Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "royal-navy"

Hornblower's Historical Shipmates: The Young Gentlemen of Pellew's Indefatigable by Heather Noel-Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Whether first read in C. S. Forester’s novels, heard on radio, or depicted in film, Horatio Hornblower is a larger-than-life character who has captured our imaginations and taken us back to wooden ships and stirring sea battles. His is a fictional portrayal, but Captain Sir Edward Pellew, his commanding officer, and HMS Indefatigable actually existed. In Hornblower’s Historical Shipmates researchers Noel-Smith and Campbell introduce us to seventeen real young gentlemen who served under Pellew, and examine how his patronage impacted their lives and careers. They also compare and contrast these junior officers with their fictional counterpart, as well as reassess the reputation and legacy of their daring and audacious commander.

During Pellew’s many years in the Royal Navy and his various commands, many young officers served under him – far too many to include in this study. To narrow down this daunting number, the authors chose to focus on those men who were aboard Indefatigable on 13 January 1797. That night off the coast of Brittany, they encountered the French warship Droits de l’Homme and, together with their consort HMS Amazon, they fought a daring battle for twelve hours in the midst of a deadly storm.

The Honorable George Cadogan, Jeremiah Coghlan, William Kempthorne, Nicholas Lechmere Pateshall, Henry Hart, Thomas Groube, Alex McVicar, John McKerlie, John Thomson, John Gaze, George Chace, James Bray, William Warden, Philip Frowd, Richard Delves Broughton, and Robert Carthew Reynolds are the seventeen men profiled within these pages. They served as Volunteers, Midshipmen, or Mates; most climbed the ranks to become senior officers and a few served as warrant officers. Some had no sea experience before joining the Royal Navy; others served aboard merchantmen or on East India Company ships. Coghlan was one of the latter, to whom Pellew offered a berth after witnessing his help in rescuing 600 from a shipwreck.

Pateshall’s early experiences most closely mirror those of Horatio Hornblower, and his many letters to family and friends provided the authors with valuable insights into this microcosm aboard the elite of the fleet and being an Indefatigable. This correspondence is just one of the many primary sources the authors consulted in public and private archives in the United Kingdom, United States, and France to bring these gentlemen to life.

At twenty-eight, McVicar was the oldest to join Pellew’s frigate. McKerlie lost an arm during one battle, but served as gunner, boatswain, and schoolmaster during his career. Kempthorne, whose family lived near Pellew’s, was dismissed from the navy, but through his patron’s assistance was reinstated. Thomson, whose father also served aboard Indefatigable, married into Pellew’s family and his years of service took him to ports around the world. Gaze spent most of his career serving under Pellew.

While all seventeen benefited from Pellew’s patronage, they came from diverse backgrounds. One was an earl’s son; another was a runaway from Ireland. Several eventually became admirals, and one was a naval hero in his lifetime. Three faced courts martial. Four had their lives cut short before the wars with France ended.

On the night of the encounter with the French ship of the line, these young men ranged in age from thirteen to twenty-eight. Their experiences and training played key roles in shaping their lives and careers, and the friendships remained strong throughout their lives. Their close relationship with Pellew and their heartfelt condolence letters contradict biographer’s C. Northcote Parkinson’s claim that few loved their patron.

Following the book’s ten chapters are an appendix that reproduces correspondence concerning Pellew’s appointment to HMS Impetueux, a bibliography, and an index. Footnotes appear on the relevant pages within the chapters, rather than being relegated to the end of the book. This makes it easier to note sources and read pertinent information to further explain points in the main narrative. Black-and-white portraits and photographs are also included where they are most relevant to the topics being discussed.

Hornblower’s Historical Shipmates is an in-depth analysis of seventeen of the young men who served under Pellew. The authors ably demonstrate how, through his patronage and guidance, they gained invaluable and wide-ranging experience that served them well throughout their lives. Inclusion of biographical information and historical assessments on Pellew, Indefatigable, and Droits de l’Homme allow readers to gain a broader understanding and deeper appreciation of these gentlemen, the wooden world in which they worked, and the commanding officer who shaped and befriended them. This compelling book is an invaluable addition to any collection with a focus on the Royal Navy and naval history.




