Drums by James Boyd has been called the best novel ever written about the Revolutionary War. Narrated from the viewpoint of a North Carolina Tory gentleman's adolescent son, it's unique outlook soon draws the reader into the drama of colonial unrest and the emotional battle men fought within themselves whether or not to cede from England. Some of the most superb scenes in the novel are the depictions of a local horse race and a John Paul Jones sea battle.

Drums is set in North Carolina and features Johnny Fraser, the son of a well-to-do Scottish immigrant with expectations of becoming a gentleman but dreams of adventure. Johnny is torn between his lifelong loyalty to the British Crown and the exciting talk of independence passing among his neighbors. What we see is Johnny's struggle to determine the right course of action, torn between loyalty to the King and pride in his country. In time, he joins the fight for freedom aboard the Bonhomme Richard and has adventures on both sides of the Atlantic. Meanwhile, we also get to see how Johnny's family, friends, and neighbors respond to the choices of loyalty or patriotism

This conflict is actually the central struggle of the drama. While there is action and we do eventually get to see some of the war, the focus is definitely on the civilian side of things, how they lived, and the choices they had to make. Since a large portion of the book is set in Revolutionary North Carolina, slavery is very present. Boyd doesn't shy away from the ugliness of the situation. It's presented much as it must have been, and as a simple fact that none question.