The Battle of Fort Scarlet

In his second fast-paced historical novel, author Jon Bebbington weaves the jaw-dropping story of a coastal artillery fortification built on a remote sea island of South Carolina that never expects to see battle-but does.

On February 11, 1898, the construction of a nameless artillery fortification began on a remote sea island of South Carolina to protect the Parris Island naval base. Many players revolve in and out of construction, including builder Jim Sumter, Army Captain Hawthorne, and various soldiers coming to the island.

Never expecting to see battle, the fort and locals live in relative ease, going about their normal lives. However, several months later in 1898, the Spanish Navy entered Port Royal Sound in a daring raid to turn the tide of the Spanish-American War.

After the embittered conflict ends in a bittersweet victory for America, another battle looms: one of nuanced elements. Romance, tragedy, isolation, boredom, sin, violence, and court martials abound in the days, weeks, and months after the siege-illustrating the very real tragedy and injustices experienced by coastal artillery soldiers and the local public near their forts in the 1900s.

Best suited for adult readers, The Battle of Fort Scarletwill appeal to those who commonly enjoy war and military historical fiction, like From Here to Eternity (James Jones) and The Sand Pebbles (Richard McKenna).