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Evening Gray Morning Red by Rick Spilman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Being the only man aboard who knows how to navigate, Thomas Larkin is voted by the crew to take them to Massachusetts after the captain dies at sea. It is a lonesome and frightening experience, but also a challenging one for a sixteen year old who began the journey as an able seaman. With the help of John Stevens, the bosun and a former privateer nearly twice his age, Thom gets them safely home. They are greeted by an undercurrent of dissatisfaction mixed with anger, for the Crown expects the colonies to pay for debts England accrued during the war. The presence of the British warship anchored in the harbor merely aggravates the tense situation in 1768.

While Thom and Johnny celebrate their homecoming, as well as new jobs on a forthcoming cruise, a press gang invades the tavern. Johnny escapes, but Thom is swept up and taken aboard HMS Romney. Feeling honor bound to save his young friend and knowing he can’t do so ashore, Johnny volunteers to join the Royal Navy. After taking the king’s shilling, he realizes escaping the ship is nigh impossible. To complicate the situation, Thom seethes with anger at being denied his freedom and Lieutenant William Dudingston is an arrogant man who hates colonials.

Patience and observation provide an opportunity to escape, but the arrival of a fleet of British warships intervenes and instead of getting away, the Romney weighs anchor and heads south for the Caribbean. Five arduous months fraught with challenges and dangers, both on deck and at sea, finally present a new chance to desert during a brewing tempest. Yet freedom fails to lift the haunting weight Thom has carried with him during the voyage. Sooner or later he will once again encounter his nemesis, Dudingston, of this he has no doubt.

Gripping nautical and historical fiction at its best, Evening Gray Morning Red is really two different books that span four years. The first half focuses on the pressing and escape, while the second presents a tantalizing depiction of the historical confrontation between the packet boat Hannah and the Royal Navy Schooner Gaspee off Namquid Point, Rhode Island – an event that united the colonies and was a precursor to the American Revolution. Spilman deftly brings the period, people, and situation to life in a way that a history can never achieve. While there are occasional misspellings, missing words, or too many words, none of these diminish the excitement, anger, or fomenting rebellion that marked the actual event. From first page to last, he whisks readers back in time to stand beside Thom and Johnny and experience all the emotions and intrigue they do. When the back cover closes, it’s like leaving good friends. You miss being with them, but the voyage was more exciting and fulfilling than you ever imagined. Highly recommended.




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Two Times a Traitor by Karen Bass

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Being uprooted from your home and moving to a new country can ruin your life. At least that’s how twelve-year-old Lazare Berenger sees it and he blames his dad for doing so without any discussion. They’ve been arguing now for seven months, but Laz wildly lashes out while vacationing in Halifax, Canada. Out of control he runs off to explore the Citadel alone and let his anger ebb. Deep inside a tunnel under the fort that an ancestor once guarded during the American Revolution, he trips, falls, and blacks out.

When Laz awakens and emerges from the tunnel, Halifax has disappeared. Instead of a fort, there are only silhouettes of old sailing ships and an English sentry pointing a long-barreled rifle at him. Laz assumes this is an elaborately staged trick of his father’s to make him cease rebelling and behave. During his confrontation with British Captain Elijah Hawkins, however, he painfully discovers this is not a charade. The year is 1745 and Captain Hawkins believes him to be a French spy, not only because of how Laz pronounces his name and his ability to speak both French and English, but also because he wears a St. Christopher’s medal – a decoration only a Catholic would wear and the English are not Papists.

Laz believes his medal holds the key to getting back home, but Hawkins confiscates it. If Laz’s purpose is to learn more about the upcoming invasion of Louisbourg and take that information back to the French, he will hang as a spy. But there is one way to earn Hawkins’ trust and regain his medal – sneak into the fortified city of Louisbourg, cause mischief, and return to the ship. On the journey closer to where he will disembark, he makes both friends and enemies, one of whom will do his utmost to kill Laz simply because he’s French.

