingdom’s Diamond Book Award.
The first book in the trilogy, "Finding Billy Battles," was published in 2014 and was a Kansas Book Festival Selection and a finalist for a Chanticleer Laramie Award. Book 3 of the trilogy (The Lost Years of Billy Battles) was published June 6, 2018.
Ron has been a presenting author at the Kansas Book Festival and the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, among other venues. He is also the author of The Kikkoman Chronicles: A Global Company with A Japanese Soul, published by McGraw-Hill. Other books include Aboard the Tokyo Express: A Foreign Correspondent's Journey through Japan, a collection of columns translated into Japanese, as well as three journalism textbooks: The Journalist's Handbook, International Reporting and Foreign Correspondents, and Business and Financial Reporting in a Global Economy.
Before leaving the world of professional journalism where he toiled 25 years, Ron lived and worked in Japan, Southeast Asia, and both Central and South America where he covered several history-making events including the fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia; the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing; and wars and revolutions in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, among other places.
Ron's work as a war correspondent resulted in several awards, including the Inter-American Press Association's Tom Wallace Award for coverage of Central and South America; the Peter Lisagor Award from the Society of Professional Journalists; three Edward Scott Beck Awards for International Reporting, and three Pulitzer nominations.
He lives in Murrieta, California and is a proud graduate of the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 13, 2016
This historical fiction novel has the most interesting life of Billy Battles broken into three books. I have not read the first, and yet I was able to keep up with the story just fine. I enjoyed the telling of the ocean crossing, the class distinction and the lower classes not appreciating the upper-class passengers slumming. I laughed at that and thought Good on ya!
The historical sections of the book really brought the war home. It made me understand how hard it was for the families of the men that were fighting. The writing flowed so well and kept me locked into the book to see what else was about to happen. I appreciated the anecdotal writing, it made it come to life. This is a wonderful book about a special time in the world. New things were happening and Billy was witnessing them all.
The historical sections of the book really brought the war home. It made me understand how hard it was for the families of the men that were fighting. The writing flowed so well and kept me locked into the book to see what else was about to happen. I appreciated the anecdotal writing, it made it come to life. This is a wonderful book about a special time in the world. New things were happening and Billy was witnessing them all.
April 28, 2020
Second book of a series
I read the first book in the series and was eager for the next installment. However, I did find a couple of annoying things which made the story a little stilted at times. A character on a ship, Potts, came from the East End of London and the author insisted on using the vernacular in his speech. Now, I originally come from that area and found it hard to translate which led to breaks in my continuity of reading. If I found it difficult, I would guess that American readers would find it almost impossible. The author also used a great deal of German in the book and while I understand the author needed to make the point, my complete lack of understanding of the language led to breaks in my reading. I tend to speed read and like to get really involved in a story, so, Again the story was disrupted. However I will read the third in the series, the storyline is good and I need to know what happens in the end.
I read the first book in the series and was eager for the next installment. However, I did find a couple of annoying things which made the story a little stilted at times. A character on a ship, Potts, came from the East End of London and the author insisted on using the vernacular in his speech. Now, I originally come from that area and found it hard to translate which led to breaks in my continuity of reading. If I found it difficult, I would guess that American readers would find it almost impossible. The author also used a great deal of German in the book and while I understand the author needed to make the point, my complete lack of understanding of the language led to breaks in my reading. I tend to speed read and like to get really involved in a story, so, Again the story was disrupted. However I will read the third in the series, the storyline is good and I need to know what happens in the end.
December 7, 2017
I learned so much from this well-written and meticulously researched book. I'm not usually that much of a fan of historical fiction, but in this case it was a welcome educational experience. As Billy's journeys take him to Saigon, the Philippines, and even turn-of-the-20th-century Germany, this story is richly imbued with cultural and historical facts I previously did not know. This included something as simple as where white pepper comes from, most especially the dark history of colonialism. I had heard of the Spanish-American War, but had no idea it was fought in the Philippines, much less why.
I have grown up simply accepting the fact that the British, French, and Spanish did a considerable amount of exploring, which also constituted conquests for more land and resources. This is apparent by the languages spoken in diverse parts of the world, far from where they originated. Getting a glimpse into the climate and attitudes of the 19th century, especially how indigenous people were trampled and exploited, brought up multiple considerations that had previously been entirely off my radar.
While colonialism's defenders note that it brings a higher standard of living to these areas, it is also at a high price to the cultural norms and freedom of those unfortunate enough to live in such a place. Insights into Saigon in the late 1800s provided a new understanding into the Vietnam War and guerilla warfare. While in some cases, America has helped defend these countries, in others it has been just as guilty as the European conquests. Ironically, American is the prime example of a country that rebelled successfully against colonialism, yet then went on to force it on others, for example Native Americans. We are no better than anyone else and it's easy for me to understand why other countries hate us.
The best part of this story is that all these fascinating details were woven into the plot of a story with believable characters caught up in this historical drama, from the Old West, to pre-WWI Europe, and overseas in the Far East. I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys a meaty, well-researched read that serves up more than an interesting story. History buffs will love it. While it is the second book in a trilogy, I thoroughly enjoyed it and had no trouble following it without the benefit of reading the first.
I have grown up simply accepting the fact that the British, French, and Spanish did a considerable amount of exploring, which also constituted conquests for more land and resources. This is apparent by the languages spoken in diverse parts of the world, far from where they originated. Getting a glimpse into the climate and attitudes of the 19th century, especially how indigenous people were trampled and exploited, brought up multiple considerations that had previously been entirely off my radar.
While colonialism's defenders note that it brings a higher standard of living to these areas, it is also at a high price to the cultural norms and freedom of those unfortunate enough to live in such a place. Insights into Saigon in the late 1800s provided a new understanding into the Vietnam War and guerilla warfare. While in some cases, America has helped defend these countries, in others it has been just as guilty as the European conquests. Ironically, American is the prime example of a country that rebelled successfully against colonialism, yet then went on to force it on others, for example Native Americans. We are no better than anyone else and it's easy for me to understand why other countries hate us.
The best part of this story is that all these fascinating details were woven into the plot of a story with believable characters caught up in this historical drama, from the Old West, to pre-WWI Europe, and overseas in the Far East. I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys a meaty, well-researched read that serves up more than an interesting story. History buffs will love it. While it is the second book in a trilogy, I thoroughly enjoyed it and had no trouble following it without the benefit of reading the first.
