6 hours, 36 minutes At 250 WPM, the average reader will spend 6 hours and 36 minutes reading this book (words per minute). You may be destroyed by a single decision. The Colonel makes several throughout the story, each one leading to another failure for his regiment. Finally, he is dismissed from his post. The story begins in the summer of 1827. The War of 1812 has just ended. The United States has defeated Britain, but the country is still suffering from its financial problems. A few months before the beginning of the story, the American president has been killed during a visit to London. His name was James Madison and he was the fourth president of the United States. In the city where he died, people are going about their business as usual. There's a new manager at the White House - the colonel is his name. He's not very knowledgeable about military matters, but he's determined to make things work. Also, there's a new secretary to the president - William Eustis. He's a hardworking man who's looking forward to proving himself. These are just some of the facts you should know about this novel. If you want to learn more, try reading the summary on our website.