The Battle of Baltimore

by Samuel Brown

As the War of 1812 rages on between England and America, another war is waged in the streets of Baltimore. Caleb Smith is thrilled to learn that his longtime friend and love interest, Libby Anderson, returned from England. However, Caleb learns that Libby is betrothed to British aristocrat Harold Edgerton III through an arranged marriage by her parents. In spite of Caleb’s and Libby’s desire to be together, foul play, old world traditions, and war all conspire to keep them apart. Both the fortunes of a country and a young couple are intertwined. Their destinies hinge on the outcome of the Battle of Baltimore.THE BATTLE OF BALTIMORE is a fast-paced, romantic adventure through a lesser-known slice of history that is uniquely Americana. It is a historical fiction novella that was adapted from an award-winning screenplay by the same title and author, and it placed third in the Baltimore Screenwriters Competition at the 2015 Maryland Film Festival.

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Daniele Kasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Battle of Baltimore took place during the War of 1812. As a former history major, this book caught my attention because so many historical fiction books focus on events like the Revolutionary War or the Civil War. It is unique to have a fiction set during this time period. The writing style was a little difficult for me to click with fully since the action and events are written in short segments but it is also a short novella that covers a long stretch of this family’s tale so there is quite a lot jam packed into a short book. The historical details are great and the author clearly did extensive research to make this setting of the time period as accurate as possible.

The book starts with the father, Marshall and then follows the story of his son Caleb. Caleb’s old friend Libby has returned to the states and Caleb is in love with her. Unfortunately, Libby is engaged to a wealthy Englishman. Libby is also fighting her own mixed emotions, loving Caleb but being forced into the marriage arranged for her by her father as every proper lady should be. Caleb’s troubles only intensify when he finds himself knocked upside the head after a drunken walk and tossed onto a ship bound for France, the complete opposite of where his love is.

The war intensifies and Caleb is involved in several battles against the British. The author closely follows the historical events of the war and writes the battles with accuracy and detail. I did wish some of the scenes were fleshed out more but with a novella things need to be kept a short and sweet. I did really enjoy the detail of Francis Scott Key and the origin of the Star Spangled Banner being added into the book as well. Everything felt realistic and historically accurate.

The author did a good job conveying the way things were during the war while also setting up a love story. The romance mixed with the war made for a good mix of tension and intrigue. The romance wasn’t overpowering or mushy in any way, allowing for the character to have their own moment in the spotlight but not overshadow the plot line of the war. It felt more like their life story being told than a classic historical romance. Caleb and Libby’s story is one that all history buffs will enjoy.

I received a free copy of this from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an unbiased review.