Review from The Highlander, the Regimental Newsletter of the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons).

I am extremely delighted to be able to share a review of From the Frontline of History by Brigadier (Ret’d) Charles Grant OBE, Regimental historian, in the latest edition of The Highlander, the Regimental Newsletter of the Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons).

There can be no greater pleasure for a writer than to see their work appreciated by true experts in their field and I would like to thank Brigadier Grant for his kind words.

FROM THE FRONTLINE OF HISTORY

Teddy Campion at war with the Seaforth Highlanders 1895 -1916.

By Nick Bastin.

“From the Frontline of History” is the story of a remarkable man – Teddy Campion. Born in 1873 he joined the army in 1893 and transferred from the local regiment to the Seaforth Highlanders in 1895.  His first posting was to Crete.  To quote the author:

“Teddy's first overseas posting had been highly unusual for the time; international cooperation and a peace keeping mission which has more in keeping with the late 20th Century.  For a man brought up on the tales of his father, who had experienced the ferocious set-piece battles in the Crimea and the Indian Mutiny, it must have seemed a let-down, but his next posting to Sudan would be very different.”

Indeed, it was. Teddy’s accounts of Atbara and Omdurman are a must read.  They are not sterile accounts of these great battles but are vividly described by Teddy who was there.  His sketch maps are an absolute joy to the historian.

After a brief interval we re-join Teddy towards the end of the Boer War.  The account is accompanied by some wonderful phototrophs. His reflections at the end of the campaign provide a very interesting insight into the war and the “apologists and supporters of the Boers in Britain”.

I will only mention that the next period covers Teddy’s time in India, his polo career and his return to Scotland.  It is the second half of the book that covers the Great War and Teddy’s all too brief life until his death February 1916.  In 1914 Teddy was with the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.

“The 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders were mobilized on 4 August 1914 - the very day that war was declared.  By 7 August they had already been joined by 620 reservists. They then entrained from Shorncliffe to York and spent the next week moving around the country before being embarking for France from Southampton on 22 August onboard the SS Lake Michigan, landing in Boulogne on 23 August and that night entraining to join the 10th Infantry Brigade and be pitched straight into the Battle of Le Cateau.”

Teddy’s account of the retreat from Le Cateau covering the period 24 August to 5 September is are remarkable insight into the retreat of the British expeditionary Force (B.E.F) and concludes with a list of tactical insights which he introduces with the comment “As regards tactical thinking, we have learnt there is nothing new but neglect over them has cost a lot of casualties in various units.”

From now on Teddy was in “Flanders Fields”.  After describing a number of actions, we come to the Second Battle of Ypres.  I will resist the temptation to draw extracts from Teddy’s remarkable description of the battle which deserves to be read in full. But instead mention what happened to Teddy.  Major Teddy Campion had assumed command of the 2nd Seaforth Battalion on the wounding of the commanding officer and death of the senior major.

“On 2 May, at around 5.30 p.m., the Germans sent over a cloud of chlorine gas, after which they attacked”.  This was the same technique they had used against the French and Canadians – first they used the gas to poison or incapacitate the enemy, and then they pressed home their attack once the clouds of gas had dispersed. Knowing this incursion would be disastrous, Teddy commanded the Battalion to stand firm and repulse attack. Which they did.  

Despite being gassed himself Teddy remained in post until 6 May.  There can be no other reason than there was no one else to take command. Between 25 April and 8 May the Battalion had lost 28 of its 36 officers killed, wounded or gassed.  Finally, he was hospitalized and sent home. Remarkably when others might have been invalided out, he remained convalescing for 4 months in Britain before returning to the front on 11 September 1915 and being formally gazette in the post of temporary Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Battalion.  He had however not recovered fully from the gas attack. He was hospitalized on 17 November.  With a brief interlude at home for Christmas he remained in hospital and died on 25 February 1916.

A year after his death an extraordinary document came into the family possession.  It was an order by Teddy Campion dated 3 April 1915 and predates the first use of gas by only a couple of weeks:

To O.C. Coy [Officer Commanding Company] and men to see.    Remember no Seaforth Highlander ever has left or ever will leave his post.

Whatever damnable engine of war the enemy use the Seaforths will stick it out and will have their reward in killing the enemy .

E. Campion Major Commander 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders

Clearly based on the anticipated use of this terrible weapon it is a poignant record of the leadership of this exceptional soldier who would meet his end as a result of this dreadful weapon.

As a military historian one can only be delighted by the wonderful detail of the military operations covered in this book.  As a former soldier one can only admire this moving record of a remarkable man and as a reader one is left with overwhelming admiration and a tinge of sadness for Teddy Campion.

