Post Captain, by Patrick O’Brian
Filed under: bestseller, book review, historical fiction, International bestseller, Jack Aubrey, Main character, Patrick O'Brian, recommendation
It is 1802. Post Captain is the second in Patrick O’Brian’s epic 20-volume 19th-century maritime series about the unlikely companions Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. Finally 
He meets the Williams family and their cousin Diana Villiers. Jack courts Sophia Williams, but is also very attracted to Diana, and commences an affair with her. His approach to courtship leaves a lot to be desired, and creates problems for him left and right – both with his superiors and with his friend Stephen, to the point where the two friends even challenge each other to a duel.
However, he plans to marry Sophia Williams, but quickly finds his fortune in prize money gone – he has been ordered to repay a wrongly captured merchant ship and at the same time he has been embezzled by his prize-agent. So instead of being a rich man, as he thought he would be, he is now severely in debt and at risk of being imprisoned for it! He has to flee the country and plans to live with Maturin in Spain.
But the peace of Amiens did not last long, and even before Jack gets to Stephen’s estate in Spain, France declares war and begins rounding up English subjects. Jack and Stephen escape, and are able to make their way back to England from Gibraltar.
In England, Jack – constantly seeking to avoid his creditors – is restored to active service. He is given command of HMS Polychrest, a very strange experimental ship designed to launch a secret weapon. As it turns out, she is a very bad sailing ship, and on top of it, Jack’s patience is tried by a sadistic lieutenant. But in the end, Captain Aubrey is able to take her to battle and win a decisive victory – he loses the Polychrest but leads three boats to board the Fanciulla. And returning to England in the Fanciulla, he is finally posted captain. Afraid of being captured by his creditors, he asks for a temporary command and is assigned to HMS Lively.
As luck will have it, Lively is assigned to a squadron sent to intercept Spanish ships bring bullion back to Spain from her American colonies. The Spanish convoy refuses to surrender, but after a short battle where Jack Aubrey plays an important role, one Spanish galleon explodes and the other three surrender. The victorious captains’ share of the prize money will be enough to pay off Jack’s debts and make him a rich man!
Post Captain is a wonderful book. It is rare to find a book that has such a rich blend of various ingredients. O’Brian’s writing is crisp and spare. The characters are fully-developed human beings, the writing is full of O’Brian’s quirky humor, and the action is exciting. The book is very hard to put down.
Praise:
Master and Commander raised almost dangerously high expectations; Post Captain triumphantly surpasses them…a brilliant book.
– Mary Renault
Aubrey and Maturin compose one of those complex and fascinating pairs of characters which have inspired thrilling stories of all kinds since the Iliad.
– Iris Murdoch and John Bayley
More reviews of nautical fiction book series?
Gladiatrix, by Russell Whitfield
The main character is Lysandra, a Spartan priestess who is captured and sold into 
The tale in Gladiatrix begins with a very brutal battle between her and another woman in the arena. Lysandra is a skilled sword fighter, and manages to stay alive. She is then brought to the facility that trains women to fight. This is where most of the story takes place, and where we learn more about Lysandra and the other women held captive there.
The training is hard and at times brutal. The rivalry between the women as well – and as they come from all parts of the Roman empire – there are lots of conflicts among the women, both based on differences in background and in differences in status. Lysandra is both beautiful and arrogant, and makes enemies left and right. As well, her beauty attracts unwanted attention from the male trainers.
Lysandra is an intriguing character. Being Spartan, she frequently reflects on the superiority of her own intelligence, education and upbringing. She considers everyone else her inferior. Her physical prowess is extraordinary. Her primary weaknesses are her complete lack of empathy and her startling tactlessness and her aloof pride.
It is an interesting tale, of gladiatorial training, bloody and brutal fighting, of life as slaves, of violence and humiliation, as well as of courage, love, sex, and relationship. It is a very violent tale. There is a great deal of killing in the book, as well as some very violent rape scenes. There is also a lot of eroticism and sex in the book, including some lesbian love scenes. And the language is very blunt. So this is an explicit, colorful and tough book.