March 29, 2021
I have always found the late nineteenth century to be fascinating, and sought out fiction set in that period. So it is with great satisfaction that I have been reading the Billy Battles trilogy by Ron Yates. If you take a great story line, rousing adventure, impeccable history and well-drawn characters this is what you get. The first book in the series is a well told novel of a young man coming of age in the wild corners of Kansas. The second book now takes you, along with the protagonist – a little older and wiser – to the Far East. If you enjoy high quality escapism I cannot recommend this series enough. Enjoy with spicy food on a humid afternoon.
March 29, 2021
When I reviewed Billy Battles’ book 1, I recall saying it would be awesome if school kids learned history this way; it was uncensored and real. I enjoyed it so much, I dove into book 2, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles. This one took me to Asia and Europe, some of it around the time of the Spanish-American war. Wow. They never told us this stuff in school!
An unlikely, and long-time-coming romance weaves through the book. Normally, I find romance ho-hum—same old stuff, but the romance between the baroness and Billy was poignant and memorable. Folks, you gotta read this book.
An unlikely, and long-time-coming romance weaves through the book. Normally, I find romance ho-hum—same old stuff, but the romance between the baroness and Billy was poignant and memorable. Folks, you gotta read this book.
April 9, 2017
William Fitzroy Raglan Battles lost his wife at the end of Volume I. In despair, he voyages to the Orient to meet an old friend who lives in Saigon. En route, a shady German, who claims to be a Pinkerton’s detective, threatens a recently widowed German baroness. Katherina, who hails from Chicago, killed her husband in defense of her brother, Manfred, as the baron was in the process of beating him to death with a poker. Her well-connected father managed to divert the responsibility from his daughter; however, she felt it prudent to travel to Manila where Manfred operated a hardwood business. The baroness enlists the aid of Battles to protect her from the alleged detective who proves to be an agent for the German government. Through a series of convoluted machinations, Battles and Katherina manage to have their nemesis Shanghaied to Africa. End of phase one.
In phase two, Battles settles in Saigon with his old friend, Signore Difranco, a wealthy pepper planter. While in Viet Nam, known then as Nam Ký, he is determined to find another old friend from his days in the American West, Giang Ba. Unfortunately, Ba has joined the resistance fighting to oust the French occupiers. This leads Battles into a heated battle on the side of the rebels. When Manfred and Katherina visit Saigon, Battles finds that he is increasingly smitten with the lovely baroness. There is another change of scene. The three return to Manila, from where, eventually, Battles accompanies Katherina back to the States, and they part company. During this interlude, the German agent, Oskar Eichel, reemerges and puts Battle’s family in peril. Then there comes the outbreak of the Spanish American War when Katherina urges Battles to travel to Manila to check on her brother’s wellbeing. End of phase two.
Back in Manila, Battles watches as the Americans make short work of the Spanish, but he is dismayed when he realizes that the United States intends to occupy the archipelago. The Filipino resistance wants freedom from occupation and intends to fight. Reluctantly, Battles and Manfred accept brevet commissions as captains attached to the Kansas Volunteer Regiment. During his less than willing military career, Katherina arrives in the Philippines and voices strong objections to the two men in her life being involved with the army, and much more ensues.
Billy Battles is an old Kansas sand cutter who hobnobs with the likes of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. This is the second installment of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy that I have read, and I am still not quite sure what a sand cutter is. Mr. Yates is a master of western jargon. He infuses The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles with a plethora of colorful sayings and expressions that give the characters verisimilitude. This is a 160,000-word story that takes place in numerous exotic settings with ceaseless action. The characters are extremely well developed. The prose is fluid and the dialogue convincing. This reader and reviewer strongly recommends the Finding Billy Battles series to everyone who enjoys historical fiction or just likes to read about sand cutters.
In phase two, Battles settles in Saigon with his old friend, Signore Difranco, a wealthy pepper planter. While in Viet Nam, known then as Nam Ký, he is determined to find another old friend from his days in the American West, Giang Ba. Unfortunately, Ba has joined the resistance fighting to oust the French occupiers. This leads Battles into a heated battle on the side of the rebels. When Manfred and Katherina visit Saigon, Battles finds that he is increasingly smitten with the lovely baroness. There is another change of scene. The three return to Manila, from where, eventually, Battles accompanies Katherina back to the States, and they part company. During this interlude, the German agent, Oskar Eichel, reemerges and puts Battle’s family in peril. Then there comes the outbreak of the Spanish American War when Katherina urges Battles to travel to Manila to check on her brother’s wellbeing. End of phase two.
Back in Manila, Battles watches as the Americans make short work of the Spanish, but he is dismayed when he realizes that the United States intends to occupy the archipelago. The Filipino resistance wants freedom from occupation and intends to fight. Reluctantly, Battles and Manfred accept brevet commissions as captains attached to the Kansas Volunteer Regiment. During his less than willing military career, Katherina arrives in the Philippines and voices strong objections to the two men in her life being involved with the army, and much more ensues.
Billy Battles is an old Kansas sand cutter who hobnobs with the likes of Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. This is the second installment of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy that I have read, and I am still not quite sure what a sand cutter is. Mr. Yates is a master of western jargon. He infuses The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles with a plethora of colorful sayings and expressions that give the characters verisimilitude. This is a 160,000-word story that takes place in numerous exotic settings with ceaseless action. The characters are extremely well developed. The prose is fluid and the dialogue convincing. This reader and reviewer strongly recommends the Finding Billy Battles series to everyone who enjoys historical fiction or just likes to read about sand cutters.
July 11, 2016
The second volume in the Finding Billy Battles trilogy, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles picks up right where its predecessor left off. This time, author Ronald Yates’ intrepid protagonist finds himself on a steamship en route to the Far East, trying to assuage the pain of losing his beloved wife. It isn’t long before Billy is immersed in a tumultuous world of action, adventure, and danger, all set against the backdrop of ever-unfolding cultural and political events.
Featuring superb plot and character development, the most salient aspect of Yates’ tale is his inimitable storytelling style. Though he’s chosen late 19th century Asia as the subject of his latest offering, one gets the sense Yates could write about any number of different topics with the same compelling skill, and the result would be the same: a rich, eye-opening yarn that proves impossible to put down. In an era where the average attention span is as long as the next Snapchat video, this ability is a rare trait, and indicative of true literary talent.
