Gentleman, aristocrat, thief, liar, drunk, lecher -hero? The Rakeford Memoirs 1775-1776 A gentleman by birth a scoundrel by nature, Benedict Rakeford cuts a dash in this his first story. Forced to flee England, Rakeford is left fending for himself in New York where he becomes involved in a world of crime, treachery, buxom wenches, warring factions and a rebellion which will shake the foundations of an empire. Away from his wealth and station he falls back on his ready wit, good looks and lack of scruples, but are they enough? Faced with a country at war, enraged husbands, wicked villains, unscrupulous generals, not to mention scorned women, Rakeford stumbles from one disaster to the next, leading to a fateful morning in Trenton where the destiny of a nation falls into his hands.