Despite the rough edges of the book and its toughness, I liked the book. Gladiatrix is a thrilling first novel, well written, and combines fascinating historical detail with blistering action. Readers who like Bernard Cornwell and Simon Scarrow will find much to enjoy in Gladiatrix.
(For more about gladiators, see also Sand of the Arena, by James Duffy.)
Praise:
“A great debut that shines an entirely new light on the glory and the bloodshed of the Roman arena…It’s exciting stuff, with well rounded characters, nail-biting duels to the death and vividly depicted settings. Gladiatrix makes Gladiator look very tame indeed!”
–Simon Scarrow, author of Under the Eagle
A Fine Boy for Killing, by Jan Needle
Filed under: book review, historical fiction, Jan Needle, Main character, recommendation, William Bentley
This is the first volume of Jan Needle’s series of nautical fiction adventures called The Sea Officer William Bentley Novels. The novel is a very promising start to this series, 
In A Fine Boy for Killing, the focus is much more on daily life in the ship itself, and less on naval action, battles and heroism. Needles presents a much more realist view of the Navy than any other writer of this particular era that I have read so far. HMS Welfare is helmed by Daniel Swift, a notoriously ruthless captain. Bentley is actually his nephew and favorite, and looks up to his uncle. However, what he learns from his uncle, and tries to make sense of to the best of his abilities, is a view of the common sailor as a little more than a beast – scum, cowards, treacherous and deceitful.
The novel is focused on the inner life of the ship, both among the officers and midshipmen, and among the common sailors. We witness how excessive use of force by the sadistic Captain Swift, as well as hostile attitudes towards the crew from all officers, gradually builds tremendous tension in the ship. Floggings take place more or less daily on this ship – they are given for the slightest offenses. The abusive atmosphere aboard the Welfare is thick and immediate, as is the struggle for power over the ship.
I liked this book a lot, and could hardly put it down. It is an intense story, quite dark, yet rich in its characterizations, with a good plot, lots of attention to detail and good pace. It is a book devoid of naval action, and without heroes and heroism – there are no Hornblower’s or Lord Ramage’s here – but the perspective of A Fine Boy for Killing is very interesting and quite intriguing. A great start for this new series!
See more nautical fiction book reviews!
Praise:
“. . . A superbly written and engaging nautical adventure tale.”
– Midwest Book Review
“…A powerful story of lost humanity, its violent emotions and unremitting bleakness are shattering.”
– Guardian
“…His portrayal of the Age of Fighting Sail is gritty, realistic and thoroughly entertaining…”
– James L. Nelson Author of The Brethren of the Coast Trilogy
Horatio Hornblower on DVD
Filed under: bestseller, C. S. Forester, DVD, historical fiction, Horatio Hornblower, Main character
Captain Horatio Hornblower (DVD, 1951)
Starring: Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo Director: Raoul Walsh
Captain Horatio Hornblower is a solid, 
Set during the Napoleonic era, the movie kicks off by steering British captain Hornblower (Gregory Peck) into the middle of a nimble cat-and-mouse game with anti-Spanish rebels in the New World–only to find that in the months since he set sail from Old Blighty, national alliances have changed, causing a reversal in his original mission. The action later shifts to Europe, and throughout there is a love story involving a noblewoman, Lady Barbara Wellesley (Virginia Mayo), who takes unexpected lodging aboard Hornblower’s ship (she later becomes Hornblower’s wife).
These are great novels, and this is a great film. Gregory Peck does a stellar job as Captain Hornblower, and Barbara Mayo puts in a fine performance as Lady Barbara. At the time there were some complaints that both leads were Americans, but the film justified the casting choices both in the eyes of the critics and at the box office. A must for Hornblower fans!