Rife with eye-opening action and engrossing details, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles treats the reader to the highly intriguing travels of a seasoned journeyman. Highly recommended.
Daniel Goodson
Apex Reviews
Featuring superb plot and character development, the most salient aspect of Yates’ tale is his inimitable storytelling style. Though he’s chosen late 19th century Asia as the subject of his latest offering, one gets the sense Yates could write about any number of different topics with the same compelling skill, and the result would be the same: a rich, eye-opening yarn that proves impossible to put down. In an era where the average attention span is as long as the next Snapchat video, this ability is a rare trait, and indicative of true literary talent.
Rife with eye-opening action and engrossing details, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles treats the reader to the highly intriguing travels of a seasoned journeyman. Highly recommended.
Daniel Goodson
Apex Reviews
April 15, 2021
In The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles, author Ronald E. Yates shows off the depth and enormity of his imaginative talent. The story is written like a novel. But it doesn’t read like a novel. It is as if an old man is sitting across the table, sipping from a tall glass of single malt whiskey, and telling you about his life. And what a life it was?
Yates admits that the story is partly truth and partly fiction. But where does one end and the other begin? Billy Battles lives through the tales concocted from the journals and hand-scribbled notes he left behind for his grandson. Billy has been a cowboy, a wanderer, a lawman, and a journalist by the time the story begins. He lives with the guilt of killing a woman even though she was the leader of a band of cutthroats. He didn’t mean to take her life. She simply stepped into the middle of a gunfight.
Billy’s wife has died, and he leaves his young daughter, his mother, and everyone he loves behind as he sails on the SS China for manila and the Mysterious East. He’s running away from himself, trying to escape his guilt. Tragedy and misfortune seem to follow wherever he goes. Billy Battles ultimately finds himself caught in a twisted web of confusion, chaos, and war, and as usual, a beautiful woman is in the middle of it.
He is forced to deal with a man stalking her aboard the U.S. China. She is a lonely widow. She needs someone to protect her. Billy volunteers to help. But it’s not that simple. She killed her husband. That’s what the stalker says. “I killed him,” she confides to Billy. “But I didn’t murder him.”
Is the stalker a Pinkerton Agent, as he says he is, a gun for hire, someone out for revenge, or, perhaps, a secret agent for the German government? After all, the beautiful lady is carrying top-secret German documents about Germany’s top-secret plans to run the Spanish out of the Philippines and colonize the country itself.
The Germans want to control the Philippines. So do the Americans. Billy Battles has already gone up against the Spanish, fought pirates in the South China Sea, escaped hired guns from Germany, and suddenly he’s commissioned as a captain for the American Army to fight an honorable war that he believes should not be fought. An honorable war, he knows, is as much an oxymoron as a peaceful conquest or a humane slaughter. As he says, “When foxes pick the jury, the chicken’s always guilty.”
Billy Battles fights his way from one sordid dilemma to another, and wherever he goes, the so-called Pinkerton Agent, the German spy, is only one step behind. Ron Yates does a wonderful job of describing his villain. He writes, in the voice of Billy Battles, “I didn’t like this man. There was a deadness in his eyes. The occasion reminded me of something my mother said about an avaricious, narcissistic banker she knew: ‘He is a man who warms his hands over the smoldering ashes of other people’s lives.’”
The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles is a love story. It is an adventure story. It is the story of a man at war with his own conscience. It is, if nothing else, a series of unfortunate events.
Ron Yates has placed actual, historical incidents within his own brilliant thread of fiction that is too improbable to be true, which means the story is embedded with more truth than we will ever know. Only Billy Battles knows for sure. I have believed everything he told me.
Yates admits that the story is partly truth and partly fiction. But where does one end and the other begin? Billy Battles lives through the tales concocted from the journals and hand-scribbled notes he left behind for his grandson. Billy has been a cowboy, a wanderer, a lawman, and a journalist by the time the story begins. He lives with the guilt of killing a woman even though she was the leader of a band of cutthroats. He didn’t mean to take her life. She simply stepped into the middle of a gunfight.
Billy’s wife has died, and he leaves his young daughter, his mother, and everyone he loves behind as he sails on the SS China for manila and the Mysterious East. He’s running away from himself, trying to escape his guilt. Tragedy and misfortune seem to follow wherever he goes. Billy Battles ultimately finds himself caught in a twisted web of confusion, chaos, and war, and as usual, a beautiful woman is in the middle of it.
He is forced to deal with a man stalking her aboard the U.S. China. She is a lonely widow. She needs someone to protect her. Billy volunteers to help. But it’s not that simple. She killed her husband. That’s what the stalker says. “I killed him,” she confides to Billy. “But I didn’t murder him.”
Is the stalker a Pinkerton Agent, as he says he is, a gun for hire, someone out for revenge, or, perhaps, a secret agent for the German government? After all, the beautiful lady is carrying top-secret German documents about Germany’s top-secret plans to run the Spanish out of the Philippines and colonize the country itself.
The Germans want to control the Philippines. So do the Americans. Billy Battles has already gone up against the Spanish, fought pirates in the South China Sea, escaped hired guns from Germany, and suddenly he’s commissioned as a captain for the American Army to fight an honorable war that he believes should not be fought. An honorable war, he knows, is as much an oxymoron as a peaceful conquest or a humane slaughter. As he says, “When foxes pick the jury, the chicken’s always guilty.”
Billy Battles fights his way from one sordid dilemma to another, and wherever he goes, the so-called Pinkerton Agent, the German spy, is only one step behind. Ron Yates does a wonderful job of describing his villain. He writes, in the voice of Billy Battles, “I didn’t like this man. There was a deadness in his eyes. The occasion reminded me of something my mother said about an avaricious, narcissistic banker she knew: ‘He is a man who warms his hands over the smoldering ashes of other people’s lives.’”
The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles is a love story. It is an adventure story. It is the story of a man at war with his own conscience. It is, if nothing else, a series of unfortunate events.
Ron Yates has placed actual, historical incidents within his own brilliant thread of fiction that is too improbable to be true, which means the story is embedded with more truth than we will ever know. Only Billy Battles knows for sure. I have believed everything he told me.
October 16, 2019
The story takes you on a roller coaster ride through history. The author did his research, and more. There is plenty of adventure, history, and romance. I must read the first book. Billy knows how to find trouble.
