New Book Series Explores Loyalty During the American Revolution

Most stories about the American Revolution ask readers to choose a side. Ray Deptula asks a different question: what happens when loyalty to people matters more than loyalty to politics? Drawing on 24 years as a U.S. Naval Aviator and Political-Military Officer, Deptula's two-book Those Damned Yankees series follows Jack Halliday, a young man who joins the British Army out of desperation before ultimately fighting for both the British and Continental armies during the Revolution [157].

A Soldier's Search for Home

Guided by the actual sequence of Revolutionary War events, the series unfolds as a coming-of-age story about belonging, friendship, and discovering where home truly lies [157]. Book One, A Dog Before a Soldier, follows teenage Jack Halliday, fresh off three harrowing years on a slave ship, as he joins the British Army in 1774 out of sheer necessity. Sent to Boston as part of the security force to help suppress a growing rebellion, Jack fights in key battles including Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Long Island, and the capture of Philadelphia, before deserting the British Army and seeking refuge in Annapolis, Maryland [157].

After deserting, Jack is taken in by a wealthy landowner who asks him to act as his surrogate in the Continental Army alongside an enslaved man named Custis. In return, Jack is welcomed into the family and promised the landowner's daughter's hand in marriage [157].

A Desperate Fight to Return Home

Book Two, Can't Find My Way Home, finds Jack and Custis serving with the Continental Army after enduring the harsh winter of 1780-81 at Washington's army encampment in New Jersey. When spring arrives, they are swept into the Battle of Camden, where Continental forces are decimated by the British [157]. Separated from their army and lost in the volatile South, the unlikely pair must survive together in a world where trust is scarce, and Custis' value as property continually tests Jack's moral compass, a desperate struggle that inspired the book's title [157].

"I wanted to call attention to the parallels between the American Revolution and the present day. Not just in political-military terms, but in the personal story of a young man who enters the military because he sees no other way to survive. That's something I can personally relate to, and I think many other veterans can too."

— Ray Deptula, Author

"At its heart, the series is built on one simple truth: those who fight their nation's wars are typically those least able to avoid it," Deptula added. "And the motivation to withstand hardships comes not from political ideology, but rather, from the love of your comrades" [157].

About the Author

Ray Deptula is a native of Wells, Maine, and a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine. He spent 24 years in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator and Political-Military Officer, with service in Europe, the Mideast, Africa, and the Caribbean. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, with a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He lives in Merritt Island, Florida, with his wife, Julia [157].

A Dog Before a Soldier (ISBN-13: 979-8890224002) and Can't Find My Way Home (ISBN-13: 979-8890224170) are published by Speaking Volumes and available now on Amazon. Readers can find more information at raydeptulaauthor.com, or follow the author on Facebook, Instagram, and X [157].