Horatio Hornblower: Collector’s Edition
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd Director: Andrew Grieve
Based on the novels by C.S. Forester, A&E’s Horatio 
Joining the British Royal Navy at the outset of the Napoleonic Wars, the enterprising Horatio Hornblower rises quickly from raw recruit to seasoned sailor, charting a course from the West Indies to the coast of Africa in the name of the Crown. Along the way he encounters roiling sea battles, cannon thunder, mutiny, plague and love, but always proves himself equal to the task. Gorgeously filmed and richly produced, A&E’s Emmy®-winning adaptations of C.S. Forester’s classic novels star Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four, Black Hawk Down) and a stellar supporting cast.
The HORATIO HORNBLOWER COLLECTOR’S EDITION contains all eight feature-length Hornblower films (with many a bonus material below deck): The Duel, The Fire Ships, The Duchess and the Devil, The Wrong War, The Mutiny, Retribution, Loyalty, Duty.
Nothing was spared in making these films and they’re worth watching for the visuals alone. As well, the story lines are enthralling, the characters fully developed, and the performances powerful and good all around. This is a series that will keep anyone engaged; from small children to grandparents.
Each film (or “episode”) runs about an hour and a half, and each can stand independent of the others.
Three Bonus Programs (England’s Royal Warships, Sail 2000: Aboard the Eagle, and The Making of Horatio Hornblower) give an exclusive look at English ships from the past to the present, with fascinating descriptions and documentary footage on how these amazing machines are manned and run, as well as the incredible feats they’re capable of.
For anybody interested in nautical and/or historical fiction, this is simply an extremely entertaining and wonderfully produced series and a good buy. Run and get it! What more an I say? This set of DVD’s is the finest presentation of naval adventure I have ever seen.
The Whale Road, by Robert Low
Filed under: book review, historical fiction, Robert Low
The Whale Road is the first volume in a series of historical fiction novels by Robert Low entitled The Oathsworn. Low is a 
The adventure begins in A.D. 965, when 15-year-old Orm Ruriksson—aka Orm the Bear Slayer—joins the Oathsworn. They are a band of raiders, sailing a Viking ship called the Fjord Elk, which includes his father, Rurik, and is led by the ruthless Einar the Black. After hearing a tale about a mountain of silver that once belonged to Attila the Hun, the band sets out to find it, accompanied by a madwoman who claims to know the treasure’s location. The young Orm must improve his skills and become a real warrior quickly is he is to survive.
The Oathsworn, like other Vikings, fight hard, drink hard, and always defend their own. But it quickly turns out that they are not alone in seeking the treasure. Their foremost competitor is Bluetooth, the King of the Danes and the Norwegians, who wants the treasure for himself.
This is also a time of changing loyalties for the Vikings – the old Norse Gods are on their way out and the followers of the mysterious “White Christ” are gaining power across Europe. With the religious dimension added, the rivalries among bands of raiders are now stronger than ever.
The action in The Whale Road takes place all over Europe, from Norway to Scotland through the Baltic and on to Istanbul. And Robert Low mixes history, archeology andmythology into this fast-moving adventure tale. The weakness of the book, to my mind, is that the characters are a little flat, and perhaps also that it is a little too slow at times. Apart from that, it is very good — the author is very knowledgeable and has developed a good plot and is a good writer, and the book has lots of exciting fighting scenes. It is a debut book that holds promise for the forthcoming books in the series. The Whale Road is a very interesting historical fiction book, full of action and adventure.
Praise for The Whale Road:
“A company of warriors, desperate battles, an enthralling read.”
—Bernard Cornwell“A stirring Viking series of blockbuster battles and religious intrigue.”
—Publishing News“Action-packed and evocative.”
—Herald (Glasgow)
, amazon UK
, and amazon CAN
. Link to more historical fiction about the Vikings.To Glory We Steer, by Alexander Kent
Filed under: Alexander Kent, book review, historical fiction, Main character, naval fiction, Richard Bolitho
This is a truly magnificent novel of the sea, set in the West Indies during the last years of the American
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!