Sneaking ashore where the French will easily find him, getting to Louisbourg, and convincing the French that the English plan to attack turns out to be more difficult than Laz imagines. Only one officer takes him seriously. Port Commander Pierre Morpain not only listens and asks questions, he provides Laz with food, a place to shelter, and new clothes. Laz becomes his confidential messenger – a job that teaches him how to get around and introduces him to many citizens and soldiers. Before long, he can come and go as he pleases without arousing anyone’s curiosity. But the longer he’s among the French, the more he feels like he’s found a new home among friends the harder it becomes to betray them and Morpain, who treats him like a son.

Two Times a Traitor is a riveting time-slip adventure. From first page to last you are caught in the vortex that whisks him from the present back to the past. When the sword slices his hand or musket balls whiz by, you feel and hear both. His emotions become yours as he wends his way through dangerous actions and foreign places where he doesn’t know the rules, yet his life depends on knowing them. Bass vividly recreates past places and times and her characters, both good and bad, compel you to discover how Laz resolves the conflicts he faces as he matures from an immature youth to a teenager wise beyond his years. Beware: Putting the book down is near impossible. Nor is this book just for older children and young adults; adults will equally be enthralled with this historical novel that explores a period in Canadian history of which few Americans are aware. Once you begin to read, you soon discover why this highly recommended book was chosen as a 2017 Junior Library Guild selection and one of the Best Books for Kids & Teens for 2017.




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The Captain's Nephew by Philip K Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


During the Royal Navy’s assault on Ostend, First Lieutenant Alexander Clay is tasked with leading a shore mission to prevent the garrison of French troops at Nieuwpoort from reinforcing Ostend. The straightforward plan is to land, blow up a bridge, and wait for HM Frigate Agrius to return to retrieve them, but the plan goes awry almost from the start. Not only must he play nursemaid to his captain’s inexperienced nephew, but getting to their objective is fraught with complications no one expects, their arrival is noticed, and the uncooperative weather and water conditions prevent an easy recovery. Clay’s ingenious idea for getting his men back to their ship saves them from capture and they return to England to await their next assignment.

Captain Percy Follet’s report of the incident, which soon finds its way into the newspaper, gives credit for the incident not to Clay, but to his nephew, Lieutenant Windham. Lacking an influential mentor and not coming from a wealthy family, Clay fumes at the injustice done him. His only hope of advancement and gaining his own command is through his initiative and accomplishments. It grates that the undeserving-of-his-rank second lieutenant should garner the accolades that rightfully belong to him. When he questions Captain Follet about this injustice, a rift develops between the two men.

The Agrius’s next assignment is to escort a convoy of East Indiamen part of the way to India. The commander of the merchant ships invites all the navy officers aboard his vessel for a formal dinner, much to the chagrin of Clay. He much prefers the regimented wooden world in which he lives and he never knows what to say to women. He is pleasantly surprised to find that one of the ladies, Lydia Browning, is a friend of his sister and, by evening’s end, he’s captivated by Lydia. In the days that follow they become closer, but on the night he decides to declare his intentions, Captain Follet orders him to remain on Agrius. A marriage between Clay and Miss Browning would be totally unsuitable, and her uncle has asked the captain to intervene. Thus the rift between Clay and his commanding officer widens, and soon the crew becomes aware of it. The majority support Clay.

Once the Agrius bids farewell to the merchant convoy, she heads west to take up her new station in the West Indies. She is also tasked with finding and destroying a larger, more powerful French frigate bound for the island of St. Lucia and carrying much-needed stores and troops. In spite of his anger, Clay efficiently carries out his duties, but Follet’s resentment of his first officer leads to complications that endanger the ship and their mission.

The Captain’s Nephew opens with a mesmerizing and vivid portrayal of a man drowning and then regresses six months to show the events that culminate in this tragic incident. From first page to last, Allan bewitches and transports readers back to 1796 to walk the decks of a wooden ship and engage the enemy all the while experiencing what the characters endure. Equally compelling is that this is not just a tale of the officers of the Royal Navy. Interludes are woven into the story to personalize and recreate life on the lower decks, as well as to provide glimpses of what it was like for loved ones left behind. This first book in the Alexander Clay series offers a satisfying resolution of who dies, while only hinting at how it happens – an intriguing and perfect enticement for readers who will eagerly await the next chapter in Clay’s pursuit of his naval career and the woman he loves.




