The two-book series “Those Damned Yankees” by Ray Deptula

Most stories about the American Revolution ask readers to choose a side. Former U.S. Naval Officer Ray Deptula asks a different question: What happens when loyalty to people matters more than loyalty to politics? Deptula’s two-book “Those Damned Yankees” series tells the story of Jack Halliday, a young British soldier who ultimately fights for both the British and Continental armies, not because his politics change, but because the people he cares about do.

History often remembers those who chose sides. Ray Deptula examines what happens when loyalty to people become more important 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 follow 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 American Revolution. Guided by the actual sequence of Revolutionary War events, the series unfolds as an epic coming-of-age story about belonging, friendship and discovering where home truly lies.

“I wanted to call attention to the parallels between the American Revolution and the present day,” Deptula said. “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.”

Set against the volatile backdrop of colonial America, “A Dog Before a Soldier” (Book One) follows teenage Jack Halliday, who — fresh off three harrowing years on a slave ship — 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 understands little of the political turmoil as he 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.

After deserting, Jack finds his way to Annapolis, where he is fortuitously taken in by a wealthy landowner who ultimately 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.

“Can’t Find My Way Home” (Book Two) 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 the Continental forces are decimated by the British, and along with it, the American hopes of ridding the southern provinces of Britain’s new and dangerous foothold.

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. Their desperate struggle to find safety and return home inspired the title “Can’t Find My Way Home.”

“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.”

“A Dog Before A Soldier” (“Those Damned Yankees” Book One)

Publisher: Speaking Volumes

Available from: https://www.amazon.com/Before-Soldier-Those-Damned-Yankees/dp/B0GNW1VK48

“Can’t Find My Way Home” (“Those Damned Yankees” Book Two)

Publisher: Speaking Volumes

Available from https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Find-Those-Damned-Yankees/dp/B0H3RCNGLZ

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 a 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.

For more information, please visit https://raydeptulaauthor.com, or find the author on Facebook (ray.deptula), Instagram (raydeptula) and X (DeptulaRay32221).

Nov. 7, 2026

Kerry Richardson

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