March 29, 2021
Author Ronald Yates has outdone himself in book 2 of this series. He delivers a new perspective on the historical events Billy Battles participates in. His flair for creating images with concise descriptors illustrates his writing ability. The second in the series captivates one’s imagination as Billy travels on the SS China to Asia with some colorful shipmates.
Early on, the invitation to join the coveted Captain’s table at dinner provides a perfect setting to the times. The late 1800s of ship travel were elegant affairs for the upper crust by birth or by marriage. The imagery below provides a quick sense of the beginnings of an eye-opening journey.
“Well, there are some folks who believe we sand cutters and Jayhawkers—that’s what they call us pitiable Kansans—are poor relations when it comes to American citizenship,” I said, attempting to rescue Partington.
Before he could respond, the widow Schreiber spoke up. “And I am not German!” she snapped, her words crisp and frosty. “I was simply married to one.”
Mr. Partington, now sufficiently chagrined, smiled weakly. “Perhaps I should keep my oral cavity closed. I seem to be making a right bog of things.”
Captain Kreitz cleared his throat. “At sea, nationality matters not. We are all citizens of the SS China now.”
Mr. Partington quickly concurred. “There is a saying that aboard ship, we are all met on an equal footing. For these few days and weeks, we shall all be weighed, not by what we own or claim to be, but by what we really are.”
Billy meets Katharina Schreiber at dinner, and during the trip, they become delightfully close. I liked the complexity of Katharina depicted in this era. Her upbringing and financial independence permitted her to travel in style. These two develop a connection that allows them to experience history.
Author Yates makes history fun and interesting by putting his characters in the thick of it. Billy took this trip to heal after losing his wife. He is placed into situations like dealing with pirates or placed into a battle between the French and locals. Billy finally travels home and reconnects with his family and daughter. His reputation as a lawman and gunfighter follows him during his travels.
There is excitement, thrills, chills, and surprises as Billy’s sage continues. Eichel, the ruthless German agent, plagues both Billy and Katharina with his evil revenge. The description of the countries, cities, and dialogue fits the places and times. When Billy takes off again to help Katharina’s brother, they are thrust into the Spanish-American War. You are placed in the middle of history, learning about the history of the Philippines and Indonesia.
Mr. Yates creates a story that easily stands alone with fascinating, complex characters you can admire or dislike intensely. The relationships and situations make this history lesson compelling to read. I recommend this easily stand-alone book, but you won’t want to miss book 1. If you like history from the late 1800s and into the next century, add this story to your library. The Endnotes also put the times into perspective, don’t miss these nuggets. I cannot wait to read book 3. Awesome read.
Early on, the invitation to join the coveted Captain’s table at dinner provides a perfect setting to the times. The late 1800s of ship travel were elegant affairs for the upper crust by birth or by marriage. The imagery below provides a quick sense of the beginnings of an eye-opening journey.
“Well, there are some folks who believe we sand cutters and Jayhawkers—that’s what they call us pitiable Kansans—are poor relations when it comes to American citizenship,” I said, attempting to rescue Partington.
Before he could respond, the widow Schreiber spoke up. “And I am not German!” she snapped, her words crisp and frosty. “I was simply married to one.”
Mr. Partington, now sufficiently chagrined, smiled weakly. “Perhaps I should keep my oral cavity closed. I seem to be making a right bog of things.”
Captain Kreitz cleared his throat. “At sea, nationality matters not. We are all citizens of the SS China now.”
Mr. Partington quickly concurred. “There is a saying that aboard ship, we are all met on an equal footing. For these few days and weeks, we shall all be weighed, not by what we own or claim to be, but by what we really are.”
Billy meets Katharina Schreiber at dinner, and during the trip, they become delightfully close. I liked the complexity of Katharina depicted in this era. Her upbringing and financial independence permitted her to travel in style. These two develop a connection that allows them to experience history.
Author Yates makes history fun and interesting by putting his characters in the thick of it. Billy took this trip to heal after losing his wife. He is placed into situations like dealing with pirates or placed into a battle between the French and locals. Billy finally travels home and reconnects with his family and daughter. His reputation as a lawman and gunfighter follows him during his travels.
There is excitement, thrills, chills, and surprises as Billy’s sage continues. Eichel, the ruthless German agent, plagues both Billy and Katharina with his evil revenge. The description of the countries, cities, and dialogue fits the places and times. When Billy takes off again to help Katharina’s brother, they are thrust into the Spanish-American War. You are placed in the middle of history, learning about the history of the Philippines and Indonesia.
Mr. Yates creates a story that easily stands alone with fascinating, complex characters you can admire or dislike intensely. The relationships and situations make this history lesson compelling to read. I recommend this easily stand-alone book, but you won’t want to miss book 1. If you like history from the late 1800s and into the next century, add this story to your library. The Endnotes also put the times into perspective, don’t miss these nuggets. I cannot wait to read book 3. Awesome read.
September 4, 2018
A Thrilling Tale Of Action, Adventure, Romance And Intrigue!
The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles: Book 2, Finding Billy Battles Trilogy by Ronald Yates is an incredible and masterful yarn which kept me reading every time I had an opportunity to do so. This historical fiction novel is set against the tumultuous years from 1890 onwards when the colonisation race between Spain, France and Germany, with the Americans also joining this quest when they “free” the Philippines from a three-hundred year yoke, reaches a climax. Of course, Billy Battles fleeing from Kansas, forges ahead in a steamship towards this destination, where he wittingly and unwittingly gets involved in the political affairs and intrigues of that time. He meets a colourful array of people, including Katherina, a German baroness and her brother, and her nemesis, Eichel, not a man to be trifled with, but of course, Billy does get involved. His search for long lost friends takes him straight into the guerilla warfare of Indochina where he inadvertently becomes embroiled in their fights.
The author writes accurately about steamships, their coal loading, facing hurricanes in the Pacific and fighting off pirates in the China Seas. He helps the reader to see Billy’s motivations, his heartache after losing his dear wife Mallie, his love for his daughter, AnnaMarie and his mother, as well as his sense of duty and his personal battle with his conscience when he becomes enlisted in the army and not always agreeing with the decisions of the powers at the top. The author also describes Manila and other cities such as Hong Kong, Nagasaki, Chicago and Denver in great detail at the turn of the previous century.
This book is written so well, and the descriptive scene setting so dramatic and real; the dialogue so diverse that all the characters became like historical real life characters - at the very least, I felt as if I was reading a fictional memoir. I read parts of the action scenes (while the SSChina was in the middle of a hurricane and the coalloading scenes) to my 12-year old grandchild (a real bookworm herself, but she still enjoys being read to) until I was hoarse, but she wanted to hear more action and adventure as told by Billy Battles.
