Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Revolutionary War

AMBITION, ARROGANCE And PRIDE: Families & Rivals in 18th Century Salem by Sandra Wagner-Wright – Audio Book, Revolutionary War, Biographical Historical Fiction, Family Saga

Sandra Wagner-Wright’s historical fiction novel, Ambition, Arrogance and Pride tells the story of two powerful families during the founding of America – now brought to life in audio format by award-winning voice actor Christa Lewis.

Wagner-Wright’s fluid prose lends itself to being read aloud, and listeners will be wholly transported by this tale of early Americana. Life in the Salem/Boston area at the birth of our nation takes wings as Lewis breathes energy into this engaging cast of characters.

Ambition, Arrogance and Pride explores a few select families as they merge through marriage to form privateering empires. The focus on the women’s point of view gives us a unique perspective on the lives of the powerful men in these families. From the inception of their dreams and aspirations, we follow their journeys in a time without electricity, running water, or antibiotics, a life rustic yet gentle.

The excellent choice of narrator for this project accentuates the limited role of women in this time and place – as partners to their husbands.

Wagner-Wright imagines a world where these partnerships are egalitarian, with these women having a say in all aspects of life, from buying real estate to running and investing in business ventures.

The daily lives of women running households, giving birth, and preparing for funerals bring us back to a time when infant and childbirth mortality were high and tuberculosis ran rampant, with no effective treatment. We grow to care for the central characters and must grieve with them in the face of these losses.

We explore the United States’ independence story through the eyes of Mary, whose personal ties to the conflict illuminate many of its causes and details. She’s terrified for her family, especially her husband, as the colonies and the sovereign crown of England clash over high taxes and unfair tariffs. After the Boston Tea Party, Mary switches her drink from sweet tea to bitter coffee.

Wagner-Wright and Lewis pair up to give a rendition of Ambition, Arrogance and Pride that gives us a place within the drawing rooms of the Derby and the Crowninshield families.

We face the fears and hardships of their seagoing lives, and learn how uncertain and dangerous the future of the American colonies was.

This historical and somewhat biographical novel based on early American roots provides a glimpse into the lives of people who dared to fall in love, venture into uncharted waters, and create dynasties. We meet merchants who develop trade routes halfway around the world and gamble their life savings on trade with China, India, and beyond.

This audio version of Ambition, Arrogance and Pride shines as the well-crafted story unfolds through a reading that deeply understands it. Fans of historical fiction, Americana, and Revolutionary narratives alike will be gripped with interest throughout this book. A must-have for Wagner-Wright fans and readers who want a great listen on long walks, commutes, or road trips.

You can read the review of the print version of Ambition, Arrogance and Pride here.

August 9, 2023
AMBITION, ARROGANCE And PRIDE by Sandra Wagner-Wright – Revolutionary War, Biographical Historical Fiction, Family Saga

Sandra Wagner-Wright’s historical novel, Ambition, Arrogance and Pride, chronicles the rise of some of Salem, Massachusetts’s founding families, through the revolutionary war and beyond as they make their fortunes in far-off ports.

Wagner-Wright tells this story through several points of view, but it is her strong female characters who carry this story, women like Mary Derby, whose courtship and marriage to George Crowninshield begins this saga.

We follow Mary as she brings new life into the world while her husband is out at sea as captain of a merchant vessel. Wagner-Wright has done her research, making real the perils of pregnancy and childbirth in the 1700s. In keeping with the time and the rate of infant mortality, we suffer with Mary each time she loses a precious child.

Men such as Captain Richard Derby and George Crowninshield travel the sea in search of foreign ports, while women like Mary, Lydia, and Eliza hold their families together in this intricate and expertly crafted story.

Wagner-Wright breathes life into the world through the vernacular of the time and rich descriptions of the dress, table settings, and social decorum, developing a vivid view of Colonial America. These descriptions fascinate readers with the daily lives of merchants and colonists during the time, and the narrative surrounds us with the commerce and influencers of Salem’s politics.

This story shines a light on famed historical events such as the Boston Tea Party, filling them with the personal stakes of Salem’s central figures. These moments come to life through the eyes of the Derby and Crowninshield families.

Ambition, Arrogance and Pride immerses us in the lives of families tied by love and marriage as they vie for power, wealth, and status in a volatile and ever-changing world. The Author’s Notes, and Glossary of Terms are filled with fascinating information that helps readers navigate the specific discourse of the time.

Wagner-Wright’s writing earns a five-star review and will surely delight history buffs and readers of Americana everywhere.

June 21, 2023
DELAWARE BEFORE The RAILROADS by Dave Tabler – U.S. History, State & Local History, U.S. Revolution & Founding

Delaware Before the Railroads by Dave Tabler presents a captivating visual tale of this tiny state, from 1638 to 1832, ranging between early colonial settlements and the aftermath of America’s Independence.

Delaware’s place in this seminal time of United States history is carefully illustrated through pictures with wonderful captions. Delaware Before the Railroads highlights the significant role played by Delaware in America’s creation, uncovering surprising historical details such as the origin of log houses, a heroic figure who thwarted the British invasion of Canada, and the intriguing connection with Captain Kidd.

The pictures and captions are highlighted by sidebar paragraphs that deliver more knowledge about what life was like for the Swedes and Dutch who settled near Delaware Bay. They found, for instance, a “new world” of seafood they didn’t recognize, such as the crabs they called “sea spiders.”

The book explores day-to-day details of this growing society. One fascinating – and unsettling – aspect is the nature of their medicine. They used tools for bloodletting, torturous-looking dental implements, and pharmaceutical ingredients such as benzine, peppermint oil, saffron, peppercorns, and even mercury! The specifics of how these tools were used will chill readers.

Delaware Before the Railroads balances these darker elements with more light-hearted moments in time as well, with one fun fact being that Delaware delegates ratified the US Constitution at The Golden Fleece Tavern in Dover, thus christening Delaware as “The First State.”

The best treasure of the book is in the “Notes on Photographs” section, to which the sidebar paragraphs direct the reader.

This section adds significant anecdotes and details that shed more light on the culture of the time. One discovers that the Swedish colonists named the first non-native settlement, Fort Christina, after the then 12-year-old Queen of Sweden. Or, that the early days of Delaware also gave rise to the iconic log cabin in America, as Swedish and Finnish colonists introduced the style to their new home.

These notes deliver excitement as well as excellent historical information. The famed privateer Captain Kidd once marauded in an area now called Kitts Hammock, one of the places he supposedly buried his treasure. Kidd also colluded with some Delawareans to sell stolen goods from an Indian Ocean takeover of a merchant ship, despite a colonial law forbidding the importation of any goods from the East Indies (due to pirates and privateers).

Pick up Delaware Before the Railroads to join the hunt for Captain Kidd’s buried treasure and learn other intriguing slices of Delaware’s past.

June 15, 2023