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Female Tars: Women Aboard Ship in the Age of Sail by Suzanne J. Stark

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


During the Age of Sail, the British Royal Navy was decidedly a man’s world. One might think this meant women were not aboard these wooden vessels that ruled the oceans and protected the world’s largest empire. Female Tars shows the contrary to be true. The Admiralty and officers may have ignored their presence or not even been aware they were aboard, but women did live and work on navy ships during the seventeenth century through the middle of the nineteenth.

Stark’s book, first published in 1996, is a succinctly written and engrossing academic study for scholars as well as lay readers. Four chapters comprise this easy-to-read exploration: Prostitutes and Seamen’s Wives on Board in Port, Women of the Lower Deck at Sea, Women in Disguise in Naval Crews, and The Story of Mary Lacy, Alias William Chandler. The endnotes provide fascinating historical tidbits that don’t readily fit within the main narrative. They also provide the source material documenting the text, although no separate bibliography is included. In addition to the index, black-and-white illustrations depicting women with seamen further enhance the chapters.

The largest category of women found on ships was prostitutes, who spent time on the lower deck where the sailors lived whenever a vessel put in at a port. This was a period when shore leave was rarely granted since most captains believed the crew would desert. To prevent this and to keep the men happy, boatloads of women came out to the ship to entertain and console them. To a lesser degree some of these females were the actual wives of the seamen, but for them to have this opportunity to visit with their husbands was a rarity, as Stark so ably demonstrates. Within this chapter she discusses the reasons for allowing women to board the ships, which also entails what life was like in the navy and pertinent Admiralty regulations. The inclusion of contemporary quotations allows Stark to contrast how men of the lower deck viewed these women with the viewpoints of commissioned officers. Her discourse also covers what life at home was like for all these women and their families, as well as the reforms that eventually led to the cessation of this practice.

Chapter two focuses on warrant officers’ wives, who often accompanied their husbands. For many, the ship was the only home they ever had and they raised their families within these wooden walls. Aside from comparing these wives with those of soldiers, Stark explores the tradition of women going to sea (which dates back to medieval times), the regulations concerning this, and the wives’ daily routine (meals, recreation, sexual harassment, childbirth, and participation in battles). She also touches on women in the French navy during this time period. The final segments of the chapter summarize how this tradition came to an end and why these valiant women who deserved the General Service Medal failed to receive it.

The third chapter focuses on women in disguise. Only a few accounts survive as evidence that prove they existed, but it’s likely others also donned male attire and joined the navy. Either their stories were never recorded, or their true identities were never revealed. In presenting this information, Stark asks and attempts to answer three questions:

How were they able to pass as male on crowded ships where privacy didn’t exist?

Why did they volunteer and go to great efforts to remain on board when many men were pressed into service and deserted whenever the opportunity arose?

How did their fellow seamen, their officers, and society as a whole view these women once their true gender was revealed?

Her first offer of proof of these women seamen come directly from the archives of the Royal Navy. They are Gentlewoman Anne Chamberlyne (1690), a nameless Gentlewoman (1690s), a Marine known as William Prothero (1760-1761), and a black female seaman known as William Brown (1804-1816 [or later]). In addition, Stark discusses Hannah Snell’s “Muddled Biography” and Mary Anne Talbot’s “Spurious Autobiography.”

The final chapter focuses on Mary Lacy and showcases excerpts from her autobiography, first published in 1773. After running away from home in 1759, she eventually assumed the persona of a male and enlisted in the Royal Navy. The chosen selections document various stages in her career, which includes her time as an apprentice and a shipwright, and informs readers of her goals, attitudes, and opinions about what she experiences and witnesses. They also provide insights into why she joined the navy and why she continued to serve in spite of the severe hardships she endured during her twelve years of service.

