Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "cutler-family-chronicles"

No Sacrifice Too Great by William C Hammond

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It is August 1812, and Americans are once again at war with Great Britain. Lieutenant Jamie Cutler serves under Captain Isaac Hull aboard the USS Constitution. On the nineteenth, lookouts spot an enemy frigate, HMS Guerrière. The ensuing battle pits an unseasoned crew against veterans who have been fighting for two decades. Hardly a fair fight, yet the Americans achieve the impossible and sail home to Boston with a prize.

The annexation of Canada is a much sought-after goal of many Americans. To that end, brother Will Cutler serves under Captain Oliver Hazard Perry on the Great Lakes. This new assignment will test the young lieutenant and his fellow Americans as they fight for control of Erie and Ontario.

Worries and finances snap at their father Richard’s footsteps during his retirement. The family business is on the brink of collapse as a result of the embargoes and the war which have greatly crippled trade. This is the life’s blood of many New Englanders who rely on the sea to sustain them. It is why brother Caleb is so opposed to the current administration in Washington. At times, his words and actions border on treason. Richard’s beliefs are too ingrained to go against his country, which is why, when asked to rejoin the navy as a special emissary and renew an old acquaintance with Jean Laffite, he heeds the call.

Cousin Seth is a lieutenant aboard HMS Seahorse, one of the vessels in Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn’s fleet. They seek enemy privateers in the Chesapeake Bay. Plans are also afoot to strike a blow that the Americans will long remember and will finally exact payback for transgressions in Canada.

Conflict demands sacrifice, which comes in many different colors, and each Cutler pays a price for their devotion to duty and honor in this sixth volume of The Cutler Family Chronicles. Spanning two and a half years, these men bear witness to the lesser-known, but equally important, events of the War of 1812: an amphibious assault on the Niagara River, Cockburn’s raids along the Chesapeake, the Hartford Convention, the duel between USS Chesapeake and HMS Shannon, the invasion of Washington, and the Battles of the Thames, Plattsburgh, Northpoint, and Fort Saint Philip. Aside from the historical personages already mentioned, appearances are made by Tecumseh, Commodore Isaac Chauncey, and Colonel Winfield Scott.

Every once in a while, a scene steps away from the story’s action to explain the past and provide background for the present. One example occurs in the opening scene of the fourth chapter. Although a work of fiction, there are a few minor historical bobbles. For example, Governor Claiborne was based in New Orleans, rather than Baton Rouge, which didn’t become the capital of Louisiana until 1849. Nor did Jean Laffite stay true to his promise to earn an honest living. While those familiar with the characters and series will easily forgive these weaknesses, newcomers may not find this title as riveting as previous ones. All readers will agree, however, that the poignant ending clearly shows why no sacrifice is too great to those who willingly fight for what they believe in.




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A Return to Duty by William C. Hammond

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Separated when their ship wrecks, followed by desperate struggles to survive, Richard and Anne Cutler reunite in New South Wales in the fall of 1845. The reasons that originally brought them to this part of the world have been successfully concluded without them. The British Royal Navy will work with the United States Navy to suppress piracy in Asian waters with Imperial China’s approval. Now, the Cutlers return home to family and friends, and to decide what course their lives will take after their ordeals.

Richard secures leave from the Navy, while he and Anne work on a joint writing venture that will share their story with American readers. He also steps into the role of director of Cutler & Sons, after his predecessor was lost at sea while in the Far East. In his new role, he agrees with the older members of the family that under no circumstances will Cutler ships import opium into the United States. Some younger family members don’t agree with this since the importation is legal.

Before he decides whether to resign his commission and take full control of the family business, Richard needs to return to the Far East and confer with their agents there. He will also work with the American and Royal Navies in their attempt to stop the pirates from seizing merchant ships and to rescue their captives, many of whom are American sailors. His journey reunites him with two of his men from the shipwreck, both of whom played crucial roles in their survival after the disaster. One is Lieutenant Jonathan “Jonty” Montgomery, who now serves aboard Columbia. He’s become smitten with Daisy Cutler, whose father is the director of the Asian segment of the company. An encounter with pirates leads to a severe injury, but Jonty is determined not to let it end his naval career. He’s just as certain that he and Daisy will marry one day.

The other survivor is Jack Brengle, Richard’s former executive officer and now a captain in his own right. He commands the steamship that will take Richard to the Far East. First, though, the pair must track down Richard’s niece, Lucy Seymour, who has mysteriously disappeared. It’s possible that her disappearance is connected to Harlan Sturgis, who was romancing Richard’s mother until she realized all he wanted was information about the company to use to his advantage.

A Return to Duty is the eighth offering in the Cutler Family Chronicles. It centers around the lucrative trade of the highly addictive opium that resulted in war between China and Great Britain, and the brutal and persistent marauding of Chinese pirates on foreign shipping. The characters are expertly drawn and they pull you into the story with a full gamut of emotions. Hammond deftly weaves his research into his tale without ever allowing you to notice that he’s done so. Instead, he breathes life into a world that no longer exists and yet seems real enough to touch. He masterfully crafts unsettling action involving sharks, fire ships, bomb vessels, and boarders in a gut-wrenching climax that is tempered with love and reunion.

(Review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/WHammond.h...)



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