Will Hutchison is an award-winning author whose new novel is set during the Crimean War. He is a graduate of Syracuse University, with twenty-six years as an officer in the US Army and Marine Corps. He has spent his life in interesting and often dangerous endeavors, from leading Marines in Vietnam, to working as an undercover drug agent in Amsterdam with military CID, to serving as a Federal special agent conducting fraud investigations and counter-terrorism initiatives at nuclear plants. He resides in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he pursues his writing and photography, with occasional law enforcement consulting projects. As an avocation, he has written and lectured on nineteenth century military history internationally for over twenty years.
Tyler: Welcome, Will, I’m glad you could join me today. To start off, I know the Crimean War may not be one really familiar to our readers. Can you give us a little background on why that war was fought?
Will: Actually, people know more about the Crimean War than they at first realize. For instance, Errol Flynn and the Charge of the Light Brigade – Florence Nightingale…the lady with the lamp – The ‘Thin Red Line’…all came out of the Crimean War. It took place six years before the American Civil War, from 1854 through 1856, during the reign of Queen Victoria. It was primarily fought on the Western coast of the Crimean peninsula (present day the Ukraine). This war’s origins were shrouded in political mystery and intrigue, ranging from somewhat bogus religious reasons to the expansionist doctrine of the Russian Czar, Nicholas I, in an effort to gain free access between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Russia invaded the then Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, and it hit the fan…
Britain and France, the most unlikely of bedfellows, came to Turkey’s aid, supported further by Sardinia. Although a Turkish Army basically drove Russia back across her borders, the people and governments of Britain and France felt strongly that Russia needed to be taught a lesson. Thus in September 1854, a combined allied army landed on the Crimean peninsula. Their mission was to capture Sevastopol and sink the Russian Black Sea fleet harbored there.
The Russians sunk a good part of their own fleet to block the harbor to British and French ships, and it took the allied army the next two years to capture Sevastopol.
Tyler: Thank you, Will. That makes the historical background much more clear. So why did you choose the Crimean War over another war?
Will: I’ve always been interested in 19th Century military history, and particularly the Crimean War and American Civil War. I’ve lectured and written frequently on both subjects. My original thought was to write a novel about British observers in the American Civil War on General McClellan’s staff. There were actually about a dozen of them. However, these officers received their combat experience and became the fine officers they were in the Crimea, six years earlier. I decided that the setting for the first novel would be in the Crimea; then I’d bring my characters into the American Civil War in the sequel. The Crimean War became my passion through about three years of research, before I felt I could put pen to paper.
Tyler: Do you then see this novel as a prequel to your intended Civil War book, which will be the primary work, or do you think they are about equal in importance? Will a reader have to read this book to understand the book you intend to write about the American Civil War?
Will: It is a prequel. The sequel will bring Ian Carlyle and a few other characters into the American Civil War. There will also be at least a third in the Ian Carlyle series. Each book will be of equal importance, and each will stand alone as a story in itself.
Tyler: How do you think the novel would have been different had you chosen a different war or a different era like World War II?
Will: I think a writer must follow his instincts and above all his passion. It is my intention to write a series, not merely one book. The first with my main character, Ian Carlyle, coming of age as a man, then as an officer, in the Crimea…and the second bringing him into our Civil War as a seasoned veteran.
As for setting it in a different era, there is such a strong connection and impact between the Crimean War and our Civil War, only a few years apart, that I doubt there is any other period or set of wars which would so readily lend themselves to my vision. This was a simpler age. They were still using linear tactics when throwing armies at one another. The lines drawn in cultural values and in war seem to me clearer than more recent conflicts. Of course, there’s that passion of mine for the 19th century, as well.
Tyler: I’m just curious if you’re also interested in the Mexican War? I have often seen that war referenced as a primary training ground for the soldiers in the Civil War, since it was fought by Americans, while the Crimean War was not. Do you reference the Mexican War at all in either of your novels?
Will: Not in “Follow Me to Glory,” but certainly in the next book. Ian Carlyle will be primarily with Sykes’ Regulars at Antietam, surrounded by Mexican War and Indian wars veterans, both officers and enlisted.
Tyler: Obviously, war is not a fun endeavor, but the title “Follow Me to Glory” suggests the glamour of war. At the same time, I understand the Crimean war was largely a disaster. Could you tell us what the title you chose signifies?