The story goes back and forth between Kansas, the Phillipines, Hong Kong and even reaches Germany, where events which unfold there, have kept me on the edge of my chair - kidnapping, spies, espionage and much more - will keep you reading into the night. This is a highly recommended historical fiction novel with a fair amount of action, thrilling moments, political intrigue and romance - just a perfect blend of superb reading material.
The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles: Book 2, Finding Billy Battles Trilogy by Ronald Yates is an incredible and masterful yarn which kept me reading every time I had an opportunity to do so. This historical fiction novel is set against the tumultuous years from 1890 onwards when the colonisation race between Spain, France and Germany, with the Americans also joining this quest when they “free” the Philippines from a three-hundred year yoke, reaches a climax. Of course, Billy Battles fleeing from Kansas, forges ahead in a steamship towards this destination, where he wittingly and unwittingly gets involved in the political affairs and intrigues of that time. He meets a colourful array of people, including Katherina, a German baroness and her brother, and her nemesis, Eichel, not a man to be trifled with, but of course, Billy does get involved. His search for long lost friends takes him straight into the guerilla warfare of Indochina where he inadvertently becomes embroiled in their fights.
The author writes accurately about steamships, their coal loading, facing hurricanes in the Pacific and fighting off pirates in the China Seas. He helps the reader to see Billy’s motivations, his heartache after losing his dear wife Mallie, his love for his daughter, AnnaMarie and his mother, as well as his sense of duty and his personal battle with his conscience when he becomes enlisted in the army and not always agreeing with the decisions of the powers at the top. The author also describes Manila and other cities such as Hong Kong, Nagasaki, Chicago and Denver in great detail at the turn of the previous century.
This book is written so well, and the descriptive scene setting so dramatic and real; the dialogue so diverse that all the characters became like historical real life characters - at the very least, I felt as if I was reading a fictional memoir. I read parts of the action scenes (while the SSChina was in the middle of a hurricane and the coalloading scenes) to my 12-year old grandchild (a real bookworm herself, but she still enjoys being read to) until I was hoarse, but she wanted to hear more action and adventure as told by Billy Battles.
The story goes back and forth between Kansas, the Phillipines, Hong Kong and even reaches Germany, where events which unfold there, have kept me on the edge of my chair - kidnapping, spies, espionage and much more - will keep you reading into the night. This is a highly recommended historical fiction novel with a fair amount of action, thrilling moments, political intrigue and romance - just a perfect blend of superb reading material.
June 11, 2018
I received this book from the author, free of charge, with no expectations of a positive review
The improbable journeys of Billy Battles is the second book in the trilogy about the life of Billy Battles by Ronald Yates. This book is action packed, and can be read as a stand-alone book, but it is highly recommendable that you start with book number one.
I greatly enjoyed book number one, so I looked forward to read this book.
In book number one, "Finding Billy Battles" we got to know Billy and his family and friends. We left Billy Battles as he is introduced to the Baroness Katharina von Schreiber aboard the steamer SS China on his way to the far east. As hinted at, Billy and the baroness are going to get to know each other well.
Book number two picks up on the steamer and we get to know the background of the baroness and we learn about the trouble she is facing.
Billy visits different location in Asia and the author brings us nicely into the scene. The descriptions of the different locales are given as the action plays out. No lecturing, as one sadly often see in fictional litterature.
The main part of this book tells about Billy's part in the Spanish-American war in 1898. Part of this war was fought on the Phillipines. The book spurred me to read up on this mostly forgotten war. It is amazing how well the author have been able to weave the fictional characters into the real events of this war. The historical facts that the story plays out in, seems, as far as I can tell, very acurate.
The story plays out in three different Languages; English, Spanish and German. I command English and German, but Spanish is for the most part unknown to me. I think the author switches between these languages very nicely, giving authenticity to the dialog while we easily understand what is being said. This is a difficult technique, but the author applies it very well.
Billy Battle gets a somewhat larger than life identity. No matter what problems are trown at him, he always come out on top. Sometimes his victories seems a little easy earned. Then again, we want our heroes to win, don't we?
Likeable characters, action packed story, love and hate. What more can one wish for in a fictional book. I truly enjoyed reading this book will definately read the last book in the trilogy.
The improbable journeys of Billy Battles is the second book in the trilogy about the life of Billy Battles by Ronald Yates. This book is action packed, and can be read as a stand-alone book, but it is highly recommendable that you start with book number one.
I greatly enjoyed book number one, so I looked forward to read this book.
In book number one, "Finding Billy Battles" we got to know Billy and his family and friends. We left Billy Battles as he is introduced to the Baroness Katharina von Schreiber aboard the steamer SS China on his way to the far east. As hinted at, Billy and the baroness are going to get to know each other well.
Book number two picks up on the steamer and we get to know the background of the baroness and we learn about the trouble she is facing.
Billy visits different location in Asia and the author brings us nicely into the scene. The descriptions of the different locales are given as the action plays out. No lecturing, as one sadly often see in fictional litterature.
The main part of this book tells about Billy's part in the Spanish-American war in 1898. Part of this war was fought on the Phillipines. The book spurred me to read up on this mostly forgotten war. It is amazing how well the author have been able to weave the fictional characters into the real events of this war. The historical facts that the story plays out in, seems, as far as I can tell, very acurate.
The story plays out in three different Languages; English, Spanish and German. I command English and German, but Spanish is for the most part unknown to me. I think the author switches between these languages very nicely, giving authenticity to the dialog while we easily understand what is being said. This is a difficult technique, but the author applies it very well.
Billy Battle gets a somewhat larger than life identity. No matter what problems are trown at him, he always come out on top. Sometimes his victories seems a little easy earned. Then again, we want our heroes to win, don't we?
Likeable characters, action packed story, love and hate. What more can one wish for in a fictional book. I truly enjoyed reading this book will definately read the last book in the trilogy.
September 20, 2019
I received a free copy of this book through BookTasters in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. The tone was a little different than the last book, and the subject matter was definitely more serious. Billy is on a ship headed to French Indochina (currently known as Vietnam) and in true Billy Battles fashion runs into all sorts of trouble. This book has it all: romance, action, adventure, exotic and exciting destinations, humor, war, close calls, and unexpected military service.
