Craven's War Books in Order

Captain James Craven joins Britain’s campaign in Portugal hoping to make his fortune rather than become a hero. A forbidden duel and a treacherous ambush force the prizefighter to prove himself to Wellington as the army advances toward Porto.

As British forces prepare to advance into Spain, Captain Craven receives the task of disrupting French communications. His mission must prevent enemy armies from joining forces, or the campaign risks confronting an opponent too strong to defeat.

Victory at Talavera fails to secure the British position as French armies move to surround them. While the main force retreats toward Portugal, Craven remains in Spain, continuing a fight made more dangerous by their withdrawal.

A French offensive sweeps aside Spanish resistance and threatens Portugal. As Wellington marches north to confront it, Craven faces service in a place he desperately wants to avoid, with the campaign's remaining hope under growing pressure.

French forces find a route around Wellington's position at Bussaco, forcing another retreat toward Lisbon. Craven and the Salford Rifles must delay the advancing enemy, buying time for an army running out of places to withdraw.

The capture of Ciudad Rodrigo opens the way for another French invasion of Portugal. With Craven still recovering from defeat, his men face an uncertain future as the fortress of Almeida becomes the crucial barrier protecting Wellington's army.

An enemy's campaign against Craven threatens both his standing in the army and his brother's safety. Ordered back to England to ease tensions and recruit soldiers, he must navigate dangers that extend beyond the battlefield.

A daring French breakout from Almeida draws Craven into renewed fighting and undermines Wellington's gains. As opposing armies combine and operations shift toward Badajoz, his force must confront a worsening military situation on several fronts.

After failing before Lisbon's defensive lines, French forces endure a punishing winter but prepare a new crossing of the Tagus. Craven faces another campaign as the British seek to drive their persistent enemy from Portugal.

A French garrison remains trapped at Almeida while a renewed army marches to its relief. With fifty thousand enemy troops approaching, Craven faces a confrontation whose outcome may determine whether Portugal can finally be secured.

As winter gives way to 1812, Craven and Wellington's army face uncertainty about the coming campaign. The uneasy pause cannot last, and the approaching fighting will test whether their hard-won position in Portugal can endure.

Madrid comes within reach of Wellington's army, but French forces across Spain are moving to combine. Craven faces a narrowing opportunity as the British attempt to turn their advance toward the enemy's principal seat of power.

Wellington's army must capture Badajoz to open a route into Spain, but the French have time to unite their forces. Craven faces a desperate assault on the fortress, knowing failure could end the campaign entirely.

With Spain open to invasion, Wellington must force a decisive battle before French reinforcements arrive. Craven is sent to destroy a vital communications bridge, risking his men to prevent another retreat and alter the campaign's balance.

A renewed campaign aims to drive French forces out of Spain, but Wellington needs the enemy kept divided. Craven heads to the Mediterranean coast with orders to pin down a southern army and prevent its march north.

Wellington's advance toward France is blocked by two heavily defended strongholds, San Sebastian and Pamplona. Craven faces the next stage of the campaign as the army confronts fortifications that must fall before it can cross the border.

As Napoleon advances into Germany, Craven accompanies an untested British rocket unit to support the new coalition. With Wellington's forces still occupied in Spain, he must help hold uncertain allies together against a formidable enemy.

Winter celebrations in southern France offer little reassurance while Napoleon rebuilds his forces and resists the coalition. After Craven intercepts important French dispatches, Wellington must act before the emperor can reverse the course of the war.

Before a confrontation with Napoleon, Craven learns of a spy who may reveal the emperor's plans. He ventures into enemy territory to retrieve that intelligence, risking everything to give the coalition an advantage in the approaching battle.

After Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of the Nations, Craven volunteers to carry urgent news to London. Meanwhile, his regiment returns toward Spain, where both missions must succeed before the emperor can rally against Wellington.

Wellington's army establishes a foothold in southern France as winter approaches, leaving time for another offensive. But Spanish troops seek revenge on local civilians, adding a volatile threat to Craven's campaign beyond the fighting itself.

As Wellington pursues Marshal Soult into France, Craven must help destroy the army that still protects Napoleon’s cause. Political interference from royal claimants threatens the campaign, giving Soult an opportunity to turn French civilians against the advancing British.

As American forces close around the British army after Washington burns, Craven searches for a route out. A determined United States officer hunting him over alleged crimes adds a personal threat to an increasingly dangerous retreat.

With Napoleon defeated, Craven is sent across the Atlantic to fight the Americans in Canada. Facing unfamiliar frontier warfare, he must survive another campaign while wondering whether the new world might offer a home England no longer provides.