Will: The Crimean War was an absolute disaster. There had not been a major war in Europe for 40 years, since Wellington fought Napoleon. In 1854, the British were ill prepared to fight such a large-scale war. Too many of the lessons learned against Napoleon had been forgotten, and Wellington was no longer around. The butcher’s bill for this forgetfulness was paid in soldiers’ lives.
I chose the title because Ian Carlyle’s dream is to follow in his soldier-father’s footsteps and lead men in battle. To him, as he comes of age, this means to lead men to ‘glory.’ In that earlier time, and I fear too often today, those who first go to war, and those at home who cheer them on, have this sense that ‘glory’ is out there, a prize to be had if your brave enough, or lucky enough. The reality falls way below the expectation.
In my book, Ian Carlyle manages to navigate through some rather horrendous challenges. He evolves into a warrior and a leader, but the story is more about his coming to terms with the truth about what glory isn’t…rather then what it is. Most folks who have been in harm’s way, the warriors who have to fight the dirty, ugly wars, will tell you about that truth. That in the end, it boils down to kinship with your fellow soldiers, an intense commitment to those in your charge, and plain, simple survival.
Tyler: Since the war was such a disaster, did the British object to it? Can we equate it in any way with more recent wars like Vietnam and Iraq? I am especially surprised that the English and French would go to the aid of Turkey over Russia since the Turks are not Caucasian or Christian. What did France and Britain seek to gain in the war?
Will: Both the British and French populations were infuriated by Russia’s invasion of Ottoman territory. Their outrage was fueled by a sea battle at Sinope, won by the Russian fleet, during which Russians allegedly massacred surviving Turkish seamen who were swimming in the water. The people of Britain found out about the mismanagement of the British army through news accounts as they filtered back. They were equally outraged at that, and demanded military reforms, but this did not manifest itself as an overwhelming anti-war movement. All wars have commonalities, in causation, and execution, but this was not a 19th Century Vietnam or Iraq. There are far more differences, than similarities.
To try to explain the immediate and general causes of the war is clearly a difficult task. It involves alliances, treaties, past political conflicts, and the state at which the European powers, namely Russia, France, Great Britain, Austria and the Ottoman Empire, were in at the turn of the 19th Century. To attempt a simple explanation, the issue was whether the Christian faith, centered in The Holy Land within the Ottoman Empire, would be protected by the Roman Catholics, a claim supported primarily by France, or the Orthodox Church, with claims supported by Czar Nicholas I of Russia. This complex conflict resulted in Russia invading the Ottoman Empire to protect Orthodox Christians.
In fact, most thinking folks of the period saw through this rhetoric immediately. This was a war to put an end to Russian visions of expansion. The Czar, and Czars before him, wanted possession of a warm water port between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, to gain unencumbered access for trade and military purposes. The European powers wanted not only to deny that access, but to teach the Czar a strong enough lesson that he wouldn’t try it again.
There were also underlying reasons for the British and French, as well. Sinope was a Russian victory at sea. Britain could not allow Russia to grow into a significant sea power in the Mediterranean and threaten their trade and sea power dominance. Napoleon III of France had dreams of restoring the power and prestige of France under Napoleon I. He saw this conflict as a means to do so in the eyes of the world.
Tyler, I will bet you’re sorry you asked that question.
Tyler: Not at all. I think all of history is fascinating. Let’s turn now to your novel’s hero, Ian Carlyle, who is Scottish. Is there a reason why you chose a Scottish over an English hero?
Will: As you’ve guessed, I’m a bit of an ‘Anglophile.’ I could easily have made my main character English. On the other hand, my Dad was born in Scotland, and that’s most definitely where my roots are entrenched. Give me a kilt and a broadsword, and I’m your man!
I wanted Ian to have the historical bloodline of the great highland warriors, and belong to a Scottish regiment, my personal favorite, the Scots Fusilier Guards. I also wanted him to be a bit of a rogue and a rebel among his refined English colleagues at Eton College and within the army. I made him the second son of an Earl, just to complicate his life and make it more interesting to the reader.
Tyler: I understand “Follow Me to Glory” also has a romantic plot. Is this partly a tale of a woman waiting at home for her soldier to return?
Will: Hardly that. Ian is too much the rogue to be tied down. In fact, the story of how the love interest evolved is interesting in itself. When I wrote the first draft, it depicted Ian growing up in a rather sheltered aristocratic existence…a strict father, and a protective mother–no room for a flirtatious encounter. One night at a local pub, I was told pointedly by no less than six of the fine and perceptive ladies of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that if there were no love scenes, the book would be a dismal failure, and, of course, none of them, or any other female for that matter, would buy a copy.
