Fitzpatrick's War by Theodore Judson
01/09/2004 . Source: Paul Hanley 

pub: DAW. 481 page hardback. Price: $23.95 (US), $35.00 (CAN). ISBN: 0-7564-0196-8.

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This book takes the form of a biography of a combat engineer and war hero, Sir Robert Mayfair Bruce, which is being edited 50 years after initial publication by a rather disapproving editor.

It is slightly reminiscence of the Flashman books as Sir Robert, much to the disgust of the new editor, makes disparaging statements and remarks about those the editor regards as true heroes and farsighted leaders of his country. It is quite an effective way to write as it means Theodore Judson can give us, the reader, competing versions of events which helps to enrich the story.

The story is set more than 500 years in our future. Robert Bruce has been knighted for heroism on the battlefield and, as part of his reward, been sent to War College to become an officer. The country he serves is the Yukon Confederacy, which is a successor state in North America and which is one of the dominant powers in the world. It is a very war-like and belligerent country because in a previous war, satellites had been launched which carried a weapon that disrupted electricity and still does. Steam power is the prime power source for trains, trucks, airships and so forth.

The biography starts at the War College when Sir Robert meets and is befriended by Fitz, the Consulâ's son and future ruler of the world. Fitz assembled around him a group who subsequently help him conquer the world. One of the fun things about the book is that there are all sorts of parallels in the story to real events in our history.

Young Fitz is akin to Alexander the Great, who surrounded himself with his own companions. The Yukon Confederacy generals also have the names of actual generals in the Confederacy in North America in the 1860s and so forth.
The author does succeed in creating a whole world which in most respects is believable.

He certainly includes all sorts of details regarding culture and lifestyle for his creation. Where I think he falls down somewhat is in his description of the fighting and the effect of various types of weapons' fire. It is rather reminiscent of a 1950s' cowboy film. There, the guys in the black hats never shot the goodies whereas the white hat men kill three baddies with every shot.

The descriptions of combat tend the same way in this book whilst the effects of particular types of fire are wildly exaggerated as against reality. As I have been a soldier this somewhat spoiled it for me, but this may be a personal bias.
This is nevertheless a book very rich in detail. As the story unfolds the Band of Brothers around Fitz begin to fall out over the spoils and much else and the book is the tale of this rise and fall.

It becomes clear that a secret organisation, the Timermen, manipulate events to keep the Yukon Confederacy from becoming decadent and that they rule through them. It is also clear from the 'editor's' comments that various masters of spin have distorted the historical record so that the accepted belief of what occurred rarely reflects Sir Bruce's eyewitness account. This aspect of the writing is well done. The creation of this world is so elaborate it clearly gives the author scope to write a sequel or prequel. A book about the Timermen might be enjoyable because although they and other characters have been created, one is somewhat disappointed that there is no conclusion regarding what happens to them or their plans.

I have perhaps being spoilt as I have read two or three very good books recently in this particular genre. This book therefore tends to suffer somewhat in comparison. The main characters in it seem, as I have perhaps already indicated, to be too black or white. Nevertheless, if you like great sweeping sagas with a military element to them you will like this book and enjoy picking up the references to other historical events.

Paul Hanley