Peter Treegate's War

Treegate #2

by Leonard Wibberley

The story picks up where the first Treegate series book ended, at the Battle of Bunker’s Hill. Peter and the Maclaren are captured by the British and placed on a prison ship in Boston Harbor.

They escape with the help of Peace of God Manly, a New England sea captain, and the three become part of the crew of a ship carrying gunpowder to the Colonial army in Boston.

The story takes them from Boston to New York to the crossing of the Delaware and back to the mountains of South Carolina.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Read For School

156 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Also wrote under his full name Leonard Patrick O'Connor Wibberley and under
Patrick O'Connor as well as pseudonyms Christopher Webb and Leonard Holton

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally read this book when I was maybe 12 years old. I've now read it again 33 years later. I had forgotten the part about the McLaren of Spey and it probably didn't mean much to me on the first read, but now that I've been to Scotland and done quite a lot of reading on the same it was quite a bit more significant. On to book #3!

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a real page-turner - I finished just a few hours after starting.

This book is an immediate continuation of the first, starting at the Battle of Bunker Hill. It concludes just after the surrender of Burgoyne in New York. In between Peter Treegate is a Patriot soldier, a prisoner of war who escapes, as well as the heir to an exiled Scottish clan who could chose a new life apart from the battles of the Revolution. There is plenty of action, and the plot line concerning his Scottish foster father is resolved. Wibberley plays the long game well, and it's very satisfying. We get some sense of the military campaigns in New Jersey, including a meeting between Peter and George Washington just prior to the crossing of the Delaware. As is somewhat typical in stories of this type, there is a bit of exceptional coincidence in having certain important characters run into one another again. It's not egregious here.

The series continues, and I look forward to what will happen next.

[Indy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't have access to the first book. Thankfully, this one provided a quick rundown of Treegate's Musket at the beginning. This is a very good perspective of a young man raised in the Frontier of the Carolinas torn between his alliance with his Scottish foster father and his biological British father. His Scottish father, Maclaren of Spey, is only fighting the British because they wiped out his clan 30 years prior. While John Treegate is fighting behind the scenes for the Continental Army. By the end of the book, Peter has to decide whether he is to remain in the feudal past of the Scottish Clans, or to move forward in the future in the development of a new country.

Peter's interaction with Commander George Washington was amusing yet thoughtful.

The battle scenes are good, and toned down for 1960s era young adults.

Quick read. Flows good and the pacing is good. While it is not an all time favorite for me, it is enjoyable.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three cheers for historical accuracy and for Scots in America!
I came back to re read this after The Outlander misrepresented Scottish Catholics as whoremongering, immoral drunkards. It made me feel a little better that at least there are some accounts left of these larger than life warriors who left their mark so strongly on our culture. I especially like how the author's main character is developed by several influences, making him a true American.

[Anna Mock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I love that is was written in the 1960s. The language is at a much higher level than books written today. The story is so engaging. The characters are interesting. And the author incorporates history of this time period that many of us - at least those my age - never learned. I always recommend them to parents looking for good historical fiction of the Revolutionary War era for their kids.

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continues the saga of the American Revolution as experienced by Peter Treegate; see John Treegate's Musket for the 1st book in the series.