Stark masterfully disentangles the myths and facts about women of the lower deck of warships. She also enlightens us as to why they chose this harsh life. Finally and perhaps most importantly, she illuminates the social context of these lower-class women and the limited roles open to them. Female Tars is an invaluable addition to any collection dealing with the Royal Navy, women at sea, women’s history, and life during the Age of Sail.




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HMS Seawolf by Michael Aye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Set early in the Revolutionary War, HMS SeaWolf is the second installment in The Fighting Anthonys saga. It recounts a fictional version of the very real threat that American privateers posed, attacking merchant shipping to acquire much needed gunpowder and armament for General Washington’s Continental Army, but seen from the perspective of the men and officers of the Royal Navy.

Stationed in the north Atlantic, Admiral Lord Gil Anthony’s squadron must cruise from Nantucket to Sable Island, east of Nova Scotia. His orders are to protect merchant shipping convoys from privateers who consider these waters their personal raiding grounds. Although he misses his half brother, who is in the Caribbean, he also realizes that keeping him close hinders Gabe’s career.

Lieutenant Gabriel Anthony doesn’t necessarily agree with the war between the American colonies and the British, but that doesn’t keep him from doing his duty. His current assignment has taken him to Barbados to deliver dispatches, which is why the commander in the Caribbean slightly alters those orders. His Majesty’s troops stationed in Halifax have dire need of the convoy slated to deliver gunpowder and troops there. Under no circumstances can the Royal Navy afford to lose another cargo to the rebels, which is why Gabe finds himself inching his way northward playing nursemaid to the ships. HMS SeaWolf and her men prefer to run free, but can only go as fast as the slowest vessel under their protection.

One master, however, disregards Gabe’s commands and sets out ahead of the convoy. As all the vessels head toward Charleston, South Carolina, they encounter a storm that separates the ships where the enemy privateers are known to hunt. When all but Turtle are accounted for, Gabe suspects that her master may be in league with strange sails sighted by the lookout. As SeaWolf pursues, his suspicions are confirmed. During the offloading of this precious cargo by the enemy, Gabe attempts a daring plan to retake Turtle. An unexpected consequence results in an explosion that sends Gabe, the men who accompany him aboard the wayward vessel, and Turtle’s master to kingdom come.

Aboard SeaWolf everyone mourns Gabe’s loss, except for his uncle. Although chances of surviving the conflagration are slim, Dagan Dupree is certain his nephew yet lives, but he is unable to do anything about it. And it would be wrong for Lord Anthony to hear the news from anyone else’s lips. Reluctantly, Dagan sails north with the rest of the convoy, while at the same time vowing to return to find Gabe and bring him home.

A few early scenes are a bit disjointed; their purpose for inclusion is uncertain and they aren’t connected to the main plot. Nor are pronouns always clear as to who is who, as in the scene with a commodore before the convoy leaves Barbados. In the EPUB format that I read, there were several explanatory notes, but the numbers aren’t linked to the endnotes, requiring readers to manually go to the end of the book and then return to the story where they left off reading.

Aside from these minor issues, Aye weaves together the intriguing topics of gunpowder thefts, white slavery, sexual abuse, romance, and a planned invasion of Nova Scotia to craft a fast-paced novel that holds the reader’s attention from first page to last. Original poetry introduces each part of the story, and Aye also includes a glossary for those unfamiliar with nautical terminology. He further spices the tale with a strange alliance between enemies with Dagan on one side and Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, on the other. Equally satisfying are resolutions to several questions that Gil and Gabe were left to ponder when the first book in the series ended. Whether old fans or new, HMS SeaWolf is a delightful addition to the stories about the Anthony brothers and the men of the Royal Navy who served with them.




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Barracuda by Michael Aye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A mail packet pounded to bits, a flagship sunk, and a devastating attack on a 64-gun ship send Admiral Lord Gilbert Anthony and his squadron to Saint Augustine, Florida. His mission is twofold: protect the British port and its merchant shipping, and stop American privateers’ raids in 1776. Gil and his men enjoy the warmer climate after a stint in the North Atlantic during winter, but these waters are prime hunting grounds that also provide excellent hiding places for the rebels and their allies.