I quickly excused myself, went home, and created Jasmine…a sultry, caramel-skinned London barmaid, who enters Ian’s young life a time or two. She and Ian are lovers, allowing me to extend the passion and heat of war beyond combat, but she is anything but a woman waiting at home for her soldier to return. To find out more, you’ll have to read the book.
Tyler: It’s fascinating, isn’t it, how someone’s comments will lead to a plot shift or change in a character, and especially when you get reader feedback before the book is even published. Another turnoff I think women might find with such a book is that it’s about war, which is generally something more of interest to men. How do you balance between historical accuracy and detail and just giving historical flavor without bogging the reader down in too much detail?
Will: Regarding women readers, I have found they have enjoyed the book far more than they expected. I suspect that is because this is as much a coming of age novel as it is a war novel. Although the first chapter strikes a war setting, the back-story takes Ian through his developing to manhood in Victorian Britain. The reader is with Ian during all the growing up conflicts and challenges within the family, his years at Eton College, his early years as a soldier in London, and a steamy romance, before he ever goes to war.
The primary purpose of fiction is to entertain. I submit that historical fiction may also inform, but, more importantly, it entices the reader–opens a gateway to history, if you will. I would not be a historian if it weren’t for my having found and absorbed “The Red Badge of Courage” at age ten. I think your question regarding historical accuracy hits on the greatest challenge to a historical writer, who is a historian by nature…that of creating a balance between a good story, and good his-story. First and foremost, you must have a good story, written with passion. Good history means to me that you do proper research and use it to enrich your characters and storyline. The historical period and perhaps some real historical characters make up the setting for the story. They should not dominate it with contrived or irrelevant historical details.
Tyler: Will, are there any other works of historical fiction that have influenced you in your writing?
Will: Oh yes. Just to name a few authors and their works: Stephen Crane’s “Red Badge of Courage,” C.S. Forester’s “Hornblower” series, Bernard Cornwell’s “Sharpe” series, Patrick O’Brian’s “Captain Jack Aubrey” series, and all of Jeff Shaara’s magnificent works. In fact, Jeff was kind enough to gave me some most excellent advice on the use of accents so that the reader is not bogged down with the writer’s interpretation of a ‘strong Scottish brogue.’ I used the advice, thanked him in the book, and my reviewers tell me it worked out exceptionally well.
Tyler: Will, I understand you’re an award winning author. Can you tell us a little bit about how you achieved that status and what awards you’ve won?
Will: The reviewers have been very kind. At first I only had reviews from those folks who in some manner knew me, and although they wrote how much they enjoyed the book, I was not convinced I’d written the ‘good yarn’ I wanted to write until I received similar generous reviews from outside my own circle.
My publisher had enough faith in the book to enter it in a couple of prestigious awards programs. To my surprise and delight, ‘Follow Me to Glory’ received an Independent Publisher’s Bronze Award for best regional fiction, and was selected as a finalist for the ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award in fiction.
Tyler: Congratulations on the awards. Could you tell us now a little bit about your next book, set during the Civil War?
Will: The sequel to ‘Follow Me to Glory’ is currently being written, and should be out in early 2008. As was my initial intention, the sequel will take Ian Carlyle into the American Civil War, first as an observer on General McClellan’s staff at Anteitam, then as a Military Attaché at the British Legation in Washington. Along the way, he will become embroiled in thwarting a conspiracy by profiteering British arms dealers to assassinate Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address.
Tyler: You mentioned above you wanted to write a series–do you perceive Ian appearing in future books. Will he go on to the American Indian Wars or some other military type work?
Will: I may have already answered this question above. There will be a third book after Ian comes to the US in the Civil War, but I’m not sure where it will take him. The Indian Wars are a possibility, or the next of Britain’s many conflicts, but I’m leaning more toward his reluctantly becoming involved in espionage work for the British Government…a sort of James Bond of the 19th Century.
Tyler: Thank you for joining me today, Will. Before we go, would you tell our readers your web site address so they can find out more information about your book or go there to purchase a copy?
Will: Certainly. It is rather simple. My web site is: . The book is also on most major book-buying sites and in select bookstores in both the US and UK. I’d like to thank you, Tyler, for asking me to join you.
Tyler: Thank you, Will. I hope the success of “Follow Me to Glory” continues, and we’ll be looking for your next book as well.
Infinity Publishing (2006)
ISBN 9780741435606
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (6/07)