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
The Forgotten Legion, by Ben Kane
Filed under: Ben Kane, book review, historical fiction, military fiction, recommendation
The Forgotten Legion is the debut book of Ben Kane. It is, as the name indicates, a historical fiction book set in the age of the Roman Empire, during the
The tale is about two gladiators, a soothsayer and a prostitute that all seek freedom and revenge. They are all common people, far distanced from the doings of the nobility and with much more modest and simple goals. While Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus struggle for control of Rome, Romulus and Fabiola, the illegitimate children of a slave raped by a nobleman, run afoul of their master and are sold off. Romulus is sold to a gladiator school and Fabiola to the city’s most fancy brothel.
Romulus is trained by Brennus, a fearsome huge Gaulian gladiator whose family was slaughtered by the Roman army. And, meanwhile, across the Forum, Fabiola, soon a favored courtesan of the social elite, vows to save her brother from certain death and to destroy the man who fathered her.
Then, after a fatal accident outside the brothel, Romulus and Brennus flee the city, joining up with Tarquinius, an Etruscan warrior who can glimpse the future. They enlist in Crassus’ army as they prepare to invade the Parthian Empire. As we know, Crassus failed miserably, and thus a legion of Roman soldiers was lost. The rest of the book is mostly their story.
The Forgotten Legion tells a great tale, and the descriptions of the battles, be they gladiatorial or army battles, are extremely well described. And the scenes of the life of the gladiators, in the brothel, and in the military, including the battles Crassus’ Roman legions fought against the Parthians, seem plausible and are very interesting.
The Forgotten Legion is a very good historical novel with several good twists and a unique and interesting perspective. Kane clearly knows the history of the period pretty well, and his story is rich in historical detail. The characterizations are not quite as good, but more than passable. His book, which reminds me a lot of Conn Iggulden in writing style, is a very welcome addition to the literature about this era.
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, by C.S. Forester
Filed under: bestseller, book review, C. S. Forester, historical fiction, Horatio Hornblower, Main character
Lots of new historical fiction book reviews!
Naval fiction:
The Horatio Hornblower Saga, by C. S. Forester
Alan Lewrie series, by Dewey Lambdin
Richard Bolitho series, by Alexander Kent
Lord Ramage series, by Dudley Pope
Kydd series, by Julian Stockwin
Frederick Marryat
Charles Edgemont series, by Jay Worrall
Nathaniel Drinkwater series, by Richard Woodman
Richard Delancey series, by C. Northcote Parkinson
The Fury series, by G.S. Beard
Other historical fiction:
Genghis Khan, by Conn Iggulden
Emperor, by Conn Iggulden
Gladiators of Empire, by James Duffy
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower is actually the sixth book in the Hornblower saga, even though it is the first in terms of chronology. The first book C. S. Forester wrote about this 
In Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, young Horatio Hornblower is introduced to nautical life in a rather undistinguished fashion, as he arrives wet and a little seasick to the warship HMS Justinian while it is still in harbor! He is a painfully shy lad, and he soon falls under the power of one of those sadistic bullies the Royal Navy seemed to have so many of.
Midshipman Simpson, age thirty-three, has failed his examination for lieutenant too many times to ever expect promotion. He is said to be “diabolically clever at making other people’s lives a burden to them”. And as Hornblower outshines him in the required mathematical studies on board, he soon receives Simpson’s special attention.
Hornblower is desperate, and even briefly considers desertion and suicide. Then the bully accuses Horatio of cheating in cards – one of Hornblower’s great passions, and something which he excels in. This gives him an opportunity for an honorable escape from the bullying: Hornblower challenges him to a duel. However, as Hornblower is neither a great fencing master nor good with a pistol, he devices a smart scheme for the duel which will equalize the chances for him: The duelists are to have one loaded and one unloaded gun, and chose guns randomly. They are to fire at one another at a distance of on step. This, he considers, will give him an “even chance.”
