Cravens War

In the spring of 1809 the British Army, spearheaded by Sir Arthur Wellesley, pushes north to drive the French out of Portugal. Captain James Craven, a prize fighter and rogue recruited to teach the use of cold steel is along for the ride, seeking riches and wine. As quick with his mouth as he is with a blade, Craven is caught in a forbidden duel by Wellesley himself on the eve of battle. The outcome is not what he expected. Craven’s life is about to take a major turn and descend into a whirlwind adventure beyond his wildest imagination.

The time to advance into Spain has come, and disrupting the French lines of communication is essential to covering Wellesley’s advance and preventing the French armies from combining into an unstoppable force. Craven must join the Bandidos as they wreak havoc on the French. Their task is to destroy vital supplies and capture enemy messengers. But Craven and his comrades soon go from the hunter to the hunted as the ruthless Major Claveria is sent to bring their exploits to an end. Craven must fight on without hope of reinforcement.

The Battle of Talavera was a great success, but not the fatal blow many had hoped for. Now the French move to encircle the British army in Spain. A gruelling and disheartening withdrawal to Portugal is the only course of action to save the army. The enemy must be slowed if there is to be any hope of victory on the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish forces must be supported to continue the fight, and Craven is selected to go to their aid. Tasked with delivering desperately needed weapons to the Spanish guerrillas, Craven must run the gauntlet to urgently deliver the weapons against all odds.

Spanish armies collapse under the weight of a new spring offensive and only one bastion of hope remains, the last place Craven would ever want to be. A vast French army now marches to invade Portugal. Wellington rides north to face them, but if resistance in Spain is defeated, there can be little hope of victory, and the British will be driven into the sea. One city continues to resist at the southern tip of Spain, Cadiz. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Craven is sent to the besieged city with little hope of turning the tide. He must hold the line, or all may be lost.

The French have captured the Spanish fortified city of Ciudad Rodrigo and the third invasion of Portugal has begun. The only barrier between Wellington’s army and the huge French invasion force is the fortress of Almeida, but a spy inside the city threatens to force the garrisons surrender before the British army is strong enough to meet the French in battle, with half of Wellington’s force consisting of untested Portuguese troops. Craven and Ferreira are sent to hunt the spy, but soon enough the army must stand and fight.