On the boat, Billy crosses paths with a mysterious German baroness who has some trouble of her own (naturally). And being the gentleman that he is, Billy can't turn down a woman in need. But it creates even more issues than he had before.
When Billy arrives in Asia, he's disturbed by the brutal colonialism that he sees, and doesn't agree with how the native population is oppressed and exploited. Billy is definitely a man ahead of his times. Rather than viewing them as savage, primitive, or childlike, he takes the time to get to know these people. He sees them as equals, learns their language (to the best of his ability), eats local foods, and learns as much as he can about them. Beware, there is a lot of discrimination in this book - while Billy doesn't behave this way, others definitely do, frequently calling the locals "monkeys."
Overall this is a great book, and Billy's behavior only makes him a more likable character. Some parts are a little tough to read, but Billy sticks to his moral code even when it's difficult to do so. I'd definitely recommend this book. I actually learned a lot while reading this - it's like a history lesson as well as a great read!
For the full review, check out:
https://www.leahsbooksandcooks.com/po...
I really enjoyed this book. The tone was a little different than the last book, and the subject matter was definitely more serious. Billy is on a ship headed to French Indochina (currently known as Vietnam) and in true Billy Battles fashion runs into all sorts of trouble. This book has it all: romance, action, adventure, exotic and exciting destinations, humor, war, close calls, and unexpected military service.
On the boat, Billy crosses paths with a mysterious German baroness who has some trouble of her own (naturally). And being the gentleman that he is, Billy can't turn down a woman in need. But it creates even more issues than he had before.
When Billy arrives in Asia, he's disturbed by the brutal colonialism that he sees, and doesn't agree with how the native population is oppressed and exploited. Billy is definitely a man ahead of his times. Rather than viewing them as savage, primitive, or childlike, he takes the time to get to know these people. He sees them as equals, learns their language (to the best of his ability), eats local foods, and learns as much as he can about them. Beware, there is a lot of discrimination in this book - while Billy doesn't behave this way, others definitely do, frequently calling the locals "monkeys."
Overall this is a great book, and Billy's behavior only makes him a more likable character. Some parts are a little tough to read, but Billy sticks to his moral code even when it's difficult to do so. I'd definitely recommend this book. I actually learned a lot while reading this - it's like a history lesson as well as a great read!
For the full review, check out:
https://www.leahsbooksandcooks.com/po...
June 16, 2017
The adventures of Billy Battles continue in this sequel to the first book (this is part 2 of a planned trilogy). Supposedly written up from the journals of the author's great grandfather, this tells of the next stage in Billy's life, where he spends many years travelling. Dealing with a sadness in his own life, Billy takes the opportunity to sail to the Far East, to look up an old friend. However, his adventures begin before he gets there, when he meets a beautiful widow on the ship, with an intriguing and dangerous secret. Billy becomes embroiled in protecting her and is drawn into her situation, where state secrets have become life-threatening. I really enjoyed this part of the book: it was suspenseful and exciting. Once the widow Schreiber's problem is seemingly solved, Billy continues his journey, visiting French Indochina, Cochinchina and the Philippines. Much more happens, particularly when Billy returns home and encounters an old nemesis who puts his family in danger. Billy goes back to the Philippines and finds himself in the midst of the Spanish American war, then the war with the native Philippinos, who have no desire to swop one colonial master for another. Although rich in detail, I did find this section a little long and was pleased when Billy was finally able to get back home. I did feel for his daughter too: she spends many important years of her childhood with an absent father, though their relationship seems to survive intact. Altogether an enjoyable and engrossing read: you get a real sense of the times Billy is living in and Billy himself is an engaging and likeable character. I look forward to reading the final part of the trilogy to see how his story ends.
October 1, 2019
The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles, Book 2, by Ron Yates is about the globetrotting adventures of a Kansas lawman turned newspaper reporter. Billy is transformed from the hunter to the hunted in this wild ride which takes him to Indo-China and back, then to the Philippines with stops along the way in Japan and other exotic areas of the world.
During his travels, he meets a Baroness who involves him in murder, espionage, and a ruthless German agent by the name of Eichel. The story spans over a decade where Billy cannot seem to escape the charms of Katarina and is constantly thrust into situations destined to kill him such as a run-in with pirates on the high-seas and the Philippine-American War.
The German agent, Eichel, is shanghaied by Billy Battles and disposed of on a ship to China first, then later stranded in the Badlands of the United States, but he keeps coming back for more. He is destined to torment Billy and Katarina, and Eichel catches up with them again when they visit Katarina’s family in Germany. Eichel’s thugs kidnap Katarina. I won’t spoil the ending.
This story has a lot of excellent descriptions of the various countries as well as detailed layouts of some of the cities. Some of the dialogue is in German and Tagalog (the native language in the Philippines) which is expertly translated as needed to understand what is happening. It lends the feel of actually being involved in the story rather than being on the outside looking in. I enjoyed the story and recommend it highly.
You can get your copy on Amazon >> https://smile.amazon.com/Improbable-J...
During his travels, he meets a Baroness who involves him in murder, espionage, and a ruthless German agent by the name of Eichel. The story spans over a decade where Billy cannot seem to escape the charms of Katarina and is constantly thrust into situations destined to kill him such as a run-in with pirates on the high-seas and the Philippine-American War.
The German agent, Eichel, is shanghaied by Billy Battles and disposed of on a ship to China first, then later stranded in the Badlands of the United States, but he keeps coming back for more. He is destined to torment Billy and Katarina, and Eichel catches up with them again when they visit Katarina’s family in Germany. Eichel’s thugs kidnap Katarina. I won’t spoil the ending.
This story has a lot of excellent descriptions of the various countries as well as detailed layouts of some of the cities. Some of the dialogue is in German and Tagalog (the native language in the Philippines) which is expertly translated as needed to understand what is happening. It lends the feel of actually being involved in the story rather than being on the outside looking in. I enjoyed the story and recommend it highly.
You can get your copy on Amazon >> https://smile.amazon.com/Improbable-J...