Brigadier (Ret’d) C S Grant OBE

The spread from the magazine.

Boredom - the soldier’s lot

On campaign in the Sudan from the Daily Graphic

In From the Frontline of History we read of Teddy Campion’s experiences in the great set piece battles of Omdurman and Atbara, as well as skirmishing in the Boer War and trench warfare in WWI. These moments of high drama and adrenalin are naturally few and far between. But Teddy is also an amusing documenter of the boredom that made up so much of the soldier’s lot. Here Teddy colourfully describes the passage of a day in his Sudan diary:

Get up, hastily swallow a cup of cocoa, light a cigarette and find 50 bearded looking ruffians at the quarter guard. We get tools and commence to fill up a huge hole - why, no one quite knows, or cares – but you must not leave the men alone and on no account are they to be allowed to wash. So you keep them at it till time for breakfast.

One goes back for a bath – breakfast porridge and a lump of heart – (sometimes varied with a weird and wonderful looking kidney – but usually we have a fair breakfast). Then orderly room. Return at about 10 a.m. Work for the day finished.

Everything is getting hot. Order ginger ale – drink it, have another. It all comes out and trickles down your forehead. Go to your house?? Or dog–hole – gasp – look at thermometer: 104 degrees. Have another ginger ale on strength of it. Write diary, begin letter, hand all wet from perspiration smudges it. Lie down – perspire fearfully – swear at the flies. Try and kill one, very exhausting – have another ginger ale. 12 O’clock go to sleep – wake up 1 p.m. Lunch – everyone rather slack – read paper – long for 4 p.m. Have a small gin and ginger ale – tea. It begins to get cooler.

Get a rifle, trudge off into the desert and shoot at a gazelle – this is great fun. Return 6 p.m. very hot and thirsty. Have a small gin and Bradford. Visitors come round. Everyone bucks and talks; this is a most enjoyable time of day.

Change for dinner – have an excellent dinner – everyone cheery and fit. Drink a bottle of Pilsner and begin to feel life is worth living – go to bed 10 p.m.

You can read more about Sudan and Teddy’s other experiences in Crete, the Boer War, India and WWI in From the Frontline of History, Teddy Campion at War with the Seaforth Highlanders, 1895 – 1916 available from Amazon.

1st Review of From the Frontline of History

Many thanks to Brian Palmer for his kind review of From the Frontline of History, Teddy Campion at War with the Seaforth Highlanders 1895 – 1916 in the latest edition of The Ileach, the brilliant Independent Newspaper of Islay and Jura.  

See below for the full text.

From the Frontline of History. Teddy Campion at war with the Seaforth Highlanders 1895-1916.

Nick Bastin. Paperback £14.99

Author Nick Bastin has previously featured in the Ileach via reviews of his excellent fictional trilogy, ‘The Book of the Black Tower’, but in this, his latest publication, he revisits the copious and fastidiously kept diaries of Edward (Teddy) Campion, who joined the Seaforth Highlanders (named after the sea loch in the Outer Hebrides) as a 2nd Lieutenant and rose to the rank of Major.

Teddy Campion was born on 18 December 1873 into a “…privileged, aristocratic family in the late-Victorian era…”, but as the third and youngest son in the family, he was effectively excluded from any future inheritance and would have to make his own way in the world.

Teddy’s father had served as a Captain in the Duke of Albany’s own Highlanders, subsequently merged with the 78th Highlanders Regiment of Foot to create the 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders.

Educated at Eton, he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and his decision to join the Seaforths was undoubtedly influenced by his father and his connections. The author makes it plain, when asking why we should be interested in Campion, that he performed no amazing deeds of derring-do, nor were there any Victoria crosses bestowed.

However, as Nick Bastin points out in his introduction, “What sets Teddy apart is that he was a great diarist, and from his earliest overseas service until his death, he has left us a trail of diaries and letters…”

His diaries describe in detail, the battles of Atbara and Omdurman, ostensibly the last of the ‘traditionally fought’ battles of the 19th century.

He also recorded the building of blockhouses during the Boer War, devices implemented by the British to “…break up the Boers’ freedom of movement.” It was pretty dull work, by all accounts.

Perhaps the portion of the book that will garner greatest interest from contemporary readers are Campion’s diaries from the First World War. Preceding these, in his introduction, the author states, “The losses are unimaginable today. Between April and May 1915, 95% of the officers and 112% of the NCOs and men of the 2nd battalion Seaforth Highlanders were killed, missing or wounded.”

Campion was gassed on 2 May 1915, but remained at his post until 6 May “…unquestionably causing severe damage to his health…” This he did in the knowledge that there were very few senior officers left to command the remnants of the battalion.

