Crofton's Fire

by Keith Coplin

In 1876, Crofton, a young second lieutenant, embarks on a series of extraordinary adventures that lead from Little Bighorn, from which he escapes just before Custer is killed by his own men, halfway around the world to a rebellion in Cuba and the Zulu war in East Africa, getting shot, finding love, enduring betrayal, and discovering wisdom along the way. A first novel. Reprint.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Chelsea]

I enjoy historical fiction, and it did have plenty of historical references. But the character development seemed simple and lacked depth. It also aggravated me how the chapter would end abruptly or a new one would start, and the setting and context, even characters the protagonist was interacting with, had completely changed. I'd have to reread sections after determining who the conversation is between or what is actually happening through context clues. It lacked pertinent details to set the scene in each section.

[Bryan Fichter]

I LOVE this picaresque little novel and I've lost track of how many times I've taken it down off the shelf to re-read. It's by turns harrowing, humorous, and heart-warming. Would make a great movie too.

[Paul Wright]

This novel tells the story of a young Army Lieutenant's experiences and personal growth while keeping order in the Old West, taking a bride whose first encounter with him ended with a bullet in his chest, encountering Army bureaucracy and petty politics in Washington, and balancing being a husband and father with his duty as an officer while being sent on secret missions to revolutionary Cuba and as an observer to the bloody Zulu War in Africa. Besides being a page-turning military thriller, we see clearly one man's grappling with his conscience while growing into a leader with compassion and clarity of purpose. A good read!

[Michael]

Very low-rent version of George McDonald Frasier's Flashman series. This read like a begining writer's first draft of an interesting piece of historial fiction.

My other problems with this piece were the bestowing of The Victoria Cross to a 2nd lt from US and the disruption of the ceremony at West Point for the hero buy a protesting group of Samual Tilden supporters, 3 years after the disputed election with Tilden and Hayes...

easy to read, thought. finished it in 2 hours...

[Annette]

Was hoping for more - funny but never really went anywhere - was hoping for more of a story.

[Amyem]

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7...

[Steven Raszewski]

Really liked it. Good style.

[Brandy]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12759457

[James]

Light easy time filler. Almost felt like there should be more after it's done.