March 12, 2018
This is the second book of the “Finding Billy Battles” trilogy and begins where “An Account of Peril, Transgression, and Redemption” left off. While the first book centered on the wild west, this book opens with Billy taking a trip to the far east after his beloved wife dies. The journey on the SS China is one of my favorite parts of the series, so far. Seeing 1894 through his eyes is riveting. I could easily picture each place the ship stopped including Oahu before it was built up into the tropical city it is now. On the boat he meets a German Baroness, Katharina who pulls Billy into her story and her life. When Billy reaches his destination (after parting with the Baroness and dealing with pirates) he reconnects with old friends. Here, he’s pulled into a battle between the French and the locals. Finally, it is time for Billy to make his way home and be reunited with his family and daughter. That doesn’t last though, when he is requested to go back to the Philippines for Katharina’s brother and they become involved in the Spanish-American war. This is a part of history I admit to knowing little about: the colonization of the Philippines or the French Indonesia. Mr. Yates has not only detailed it but made it interesting. Although, this isn’t just about wars and history, there are very intriguing relationships that develop including another romance for Billy! This is a stand-alone book, I wouldn’t miss reading the first Billy Battles. I highly recommend this series if you love a good historical fiction with a lot of amazing details or just love a well told tale--this is both!
May 21, 2017
The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles by Ronald E. Yates is the sequel to Finding Billy Battles. This work of “faction,” a story based partly on fact and fiction is the second book of the Billy Battles trilogy. The author tells a compelling story of Billy Battles and in this second book picks up in 1894 on board of the SS China headed for the Orient. It’s a wild ride on the sea and in the jungles, a vast difference than Billy’s beginnings in Kansas and the wild west, but no less thrilling. Billy Battles find love and heartache, but don’t let that deter male readers from continuing the saga of Billy Battles. The author takes us through Billy Battle’s journals, providing little known history lessons along the way of America’s involvement in the Philippines ending in German intrigue.
(As one who is a prolific journal writer, I would LOVE to read the original journals the Billy Battles trilogy is based.)
When I read book reviews, I don’t like it when so much is given away about the story in the review. Suffice it to say, the author doesn’t embellish the historical era nor the vernacular of that time-period. This book was an easier read than the first book because of it. I rated the Billy Battles sequel, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend the first two books of the Billy Battles trilogy for your summer reading list. The final book in this trilogy is due out late summer. I can hardly wait!
(As one who is a prolific journal writer, I would LOVE to read the original journals the Billy Battles trilogy is based.)
When I read book reviews, I don’t like it when so much is given away about the story in the review. Suffice it to say, the author doesn’t embellish the historical era nor the vernacular of that time-period. This book was an easier read than the first book because of it. I rated the Billy Battles sequel, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend the first two books of the Billy Battles trilogy for your summer reading list. The final book in this trilogy is due out late summer. I can hardly wait!
August 24, 2018
I love this story, is one of the best books I've read this year! Riveting introduction! Ted meets his great grandfather William "Billy" Battles for the first time when he was 12....during the next couple of years Billy tells him about his life, to Ted, some of his great grandads stories are fantastical, based on historical fact, Billy Battles' stories about the famous people he meets and rides with Wyatt Earp, and his brothers, and the great Bat Masterson, who didn't always write sports stories.. Billy Battles life was far from boring as his story starts in the desolate Kansas frontier in which Billy started life and where a shoot out on Battles Gap takes Billy everywhere in pursuit of the bad guys...full of action the story takes us to Chicago then off to Asia.
Billy's stories are rich in detail, an interesting diary of the late 1800's to the First World War....the Billy Battles story continues in a further two books I'm halfway finished the second book. I love this story because it's set in a young America, a time we don't often hear about when the telegraph was new, telephones were coming and indoor plumbing was still a dream in the future! A Must read!
Billy's stories are rich in detail, an interesting diary of the late 1800's to the First World War....the Billy Battles story continues in a further two books I'm halfway finished the second book. I love this story because it's set in a young America, a time we don't often hear about when the telegraph was new, telephones were coming and indoor plumbing was still a dream in the future! A Must read!
October 27, 2018
This novel is part historical fiction, part based on fact and celebrates the fascinating life of Billy Battles. Who has a life like this? My goodness! What a guy... I have not read the first in the series but I didn't find that this hampered my enjoyment in any way. Billy's journeys take him to Saigon, the Philippines, and even to Germany. This story is packed full of exciting events. What a Smorgasbord of reading delight!
It is an well-researched and well-written novel with the benefit of pain-staking detail which makes the reader feel as if he or she is immediately immersed in the narrative. I enjoyed this so much. I was initially attracted to reading this book by the mention of the mysterious East. My father, (who is also a Ronald,) has often spoken of his travels to the Far East and I hope one day to write his memoirs so this piqued my interest. The author Ronald E Yates did a great job in creating wonderful characters and a fascinating plot that kept you intrigued throughout.
I particularly enjoyed the section in the Far East and the ending kept me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend this author.
It is an well-researched and well-written novel with the benefit of pain-staking detail which makes the reader feel as if he or she is immediately immersed in the narrative. I enjoyed this so much. I was initially attracted to reading this book by the mention of the mysterious East. My father, (who is also a Ronald,) has often spoken of his travels to the Far East and I hope one day to write his memoirs so this piqued my interest. The author Ronald E Yates did a great job in creating wonderful characters and a fascinating plot that kept you intrigued throughout.
I particularly enjoyed the section in the Far East and the ending kept me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend this author.
March 12, 2017
I love trilogies. The story isn’t crammed into one book. I usually find the second important to the story, but sometimes it can be used as filler until the climax in the third book. I read the second book before the first one, but Ronald E. Yates does an incredible job in making the book easy to follow. I find Roland to be descriptive, but doesn’t overdo it. He writes just enough to put the picture in your head with some wiggle room for your imagination. The character Billy Battles by himself is worth the read. This book is a roller coaster adventure from start to finish with character development. I usually don’t like history fiction because I feel the author is telling a story about history and not the story of their character. Yet, Ronald doesn’t do this. The best way I can describe it is, Roland making history work for him. If history book were written like this, I would have paid more attention.
September 1, 2017
Loved book 2 of this trilogy just as much as book 1. It retains the feel of reading the memoirs and history of a long lost relative....it somehow managed to feel really personal.
In book 2 of this trilogy it also struck me just how seamlessly this series moves through key critical points in history all over the world, involving so many real life people in what feels like a very real, natural non-contrived way...no easy feat. Ronald E Yates has a real gift, and this trilogy feels very special as a result.
I would say this trilogy is an absolute must read and I cannot wait for part 3. I found myself reading parts of this before bed and then dreaming about the places and people ... that doesn't happen to me often. It has also made me research and read about the real life events & people that feature throughout this story, all of which is a part of history that, being Scottish, I knew very little about.
