With Rifle and Bayonet: A Story of the Boer War

The story opens in a quiet Surrey village at sunset, where Captain Charles Somerton and his wife Julia spar over the discipline of their two boys, Jack and Frank. Their heated exchange reveals a clash of temperaments—Charles champions the boy’s restless spirit while Julia insists on strict order—setting a vivid picture of a household caught between affection and authority. The children’s quiet misery on the staircase hints at deeper undercurrents of family tension that will soon be displaced by larger events.

When the Somerton family’s domestic drama gives way to the call of duty, Charles finds himself thrust into the tumult of the Boer War. The narrative follows his attempts to reconcile the courage he admires in his son with the brutal realities of colonial conflict, offering listeners an intimate look at a soldier’s mind as he navigates battlefield hardships and moral doubt. Through his eyes, the novel explores how personal convictions are tested when the front lines replace the familiar corridors of home.