Baxter’s Rangers
Baxter’s Rangers takes us into the heart of the impending explosion as the American colonies teeter on the brink of rebellion against the repressive taxation of King George III and the intimidation of the colonists by his red-coated soldiers. Hogan captures the moment when a nation is born with precision and skill.
When young Robert (Hob) Baxter arrives in Boston, it is the beginning of his career as an apprentice trader: it is also his introduction into the complexities of Boston politics where he has to choose between seeking wealth and status under the crown or following his own yearning for independence and freedom. It is a choice embodied in the presence of the beautiful sisters Julieta and Sophia: one coquettish and indifferent, the other more sensitive and in tune with Hob’s own true feelings. The choices, which are subtly portrayed, are both personal and political.
Hogan’s attention to detail vividly captures the complexities of life in a Boston on the brink of war in 1785. He marshals his cast of characters with military precision ranging from the rat-like office-manager, Mr Fifett, to the elegant Captain Davenport who is every inch the supercilious aristocrat. Young Hob himself is both credible and engaging. In the course of the novel, Hob evolves from a callow country boy in search of a career into a skilled guerrilla fighter leading his men into battle with courage and determination. He has to face the fact that war is not a tea party. It means pulling a trigger and watching a man’s head explode in a cloud of red.
Baxter’s Rangers traces a young man’s struggle to find his place in a changing world. It is a novel which captures the spirit of the time, but which remains relevant as it addresses the timeless themes of politics, love and friendship.