Horatio Hornblower is very intelligent, but he is also an awkward neophyte, both socially and nautically speaking. However, he learns fast, does not do the same mistake twice, has a strong will, and a willingness to learn. His superiors quickly recognize him as a man who will accomplish great things. And, through a series of challenges and adventures both in and out of combat, Hornblower discovers he is actually talented in both seamanship and leadership.
This first novel in the series is packed with action, and C. S. Forester is the grand master of naval action scenes. The storytelling is wonderful. As well, the book has lots of fascinating incident and detail. While certainly not the best in the magnificent Hornblower saga, it is a book you must read. The question is whether to do it sooner or later, but not whether or not.
A King’s Cutter, by Richard Woodman
Filed under: book review, historical fiction, Main character, Nathaniel Drinkwater, naval fiction, recommendation, Richard Woodman
Ten years have passed since we last met Nathaniel Drinkwater (in An Eye of the Fleet). He is now married, but he has not been promoted, 
More historical fiction book reviews!
Naval fiction:
Alan Lewrie series, by Dewey Lambdin
Richard Bolitho series, by Alexander Kent
Lord Ramage series, by Dudley Pope
Kydd series, by Julian Stockwin
Frederick Marryat
Charles Edgemont series, by Jay Worrall
Nathaniel Drinkwater series, by Richard Woodman
Richard Delancey series, by C. Northcote Parkinson
The Fury series, by G.S. Beard
Other historical fiction:
Genghis Khan, by Conn Iggulden
Emperor, by Conn Iggulden
Gladiators of Empire, by James Duffy
Thus Nathaniel Drinkwater returns to the Royal Navy with an appointment to the twelve-gun cutter Kestrel commanded by the old and inscrutable Madoc Griffiths. Together they undertake a series of secret missions into France, now under the shadow of the French Revolution.
And as war thickens of the European continent, Kestrel is drawn into the struggle for the Channel, and Drinkwater for the first time encounters his arch enemy, the sinister and extremely devious French Captain Edourd Santhonax. He is, as usual, engaged in activities that attracts a lot of attention from the British government.
Eventually Drinkwater, to some extent by accident, uncovers a grand intrigue which results in mutiny in the Royal Navy, and which then, subsequently, permits the extremely bloody confrontation between the English and Dutch navies at Camperdown, one of the larger battles in Navy history.
In The King’s Cutter, we meet a Drinkwater that is older, smarter, and better equipped for a career in the Royal Navy. Even so, Richard Wood does not allow his hero to be promoted nearly as fast as some of the other heroes in nautical fiction series.
This book is definitely among the best of the books in the Drinkwater series. A King’s Cutter sees Drinkwater doing duty as an acting lieutenant and sailing master in the years 1792 – 1797. It is very well researched, and excellently written. The stories are great, and very interesting to read.
Snarleyyow or The Dog Fiend, by Frederick Marryat
Filed under: book review, Frederick Marryat, historical fiction, naval fiction
This book tells the strange tale of Captain Cornelius Vanslyperken, his dog Snarleyyow and the sailor Smallbones. The hero is the half-starved sailor Smallbones. 
It is to a large extent a book about power and evil, betrayal and revenge. Captain Vanslyperken tries vainly to kill Smallbones while Smallbones tries to get even by attempting to kill the captain’s hated dog, Snarleyyow. And the attempts in either direction are plural: drowning, bashing on the head and hanging. But they all fail. As well, the story has both seafaring intrigue and high political double cross.
Snarleyyow is a very macabre farce with lots of dry wit, where one crazy situation follows another. The action is constant and entertaining. The characters are, to say the least, unusual. There is not a redeeming character anywhere.
Marryat is known for his sea stories and there are the realistic views of seafaring life plus a creditable adventure story, but the humor makes the novel special. In addition to plenty of cannon fire, battle strategy, peril, and passion—liberally sprinkled with wit and fine turns of phrase—Marryat’s real-life naval experiences lend his novels a truly remarkable authenticity. Snarleyyow or The Dog Fiend is a special and somewhat strange story well worth reading.
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