Synopses & Reviews
But by the Chance of War is a uniquely different type of book. The book presents four dramatic stories of war from Indias fight with the Ephthalite Huns, to the Fall of Fort Niagara in the Seven Years War, to the trenches of World War I, and finally to modern-day circumstances and actions in the Middle East. A project that took years to complete, this book examines our impulses toward combat and encourages the reader to contemplate the seemingly inexplicable dynamic toward destruction despite our conscious knowledge of wars ultimate futility. Each story features characters that come to grips with the implication of technological advances that hasten the scope of casualties as they grapple with the moral questions of individual responsibility, the nature of military leadership, and the impact of the evolution of war on civilizations. As we look at history and how it has shaped us, how will we move forward in an age when technology and weaponry are meant to destroy everything in its path?
Review
But By the Chance of War examines mankind's impulse to make war in the context of four plays that are composed entirely of verse. Readers who enjoyed The Illiad and The Odyssey will find this an interesting experience. Each of the four verse plays takes place on a different battleground in a different historic period. The first of the four plays, Mathura, begins with the joining of two great armies of India, in the year 515 C.E, to fight the Ephthalite Huns. The second play, Niagara, involves the French, the English, and the Seneca in the year 1759 at Fort Niagara between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The Seneca remain loyal to the French but that loyalty is not reciprocated. Amiens, the third play, is set in France in 1918 and features soldiers from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, India, and South Africa battling the Germans in the last major offensive of World War I. Moriah, the last and shortest is set in Jerusalem in modern times. The United States comes to the aid of Israel when an accidental nuclear blast goes off. The plays can be read at different times in any order.
At nearly 500 pages of verse covering four different historic periods, this book is not one the average reader could expect to simply read cover to cover in a few days. The stories are developed slowly, and the person who reads solely for entertainment will be disappointed, but the reader who happens to appreciate this particular classical style will find it rewarding and perhaps discover the insights the back cover promises. The more sensible approach to this opus is to be patient, exploring each within the context of a series of book club discussions or even an entire course offered to students of poetics, classical literature, history, or philosophy. An epic work of this magnitude deserves that kind of time, attention, and scholarship.
RECOMMENDED by the USR
Reviewed by Sandra Shwayder Sanchez , U.S. Book Reviews
Review
But By Chance of War provides thought-provoking stories that examine the human impulse towards war, and is a recommendation for military collections interested in strong, dramatic fiction considering the impulse for conflict. AMIENS is set in France in 1918 and covers the battle surrounding the last major offensive of the German army during World War I, while the very different scenario in MORIAH is set in modern Jerusalem where a nuclear engagement spreads throughout the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Each story features characters who must come to grips with their impulses towards destruction - and each considers the religious and military influences of the times. Military and general lending libraries alike will find this a fine read.
Midwest Book Review: California Bookwatch
Review
Sometimes a book will challenge us to root ourselves in its meaning and venture into new psychological or emotional territories that will ultimately cause us to reflect on how we see the world. Sometimes a book will challenge us in a more basic way, through narrative and formatting, and its creative expression goads us to work hard and embrace the infinite way in which literature can be portrayed. But By the Chance of War, a new and monumental work from Richard C. Lyons, is a book that encompasses both of these aspects, presenting the reader with a truly epic journey into the expansive ability of prose while encouraging our deep reflection on the subject within its pages. The territories Lyons explores are age-old and eternally conflicting: that of mankind’s historical gravitation toward war and the effects this destructive nature has continuously wreaked on society and the world throughout time.
But By the Chance of War presents four separate stories, all representing drastically different times of war and technology while also reflecting the stunted perception that has kept mankind rooted in its destructive mindset. Part One, Mathura, follows India’s ancient Gupta Empire in a fierce battle against the Ephthalite Huns. The story is brought alive by the passion of the prince, Chandra Gupta, as he struggles valiantly with the weight of his newly-inherited kingship and the betrayal of those close to him. Part Two, Niagara, documents the fall of Fort Niagara from the French to the British during the Seven Years’ War. Dominating the focus of the story is the stoic and determined Seneca Indian tribe, whose world has been disturbed by the armies from Europe and who must align themselves with surrender to the English after a betrayal from the French. Part Three is Amiens, which takes the reader to the trenches of the First World War where Colonel Byron Blunt strives to see the end of the war without losing another son to the fighting. Colonel Blunt’s struggle takes a disastrous turn when he finds treason within his family name. Lastly, Part Four’s Moriah takes us to nondescript modern times where America and Israel play central roles in a conflict that could lead the world to nuclear devastation. Perhaps the most alarming, significant and breathtaking story in the book, Moriah reflects the ultimate power struggle between mankind and most strongly evokes a sense of deep reflection from the reader as we’re moved to consider what time and technology might hold for the world.
