The Last Inaugural

...what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? ...The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. ~Thomas Jefferson

Army Brigadier General Patrick Henry Barrick is a throw-back to another era. Rising up through the ranks to command the storied 82nd Airborne, he refused to participate in the typical politics required for advancement. His greatest attribute—or most fatal flaw—is that his troops will follow him into hell.

Draconian defense cuts promised by the new President-elect seek to undermine America’s overworked military forces. A daring mission into Chinese airspace reveals a long-time American ally has been sacrificed by the ambitious man about to be sworn in as Commander in Chief. Planning to retire with his beloved and soon-to-be deactivated 82nd Airborne, Barrick faces the most difficult decision of his career: join the embryonic coup d'état against the U.S. government or face putting down the rebellion.

His wife, Annie, is more than the woman behind the man; she stirs him to the fight. But the lives of all the people closest to Barrick will be forever changed before the task is done. Like their minutemen forefathers, Barrick and the members of his military council must act swiftly to offer the country one last, best chance at restoring faith in America’s promise.

An eerily prescient scenario, The Last Inaugural poses an essential challenge:

What if the most dedicated, best-equipped leaders in the world were compelled to honor their oath to defend America against all enemies—foreign AND domestic?

Mike Bath lived an active, vibrant life as a realtor, editor of a small newspaper he founded with his wife, and speechwriter for the Reagan administration. He wrote The Last Inaugural in the final years of his life while he was fighting cancer. Many of the conditions he predicted for his characters struck eerily close to home as he was finishing the story, continuing after he died in 2010. But although the premise for this novel might seem more plausible each year that passes, Mike believed fiercely in the promise of this country and its people. He cherished the time he spent serving his country in the U.S. Army during the Cuban Missile Crisis. His Uncle Willard's service as a senior enlisted leader in the 82nd Airborne during World War II inspired him throughout his life.