After delivering dispatches on their way to Florida, Lieutenant Gabriel Anthony, captain of HMS SeaWolf, and his longtime friend, Lieutenant Francis Markham of HMS Swan, investigate distant gunfire. What they witness are two ships attacking a brig. The red and yellow sails identify one of the attackers as a Spanish frigate; instead of allowing the prey to surrender, the Spaniard pounds the brig into oblivion. Only twenty-seven men survive.

Nor is this the Royal Navy’s only encounter with the Spanish “ghost ship,” as she becomes known because the frigate always seems to vanish afterward. Although the reason for such viciousness and the identity of her master are unknown, the Anthony brothers realize that they must stop this Spaniard and his vendetta against the British. When patrols prove fruitless, Gil alters his strategy. They will seek out as much intelligence as possible before launching any attacks. Information provides clues that lead them to the Keys, but it will take skill and cunning, as well as luck, to bring the enemy to heel.

This third installment in this nautical series weaves together high action with numerous subplots providing vivid glimpses into rivalries, long absences from family, life at sea and in port, love between enemies, and a court martial involving ear biting. There are some minor irks – a wounded character who miraculously heals, incorrect words (i.e., “to” for too, “partial” for “parcel”), and a climactic battle that ends too quickly – but the humor, longing, and adventures overcome these. Fans will enjoy this fast-paced and satisfying episode in the saga of the Fighting Anthonys.




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The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Mixed emotions assault Emeline Barratt as her father’s merchant brig nears Baltimore, Maryland in August 1814. She’s been in England for two years, sent there after her father tired of her passion to paint and refusal to find a prospective husband. He thought her great aunt would teach her to be a proper lady willing to settle down; if only she could, then perhaps God would cease punishing her for her rebellious ways. But that desire is not to be. She still has her dreams. Perhaps that is why the Royal Navy blockading the Chesapeake Bay intervenes. Instead of setting foot on the docks at home, Emeline steps aboard a navy frigate as a prisoner of war. Only her medicinal knowledge prevents her from being locked away in the brig with her father’s privateers.

First Lieutenant Owen Masters curses the day Emeline and the Americans are captured. For eight years he has successfully navigated dangerous waters as a spy aboard Royal Navy ships, seeking information to aid America’s fight for continued freedom. With an invasion imminent that knowledge is within his grasp, but the presence of the prisoners, especially Emeline, endangers his mission and his life. Already Lieutenant Dinsmore watches his every move. The marine officer’s attraction to Emeline seems a good way to thwart his nemesis until Emeline declares that her loyalties lie with them rather than the country of her birth.

Only after the burning of Washington are both Owen and Emeline given the opportunity they each desire. Her supposed loyalty to England makes her an ideal candidate to glean much-needed information for an assault on Baltimore, but in reality she can escape the clutches of the English, warn authorities, and hopefully cease to anger God. He can finally return home and turn in a traitor. But Dinsmore is determined to prove that Owen is a spy and save Emeline for himself.

The Liberty Bride is the sixth book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series and is set during the final stages of the War of 1812. This fast-paced inspirational romance vividly portrays the many perils both Emeline and Owen face at sea and on land. Dinsmore is the epitome of a villain readers truly dislike, in spite of his good looks and charm. From the depths of despair to the joys of true love and finding God, this is grand adventure spiced with pinches of humor, sorrow, and intrigue.




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A Man of No Country by Philip K. Allan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After marrying the love of his life, Captain Alexander Clay finds his idyllic shore leave cut short. His frigate Titan has been repaired, but instead of rejoining the Channel Fleet, he and his men sail for the Mediterranean to assist Admiral Lord St. Vincent. Rather than the boring voyage expected, they investigate suspicious actions aboard a merchant brig and thus discover that pirates control the vessel and the crew is locked below. After rescuing the captives, they later spot a Russian sloop that runs aground rather than fight. When Clay’s men reach the shore, one of the evaders turns out to be John Grainger, who claims to have been forced to navigate for the Russian privateers. Although he dresses like a Turk, was raised in Algeria, and has their coloring, he speaks English and has piercing blue eyes. He just claims not to know where he was born. Once aboard the Titan, he joins the Royal Navy.