Incredibly, he returned to the front line on 11 September that year, but ultimately succumbed to complications engendered by his gassing. He died on 25 February 1916 at the age of 42.

A poignant note at the end of Teddy’s May diary entry stated, “On 2nd May our respirators were found to be no good being made of nothing but woollen waistbelts.”

From the Frontline of History is available from Amazon.

First BloodLine Review in The Ileach

Dear all

I am delighted to say that the first formal review of my latest book BloodLine has been published by The Ileach, the independent newspaper for Islay and Jura. Those that have read my books will know that Islay features heavily – and especially in the latest book - so for the local paper to give it a positive review means a lot.

A short excerpt below:

“Bastin has all but perfected the art of carrying several narrative threads simultaneously, gently increasing the need to read ‘just one more chapter' by grasping the reader’s attention over a series of commendably short chapters…… It would be imprudent of me to answer any of the above queries, for so doing would take the form of an undesired 'spoiler alert'. Far better that you acquire a copy and find out for yourself. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.”

Brian Palmer also kindly interviewed me and you can read a little more about the genesis of the series in the attached interview.

Many thanks to Brian Palmer and The Ileach!

BloodLine profiled in Oban Times

Many thanks to the Oban Times and Sandy Neil for their story on the publication of Bloodline.

But a few of my favourite parts include:

Explaining the inspiration behind his trilogy of thrillers, Nick told The Oban Times: ‘I have a deep respect for what the people of the Gàidhealtachd were doing.

‘It was a different country to the rest of Britain. It had no roads, nowhere to stay, and an unknown people speaking another language, but there was a strong culture.
‘All that changed after the Battle of Culloden.’

He wondered what the Gàidhealtachd would look like today if the clan system was updated to the 21st century.

What would they be doing now?

‘I started writing the first one in 2018,’ he said: ‘When you have the arc, the characters, what they are going to say, it comes very quickly. The Gaelic Republic was a play on the Lords of the Isles,’ he said. ‘Oban has a great location at the centre of the country, and a harbour.

‘What I enjoy most is people with no connection to Gaelic getting an exposure.
It is really rewarding to have complete strangers getting in touch saying: ‘That was great! When’s the next one?”

Read the full article (behind paywall) here: https://www.obantimes.co.uk/2021/08/29/what-if-bonnie-prince-charlie-had-won-the-battle-of-culloden/

BloodFeud - the first review

BloodFeud's first review - in the Ileach, the Independent Newspaper for Islay and Jura

Just had my first formal review of BloodFeud by the wonderful Ileach, the independent Newspaper for Islay and Jura.

My favourite parts include:

There are few opportunities to catch your breath…..

The premise behind the Black Tower series is superb, as is the writing…..

Compulsive doesn’t begin to describe it……

The sooner the third part arrives at the Ileach office, the better.

Thank you Ileach! http://www.ileach.co.uk/

You can read the full review below:

BloodFeud. The Book of the Black Tower, volume 2 Nick Bastin. Paperback £6.99

In March this year, the Ileach reviewed the first instalment of a promised trilogy from author Nick Bastin. That first novel, ‘BloodBond’ has now been quickly followed by the second instalment, entitled ‘BloodFeud’, pretty much continuing where the first one left off. Nick told me that he’d not commenced writing BloodFeud until the early part of this year. “It went quite quickly as the story just came out.”

The premise behind this ‘Black Tower’ series is that, rather than having been defeated at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746, the Duke of Cumberland was, in fact, felled by a pistol shot, subsequently changing the course of history
as we know it, and engendering a Scotland entirely different from the present day.

The western isles, including Islay and most of northern Scotland is now constituted as the Gaelic Republic, leaving only the eastern fringes of the country under the command of Scotland’s First Minister. The rest is still ruled by Scotland’s various clans, and they’re still every bit as unruly and belligerent as ever they were.

The clan central to Nick Bastin’s narrative, is that of the MacNachtan’s of Dunderave, which is now a burned-out castle near Inveraray. As a small clan, they ought to be a mere bit player in the various schemes and strategies,
but they seek revenge against Allan Stewart who, at the opening of ‘Bloodfeud’, still occupies their ancestral home.

But, just to throw a spanner in the narrative works, ‘BloodFeud’ opens in Surrey County, Jamaica, on 30 June 1763, where Gilchrist MacNachtan has been held as a slave, but following his period of penitent hard-labour, he is about to be set free.

“With the setting of the sun, you have paid for your crime of rebellion against the King. […] You had the fortune to be captured alive, many of your fellow Gaels were not so lucky.” I doubt that it’s giving too much away to say that his captors then change the goalposts and rescind his freedom, forcing him to escape, killing but a few of those who stood in his way.

