Rifleman Dodd

Title: Rifleman Dodd

Author: C.S. Forester

Published in: 1933

Date read: 21st June 2018

Score: 3/5

Genre: Historical fiction

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Rifleman Dodd" by C.S. Forester, published in 1932, is a lean, intense, and historically meticulous novella set during the brutal Peninsular War (1807-1814). It showcases Forester's mastery of military fiction, focusing on the sheer tenacity and skill of a single British soldier caught behind enemy lines.

The story centres on Matthew Dodd, a private in the 95th Rifles, an elite light infantry regiment of the British Army under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington). In September 1810, during the retreat to the Lines of Torres Vedras, Dodd is separated from his regiment during a chaotic skirmish with French forces.

Lost and alone in enemy territory, far behind the advancing French army, Dodd faces a seemingly impossible situation. Unlike the marching redcoats of the line regiments, the riflemen were trained for skirmishing, independent action, and marksmanship. Dodd embodies these traits.

Armed with his Baker rifle, a handful of ammunition, a haversack, and his wits, Dodd must survive in a hostile landscape. He forages for food, evades French patrols, and uses his exceptional stealth and tracking skills to remain undetected. His immediate goal is simply to survive and, if possible, find his way back to the British lines.

However, Dodd soon learns of the French army's relentless advance and their logistical vulnerabilities. He observes a crucial French supply route, realizing that by disrupting it, he can significantly aid Wellington's strategic retreat and the overall British effort.

Driven by an unwavering sense of duty and a simple, unyielding hatred for the enemy, Dodd decides to become a one-man army. He embarks on a guerrilla campaign of harassment and sabotage against the French supply trains and communication lines. He snipes officers, ambushes small detachments, and creates diversions, sowing confusion and fear among the enemy, often attributed to a larger partisan force.

Forester meticulously details Dodd's ingenious methods of survival and his precise, deadly tactics, highlighting the harsh realities of warfare for the common soldier. Dodd endures hunger, exhaustion, and constant peril, pushing his physical and mental limits. His actions, though small in scale, have a disproportionate impact on the French morale and logistics.

The climax involves Dodd's final, desperate attempt to deliver a crucial blow to the French before his ammunition runs out or he is finally cornered. "Rifleman Dodd" is a powerful testament to individual courage, resilience, and the quiet heroism of the ordinary soldier in extraordinary circumstances, a lean, gritty, and unforgettable portrayal of survival against overwhelming odds.

Comments:
Another from my phase on historical fiction. It was good, but not as entertaining as some of the others.

Books that we've read by C.S. Forester (1):
Rifleman Dodd (1933)