NekkidBlogger Bookblog » Alexander Kent

Heart of Oak, by Alexander Kent

Nekkidblogger — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:11:09 +0000

See also our reviews of the books written by Douglas Reeman under his real name!

The year is 1818. The war with France has ended. Captain Adam Bolitho is given command of the newly commissioned frigate Onward and sent to North Africa on a diplomatic mission to accompany the French frigate Nautilus in a show of solidarity.

He knows he is lucky – the voyage should be easy, but Adam now finds that he longs for a chance to marry the beautiful Lowenna and settle down on the Bolitho estate in Cornwall. Instead he must deal with the envy and ambition of his officers, hidden agendas among his men, and the former enemy’s proximity.

Then the Nautilus becomes a sacrificial offering on the altar of Empire, and the hunt is on for a treacherous foe. Suddenly every man must discover for himself whether the brotherhood of the sea can transcend old hatreds and an ocean of blood.

In this latest Bolitho novel from the master of nautical adventure Adam Bolitho faces one of the most difficult decisions of his career. Will he find the courage and resourcefulness he needs when diplomacy fails and treachery cries out for vengeance? This is so far the latest books in the Bolitho series, and actually quite good!

To Glory We Steer, by Alexander Kent

Nekkidblogger — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:59:02 +0000

This is a truly magnificent novel of the sea, set in the West Indies during the last years of the American Revolution. To Glory We Steer was the first novel published in the series. Alexander Kent’s forceful narration, his excellent penmanship and command of dramatic incident made it clear immediately that at last a genuine contender had emerged for the throne left empty by C. S. Forester.

The time is January 1782, and British Captain Richard Bolitho is ordered to take the frigate Phalarope to the Caribbean. His is a difficult command. A tyrannical previous captain has driven the crew to the edge of mutiny, and as Bolitho sails for the West Indies his own crew is as much a threat to him as is the enemy. As well, a very skilfully handled American Privateer almost brings Bolitho’s career to a premature end. And the identity of its captain is such as to rub salt in the wound. It is a rough start for the hero, showing promise for the series.

Bolitho does what he is best at – he battles back with intelligence, courage, indomitability and his own brand of humane leadership, and thus forges his crew and ship into a hardened weapon that comes victoriously through the decisive Battle of the Saintes, the last of the war, where the hard-pressed royal squadrons are fighting for their lives against the combined fleets of France and Spain and the upstart American privateers.

Bolitho is no ordinary man. His efforts to give the ship back her pride sets him apart from his contemporaries. As the little frigate sails under the blazing sun and fights her inner battles as well as faces the bloody broadsides of the enemy, Bolitho spares neither himself nor his men. An excellent start for the series, well plotted and brilliantly executed by Alexander Kent.

Read more about Alexander Kent and the Richard Bolitho series!

Links to Alexander Kent’s books at amazon US, amazon UK, and amazon CAN.

Praise:

“…follow the wake of Hornblower into 18th-century seas, where a crew of shanghaied valiants kicks the stuffing out of all comers… a salty testament to the mystique and the brutality of the square-rigger.” — The New York Times

“…guarantees interest and suspense that sweeps the reader from one page to the next…. To the final intense moment of the English Victory over the French in a naval engagement unparalleled in vividness and description.” — Saturday Evening Post

Band of Brothers, by Alexander Kent

Nekkidblogger — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:50:53 +0000

Band of Brothers, which deals with events taking place in 1774, was written fairly late in the sequence (see above), and was probably written to fill in more background about Richard Bolitho. Here, Bolitho stands on the brink of manhood and takes his examination to begin his true career as a King’s Officer.

The book may also be viewed as an answer to the question of “What happened to Midshipman Martyn Dancer?” This is a question his readers have nagged him for 30 years to solve. And here we are, indeed, told of Dancer’s fate.

As a midshipman in Band of Brothers, the young Bolitho again demonstrates his trademarks as a man are not limited to bravery, leadership, and seamanship. Already here he displays the compassion for those who serve under him that so clearly distinuishes him from many of his contemporaries, and which grows to legendary proportions in later novels as his rank and responsibility grow.

A good – not great – book that plays an important part in the series!

Links to Alexander Kent’s books at amazon US, amazon UK, and amazon CAN.

Read more about Richard Bolitho at Leserglede!