When they arrive on station, Clay meets with the admiral. He and his vessels maintain a blockade on the Spanish navy, which means no naval ship has ventured far into the Mediterranean. Therefore, Titan is to become the eyes of the fleet. Clay will find out what’s happening, what the French are planning, and visit Ambassador Hamilton in Naples.

While the ship resupplies and their captain meets with the admiral, Sam Evans, Adam Trevan, Joshua Rosso, and Sean O’Malley, along with John Grainger, visit a tavern. Able Sedgwick arrives late, having stopped to purchase a blank journal in which to record his life’s story as an African slave to help the abolitionist cause. John mistakes the journal for his own and when he accosts Able, the serving girl notices John’s tattoo and becomes terrified. When Able later questions her, she divulges the true meaning of the mark.

Once the Titan returns to sea, she becomes enshrouded by a dense fog and those aboard find themselves surrounded by the Spanish fleet. Since they remain invisible to the enemy, Clay tricks two of the vessels into firing upon each other. It’s a neat trick, but later he regrets how he endangered his mission. He soon puts his reckless misstep behind him, when he sends his men ashore to seize a merchant ship that eluded them and to launch a surprise attack on an enemy fortification. In doing so, they discover the captured prize carries military tents and cooking equipment bound for Marseille.

Upon their return to the ship, Sam discovers that he’s been robbed. More thefts soon follow, and Able overhears one of the new men threatening someone. No matter how much searching the master of arms does, he finds no trace of the missing money or the thief. To keep the growing discontent from endangering the ship, Clay enlists Able’s help in discovering the truth.

As the Titan ventures past numerous harbors, Clay has lookouts count the ships in the harbor. When combined with the tents and cooking equipment, it soon becomes evident that General Napoleon Bonaparte is amassing an enormous fleet. Clay immediately returns to report to the admiral to find that Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson has arrived with reinforcements. Clay joins his squadron and they set out to determine where the French plan to go. When Titan revisits the harbors, Clay discovers the French fleet has disappeared. It soon becomes a battle against time to find out where Bonaparte intends to launch his next invasion.

A Man of No Country is the fourth offering in the Alexander Clay series. The eye-opening prologue is a powerful and horrifying depiction of a Barbary pirate attack, where the merchant captain warns his young son that should he be captured, he must join the pirates in order to survive, but his request comes at an excruciatingly high price. Discovering the identity of the thief proves to be a challenging mystery for the reader. We also learn more about Able’s traumatic and chilling journey from Africa to the Caribbean. A bit of humor is inserted into scenes where Clay meets Lady Emma Hamilton, and Allan does a fabulous job in making the reader experience Clay’s awkwardness and discomfort at becoming prey to her feminine wiles. There is also a daring sea rescue in the midst of a terrible gale. All the adventures lead up to the stunning and breathless sea battle between the Royal and French Navies that history knows as the Battle of the Nile.




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For God and Glory: Lord Nelson and His Way of War by Joel S.A. Hayward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A hero and legend in his own time, Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson is still remembered and honored long after his tragic death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He was born in 1758, joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman at the age of twelve, and was promoted to lieutenant six years later. He was noted for his ability to think outside the box, especially when it came to tactics and fighting at sea, long before that phrase came into use. He was deeply devoted to God and his country, and he sacrificed an eye, an arm, and ultimately his life to safeguard his homeland from a man he considered “like Satan,” “a man of blood,” and a “despoiler of the weak” – Napoleon. (1)

The reader might ask why we need another biography of this illustrious man, but Hayward poses a different question in his preface: Is Nelson relevant today? Actually, this is but the first of many questions that he asks in light of modern warfare and technology. We may change how we fight out enemies, but the basic nature of warfare remains the same. In light of this, Hayward’s goal is “to analyze Lord Nelson’s fascinating and influential life, with particular focus on his style of warfare and the passions, ideas, beliefs, and behavioral patterns that created and shaped that style, via a thematic approach.” (xiii-xiv) This allows readers to coherently view Hayward’s analysis of “Horatio Nelson’s warfighting style, one that was unique to him and made him a great leader and England’s most brilliant admiral.” (1)

He begins by summarizing Nelson’s life and achievements in the introduction. In the subsequent six chapters, Hayward shares snippets from the admiral’s own writings, as well as those of his colleagues.