Add this trilogy to your reading list as soon as possible!!!
In book 2 of this trilogy it also struck me just how seamlessly this series moves through key critical points in history all over the world, involving so many real life people in what feels like a very real, natural non-contrived way...no easy feat. Ronald E Yates has a real gift, and this trilogy feels very special as a result.
I would say this trilogy is an absolute must read and I cannot wait for part 3. I found myself reading parts of this before bed and then dreaming about the places and people ... that doesn't happen to me often. It has also made me research and read about the real life events & people that feature throughout this story, all of which is a part of history that, being Scottish, I knew very little about.
Add this trilogy to your reading list as soon as possible!!!
November 8, 2017
Initially my response to the second book in the Billy Battles trilogy is that it is "exhibit A" of the type of book that allows to travel to other destinations without getting off of your couch - easily. This book gave me wanderlust! It also occurred to me several times as well that Billy could be living on his own, on a remote island, and would still manage to attract attention. The second book picks right up easily with where the first book ends with Billy leaving the U.S. to travel to Saigon, Yates manages to tell a magical tale filled with an overabundance of historical facts, adventure, and intrigue. The formatting issue I had with the first novel did not recur in this version, so it was much easier to read - both in layout and natural flow of the content. Sometimes historical novels can get bogged down in telling the facts that they can be so cumbersome to get through. That's not the case here; every word, sentence, and chapter have a purpose in telling Billy's story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2017
Billy Battles is no longer in Kansas. He is en route to Asia. On his journey there, he meets a dazzling and possibly dangerous German Baroness. Locked horns with agents of the German government, and battled Chinese and Malay pirates in the South China Sea. Later he finds himself involved in the anti-French insurgency in Indochina, making him the first American combatant in a country that eventually will become Vietnam.
In the Philippines, he is pushed into the Spanish-American war and the anti-American insurgency that follows. Little does he know that this is just the beginning. He finds himself entangled with political opportunists, spies, revolutionaries and dubious characters of both sexes. How will Billy handle those people and the challenges they present?
Ronald Yates is a master of western jargon. The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles (Book 2 of the 'Finding Billy Battles Trilogy') is a story that takes place in numerous exotic settings with ceaseless action.
In the Philippines, he is pushed into the Spanish-American war and the anti-American insurgency that follows. Little does he know that this is just the beginning. He finds himself entangled with political opportunists, spies, revolutionaries and dubious characters of both sexes. How will Billy handle those people and the challenges they present?
Ronald Yates is a master of western jargon. The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles (Book 2 of the 'Finding Billy Battles Trilogy') is a story that takes place in numerous exotic settings with ceaseless action.
August 14, 2018
This is a simply fantastic book! I loved reading about the adventures of Billy Battles and have already purchased and read the next in the series without hardly drawing breath. It is an action packed adventure with romance and wide ranging emotions but is also full of interesting historical insights and facts. The storytelling is epic in scale with Battles engaging in various wars as well as fighting pirates and secret agents. It was like reading three novels packed into one and there was never a dull moment. I couldn't put the book down and fortunately was on holiday while I was reading so had to suffer few interruptions. I was recommended the book and didn't know the author but after finishing I checked the author out and was not surprised to find he was an award winning journalist who had been Pulitzer prize nominated. I highly recommend this book and the author deserves great success.
July 11, 2019
Excellent continuation of the Billy Battles saga. 'The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles' picks up the story from 'Finding Billy Battles.' Could definitely be a stand alone, but I am enjoying reading the trilogy in order...either way, check them out! This book takes us oversea's as Billy works as a foreign correspondent sending stories back to the paper he had been working for in Denver, but also landing himself in more than a few "situations."
Just the descriptions of locations is amazing, very detailed, but the development of the characters has you picking who you really love and who you really don't...feeling like you know them personally...a talent in and of itself for author's to exhibit. I love the use of historical fiction throughout the novel. This is another easy-read by Ronald E. Yates. Most definitely 5 star of 5 material! Can't wait to read book three and find out how Ronald E. Yates wraps it all up. Check it out!
April 15, 2021
I wish I could relive high school world and American history classes with copies of the Billy Battles trilogy books in hand. Author Ronald E Yates makes history come alive with his books he calls “faction”—a story based on facts and dramatized with narrative fiction. After suffering the crushing loss of his beloved wife, Billy Battles sets sail for the Orient and meets the beautiful Baroness Katharina Schreiber aboard the ship. She is hiding secrets from the very center of power in Germany that could entrap American in a war with the Germans. After landing in French Indochina, Billy finds himself embroiled in Vietnam’s struggle against the French. Later tales have Billy fighting against Spain and native insurgents in the Philippines and escaping espionage agents in Germany. Rich in detail, The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles is a book you will thoroughly enjoy and long remember.
September 23, 2019
More of the amazing life of Billy Battles
Part two of the story of Billy Battles continues in this book with marriage, death, and many amazing stories of Billy’s military career in IndoChina as well as the Philippines. Billy and his amazing wife go to Germany and have serious trouble while they’re there. The amount of history contained in these pages is amazing. You will love reading about the continuing amazing Life of Billy Battles!
Part two of the story of Billy Battles continues in this book with marriage, death, and many amazing stories of Billy’s military career in IndoChina as well as the Philippines. Billy and his amazing wife go to Germany and have serious trouble while they’re there. The amount of history contained in these pages is amazing. You will love reading about the continuing amazing Life of Billy Battles!
March 13, 2018
I realize it's impolite to shout, but... WHEN IS BOOK 3 GOING TO BE RELEASED!
I loved Book 1, I loved Book 2, and I am missing my friend Billy Battles and his family and friends, and I want to know what happens to him next!
Exclamations all OVER the place about this wonderful trilogy!
I loved Book 1, I loved Book 2, and I am missing my friend Billy Battles and his family and friends, and I want to know what happens to him next!
Exclamations all OVER the place about this wonderful trilogy!
December 25, 2019
Great Storyline and Historical Narrative
I read 2-3 books each month, mostly historical.... so far, books one and two of Billy Battles have kept me wanting for more. I look forward to Book 3 and a complete review.
I read 2-3 books each month, mostly historical.... so far, books one and two of Billy Battles have kept me wanting for more. I look forward to Book 3 and a complete review.
May 22, 2017
Loved it!
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