We then return to the present day, when a descendent of Gilchrist MacNachtan arrives at Scotland’s Gaelic Republic, a man who will play his part much later in the book, by challenging the Stewart occupiers of Dunderave Castle.

But, still the most important and ostensibly powerful man in the Republic is the head of the Clan Lamont. It is essentially he who has ‘allowed’ Allan Stewart to remain in Dunderave Castle, following his killing of the MacNachtan clan chief in ‘BloodBond’.

John Lamont is also a man who knows how to have others carry out his scheming, while concealing his involvement. He’s the man in charge of the Black Watch, supposedly the Republic’s peace-keepers, but with a rather brusque manner.

“Lamont knew he had to break a few eggs to make the omelette he had in mind. To do that, he had to play on the mutual enmity and rivalry of the other magnates, to keep them occupied and their eyes off the main game.”

The first chapter in Lamont’s strategy involves having Catriona Maclean of Duart invade and capture Islay. Though this act subsequently leaves her strategically weakened near her homeland, it also keeps her rivals occupied while Lamont continues with his master plan.

There follows an attempt by Brighid and Nin MacNachtan to persuade MacLeod of Dunvegan to intervene in matters, but with more than just a few plot twists, including the Stewarts’ kidnapping of children as hostages, to have the reader really need to pay close attention. There are few opportunities to catch your breath.

The premise behind the Black Tower series is superb, as is the writing, greatly enhanced by the shortness of each chapter (there are a total of 53 in ‘BloodFeud’). Compulsive doesn’t begin to describe it.

And in cheering news, Nick told me, “I am busy working on the third in the trilogy which I think could be the most exciting of all and in which Islay features a lot.” The sooner the third part arrives at the Ileach office, the better.

BloodFeud is available from Amazon.

BloodFeud - my new book

My new book - BloodFeud

I am very excited to say that I have finished my second novel, a sequel to BloodBond.

Called BloodFeud, it continues the journey of the cast of characters and has plenty of tense and exciting moments – well I would say that wouldn’t I!

I am also very excited to be able to reveal that Ewen Henderson, one of Scotland’s leading traditional musicians (Mànran, Battlefield Band, Afro-Celt Sound System), has written a great tune for Strong Stands the Black Tower and the notation is included in the book, so you can play along should you wish to.

Due for publication on the 17 September – the date that Bonnie Prince Charlie entered Edinburgh in triumph in 1745 – it is available now for pre-order on Kindle and will also be available in paperback (only available to order in paperback from the 17th though).

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

To the Last Drop…..

BloodFeud is the sequel to BloodBond, the fast-paced thriller set in an alternate contemporary Britain, where the Highlands and Islands of Scotland have become the Gaelic Republic following Bonnie Prince Charlie’s unexpected victory at the Battle of Culloden.

The Gaelic Republic is in turmoil; John Lamont’s schemes have triggered unrest all along the west coast as rival magnates vie with each other for power. Will his plans to seize control come to fruition or will the Republic’s institutions be able to contain his ambition?

The Clan MacNachtan’s fortunes are at a low ebb; with the evil Allan Stewart occupying Dunderave, their future looks bleak. Will they be consumed by the growing chaos around them?

Gillespie wants to return home, to continue the life he once knew, but he finds that leaving the Republic and its dangers behind is not so easy.

BloodFeud builds on the tension and momentum of BloodBond, revisiting the cast of characters and their struggles to survive, from the jagged precipices of the Cuillin Hills in Skye to the nefarious politics of the capital.

A review in the Ileach

Please see excerpts from a wonderful review by the Ileach newspaper from Islay and Jura written in March 2020:

….. his first foray into published fiction, and a very impressive one at that…..Well written, fast paced and blessed with short chapters, the novel comprises well over 300 pages of intrigue and excitement, allied to a well-conceived plot…..I sincerely hope that the author’s optimism of future tales is realised…... On this reading, those would be thoroughly deserved.

Many thanks to The Ileach for their kind words!

BloodBond - the cover

Many people have asked me about the photo on the cover of my book BloodBond that is out now on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2HK7LXm

Skye friends will doubtless recognise it!

I took the picture in the sea cave on Talisker Bay on Skye, just after a big gale had come through – hence the rough seas in the background. The family and I had a memorable picnic there and loved watching the waves pounding on the shore.
When the wind blows from the west you can get waterfalls blown straight up in the air from the cliffs you can see in the picture – very dramatic!

Even though the setting of the book is further south in Argyll, it seems to capture the alluring, if wild and slightly dangerous, atmosphere of the Gaelic Republic.