“Nelson’s Conception of His Enemies” is the focus of the first chapter. Nelson demonstrated particular animus toward all things and people of France. This wasn’t true initially, nor was it how he viewed whatever enemy he faced, such as the Americans during their war for independence. Why was this, how did it affect him, and what role did this hatred play in the way he fought to achieve victory?

Chapter two examines “The Admiral’s Spiritual Beliefs.” That Nelson was profoundly religious isn’t surprising, given that his father was a clergyman, as were other members of his family, and religion was an integral part of his studies and upbringing. His faith, when coupled with his duty to king and country, helped him to overcome his physical disabilities. Nelson was prideful, ruthless when engaging the enemy, and an adulterer – sinfulness in the eyes of the Lord. In spite of these frailties, he remained ever faithful in his belief. Hayward explores how Nelson made sense of the world and his role in the struggle between England and France, as well as how he reconciled his shortcomings and his religiosity. Hayward also looks at how others viewed these opposing facets.

The next chapter examines Nelson’s “Command, Leadership, and Management.” The officers and men who served under Nelson were totally devoted to him. He earned their trust, inspired them to be better than they were, and cared about them. How did he achieve this and how was he able to master all three aspects of leadership in times of war?

According to the United States Marine Corps, Maneuver Warfare is “a warfighting philosophy that seeks to shatter the enemy’s cohesion through a variety of rapid, focused, and unexpected actions which create a turbulent and rapidly deteriorating situation with which the enemy cannot cope.” (100) This definition is shared so readers unfamiliar with the concept, which didn’t exist in Nelson’s time period, will understand the subject of the book’s fourth chapter: “Nelson’s Warfighting Style and Maneuver Warfare.” Hayward uses the fleet battle at Aboukir Bay in 1798 to showcase how Nelson’s style resembles this modern concept. Also included is an enlightening discussion of just what “annihilation” meant in the past.

Not all battles that the navy wages take place at sea, and the same was true in Nelson’s time. Chapter five, “Nelson and War on Land,” examines whether Nelson understood that sea-fighting strategies and tactics did not translate well to actions on land, and whether he was able to adapt his art of warfare to counter these differences. If he did so, was he successful? Hayward contrasts a siege in which Nelson participated in early in his career while in the Caribbean, with those that took place on Corsica.

The final chapter explores “Coalition Warfare.” Britain did not fight alone in the wars to defeat Napoleon, even though the country shouldered the brunt of the cost, fighting, and sacrifices. As an admiral, Nelson also had to work with other nations’ navies and their officers. In this particular case, the focus is on Nelson during the Second Coalition, which lasted from 1798 to 1801, and the effectiveness of his leadership as coalition fleet commander when he had to work with Neapolitan and Portuguese squadrons and the navies of Russia and Turkey.

For God and Glory is a fascinating analysis of Nelson and his effectiveness during the Napoleonic wars. Instead of being blinded by hero worship, Hayward writes a compelling and unbiased account of a man who was deeply religious, was aware of his human weaknesses – even if he didn’t always conquer them – and was a masterful strategist and tactician at sea when his country needed him most. His loyalty was such that he willingly sacrificed himself to safeguard what he held dear, and the concern for his men and love of country, in turn, inspired others.

One might think this would be a dry or pedantic analysis; in actuality, it is a compelling, well-crafted, and fascinating study of Nelson, the man. While primarily geared toward students of military history and warfare, as well as readers passionate about this time period and/or Vice Admiral Lord Nelson, novelists will find this analysis enlightening because it is also a comprehensive character study of the traits, both good and bad, of a convincing hero.




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