One of the most spectacular things about But By the Chance of War is the mode in which the stories are written: a system of rhyming poetry woven into the formatting of a play. Each part of the book is given its own character list, map, and set of acts and scenes with which to relay its tale while the narrative of the characters presents a marked poetic style that beguiles its reader. Between the extraordinary formatting of the book and the expanse of history it relates, the details of which undoubtedly required monumental research, it’s clear to see why Lyons dedicated years of his life to the creation of this work. As with all such works, when a good deal of blood, sweat and tears goes into the making of it there’s a strong likelihood that the reader will be required to devote a a certain amount of perseverance to fully grasp the full concept of the book. Fascinated by the presentation of But By the Chance of War, I was enthusiastic to devote such time, to study the book and to thereby immerse myself in it most fully, and for my efforts I was greatly rewarded. But By the Chance of War is staggering and impressive, unlike anything of its kind in both scope and artist achievement.
-- Casee Marie, Literary Inklings
Review
The epic poem is still a way to tell a story. "But By the Chance of War" is a collection of epic poems from Richard C. Lyons who used the neglected method to craft tales of many conflicts of international wars, the world at war, and other topics, ranging over from the past few centuries to the modern day. Intriguing and an original twist of the style, "But By Chance of War" is well worth considering for fans of quality poetry, highly recommended.
John Burroughs
Burrough’s Bookshelf
Review
Nov. 15th, 2013, book review printed: A chronicle of mankind’s destructive urges through the ages, rendered in four epic poems spanning four wars and 1,500 years. In his debut, Lyons offers a tetralogy—a group of four related plays written as epic poems in rhyming couplets, based on a style used in classical Athens, Greece, but unique for our age. He starts with an Indian conflict between the Gupta Empire and the invading Ephthalite Huns in the year 515, then moves on to the 1759 French and Indian War. He then depicts a World War I battle at Amiens in 1918, followed by an undated global nuclear Armageddon, as viewed on computer screens in a Jerusalem bunker. Although widely disparate in time and place, some narratives share important threads: Brothers fight one another, or participants see power, ambition and greed as the causes of conflict but stand by as the blood flows. Change is the only constant as empires rise and fall and one disaster foreshadows the next; for example, in the third play, a priest blesses the body parts of British soldiers “blasted to atoms,” a prelude to the splitting of atoms in the fourth and final play. In tha t nuclear disaster, a fictional U.S. secretary of state and his family fly into Israel to try to defuse the threats of a Middle Eastern leader, but even the leader’s brother can’t talk him out of starting a war. Lyons walks a high wire with this ambitious, difficult project—particularly with the rhyming couplets, which don’t always sing—but he successfully conveys a tragic picture of human depravity and ultimate self-destruction. Overall, it’s a work of great scholarship; not an easy read, but not overly difficult, either, as ample footnotes and maps explain historical context when necessary. A sometimes brilliant and often moving poetic exploration of humanity’s warlike ways.
Synopsis
But by the Chance of War is a uniquely different type of book. Between its covers, the book presents four dramatic stories of war from Indias fight with the Ephthalite Huns, to the Fall of Fort Niagara in the Seven Years War, to the trenches of World War I, and finally to modern-day circumstances and actions in the Middle East. Author Richard C. Lyons takes a creative approach to presenting his stories by writing in a dramatic poetic style. A project that took years to complete, it captures readers and takes them through the ages presenting the similar issues and strife of four different global conflicts in history. Each story also looks at the religions governing at the time in the regions in question, and how those beliefs impact the decisions made. As we look at history and how it has shaped us, how will we move forward in an age when technology and weaponry are meant to destroy everything in their path?
About the Author
Born in Evanston, Illinois and raised on the North Shore of Chicago, Richard C. Lyons has been a life-long admirer of the written word. Lyons interweaves his self-motivated education in history, philosophy and Poetry throughout "But by the Chance of War." Professionally, Lyons is a third generation printer, whose father dedicated his life to education in the publishing field. Lyons has been directly and indirectly involved in the Printing, Publishing, Stage and Television production industries throughout his professional career. His education background took him through Loyola Academy, the University of North Texas and a graduate career at Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business. Mr. Lyons now resides in Chicago with his wife and two children.