Beyond the Reef

Richard Bolitho #21

by Alexander Kent

Beyond The Reef - Richard Bolitho Novels, No. 19

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Nautical, Historical, War, Adventure, Military Fiction

350 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 1992

About the author

A pseudonym used by Douglas Reeman.

Series:
* Richard Bolitho
* Adam Bolitho

Reviews

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great British sea story. And what a great leadership example is Richard Bolitho. Up and coming military leaders should read the series. His grasp of tactics and strategy is amazing and his concern and care for his men is not matched. How Reeman comes up with new plots is beyond me. Only 9 books to go in the series. I will be sad to finish the series. Am sending these books to the Marine Military Academy library in Texas.

[Viva · Rating 1 out of 5]

I dnf'd this one in disgust and that's it for me for the series. Somehow Kent decided that readers of naval historical fiction would also love historical romance. I don't. I can tolerate it but not badly written ones such as what Kent has done.

Spoilers below:
I enjoyed the early books in the series but then Kent decided to make romance a major subplot. Even worse, he drew almost all the major supporting characters into romance plots as well. All the romance subplots feel poorly written, feel manufactured and lack chemistry. All the female characters are lovely and beautiful and we are all supposed to sympathize with them. I don't.

This is where I drew the line: Adam Bolitho (the nephew) goes into an inn where two civilians are gossiping about either his uncle or him (both are in affairs). Adam throws a mug of poopy water in the face of one of them and challenges him to a duel to kill him. We are supposed to feel for Adam but where in the world is it ok to assault and try to kill someone for gossiping? And Adam is a adulterer, of a captain that he admires.

OK, I mean if that's part of the plot, then that's part of the plot but Kent has the gall to think that readers would actually be on the side of the Bolithos. It's not a crime to gossip, even bad gossip and it definitely shouldn't be a death sentence.

Fact is, the cringy hero worship, or more factually, the poorly written hero worship has turned me against the writing of this series. CS Forester is ten times the writer Kent is. I'm surprised I made it this far in the series. Kent should have stuck to what he did best: write naval historical fiction about sailing and fighting. Don't try to manufacture drama and don't try to make these books more than what they are. And leave the cheesy romance to Barbara Cartland.

[Xan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mejor que los anteriores pero lejos de la maestría de las primeras entregas. Se nota que se acerca el final de la saga y se prepara la despedida de algunos personajes.

[Chris Purser · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was going to be a lot better than it turned out.
Hornblower, it is not.

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed. It was more a soap opera than a Bolitho adventure.

[Doug Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

les good

The books with our hero it has an admiral just aren’t as good as the earlier ones used to be

[Topher · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started reading these it was about the crew of ships, as seen through the eyes of a young officer. With time, he gets promoted, and promoted again and again, until there has to be more to it to reflect his new responsibilities. There is politics, there is romance. There is, in short, a bunch of stuff I didn't want to read in a Bolitho book... and that's okay. It's just not what I want. Based on this, I'm pretty sure that 1800s England basically required you to sleep with someone else's spouse, to destroy someone's career because you desire something of theirs, etc. And I'm just not here for that.

So, rather than continue to feel frustration every time I read one of these, I'm going to end here. Honestly, I should have stopped about 2/3 of the way through this one, when the title fit the book and Bolitho was either thought dead (an unexpected but still very appropriate way to go) or after his triumphant return. Looking ahead and at the wikipedia page, it seems like he's still got another 3 or 4 years from this book until he dies. Let me guess... he'll miss Kate and whine and moan about it, other men will be jealous of his relationship with her, society will continue to be scandalized by their relationship, Richard's wife will continue to be evil, Adam will keep raping Keen's wife until he's caught and there's a duel (and if you don't think it was rape, go back and re-read what happened after the first time), Miles will turn out to still be a crap human being after his experience being pressed, and there's no happily ever after for Allday with his inn-owner widow. That's my guess. And maybe everyone being miserable shits is period accurate, I don't know. I just miss the excitement and joy that a very decent human being Richard Bolitho had when he was younger.

There's like 4 more Richard books, and then another 4 or so Adam, and I just can't. So I'm going to stop now while I still feel fondly about the series, and maybe think about starting some other wooden sailing ship series in a year or so. Aubrey & Maturin would probably still be the incredibly obvious one, but we'll see.

[Jim Munden · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute drivel compared to many of the earlier Bolitho books. Nothing really happens but there are pages and pages of badly written and largely meaningless prose, with repetitive similes and word for word phrases. Boringly repetitive reveries by most of the main characters remembering their lust and love for the women at home. Huge numbers of cast members, mentioned and named once and then never mentioned again. What's the point of it all? Certainly, I'm wondering what's the point of reading any more books in the Bolitho series? Time to move onto another author, methinks - perhaps go back to C S Forester to remind myself how good nautical stories can and should be, after Kent's increasingly disappointing ones!

[Caroline Walsh]

I have heard a lot about Alexander Kent and thought I would give him a go. This is part of a series of books about Richard Bolitho, an Admiral in the Royal Navy who is similar to Nelson being a hero. However he is also human, has a girlfriend when he is still married to a woman he married on the rebound. The sad thing is his daughter who suffers because of this however this is not the main part of the story. This story concentrates on Richard travelling to Gilbralter, surviving a mutiny by prisoners and then travelling to the Caribbean. A really good book if you want to learn about the Navy e.g. types of ships etc. Will definitely read a book from this series again.

[RhC · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrative of this installment transitions from action to adventure with an increase in disparate events, a bit of bad luck (or providence), and the occurrence of skulduggery from quarters expected and not set the path for a convergence that promises to be intense -- for a bunch of limeys!

Also, the romance seems to becoming more pervasive and its not all for the good.

Not the best in the series but definitely made me move the next book up in my reading queue!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books...a true picture of what it must have been like to be in the Royal Navy during the Napoleanic Wars. This book has non-stop action, start to finish, with intricate personal stories as well as naval battles. Bolitho, the hero, shows no fear to his men, although inwardly is afraid. He inspires loyalty, trust, envy, admiration, in his men, and jealousy and pettiness in his enemies.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok Bolitho books not one of the better ones. This finds mainly 2 storylines going on. In the initial one, he Catherine and Captain Keen are headed to take over the South African colony when they are forced to fight for their lives against pirates. The second story line involves him taking a short handed fleet to the Caribbean to hold off the French.

[Geoff Woodland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book number 21 (I think) just finished, having read it some years ago. It was OK, but it had less 'blood and guts' than the earlier books, but it was still entertaining.
The lack of blood & guts is the reason for the three stars, but again it might be my fault having read all of the Bolitho books in order in recent months, thanks to Covid . . . now for book 22 . . .The Darkening sea.

[Rocklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in this series by Alexander Kent are enjoyable historic fiction involving the british navy during the Napoleonic wars.

[David Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Steve Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reeally good yarn of the Napoleonic navaj wars. Can be fead as a stand alone novel. I had fogotten how good a writer Alexander Kent is. I found the book riviting. Recommended.

[Douglas Ginn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Great Read

This series of Bolitho books never disappoints, read this before a few years ago,but still enjoyed reading it once again

[Boulder Boulderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't say that I enjoyed this one at all to be honest. Very flat, almost entirely faffing about, and then a brief and confused fight at the end. Very disappointing.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alexander Kent rights well about naval battles. I found this novel too fragmented, as though he was using it to link in with other books in the series. The shipwreck and time on the raft in the centre of the book could have made a good novel if expanded on the lines of the Raft of the Medusa.

[Bob Alexander]

Good book, but some of the sea battles are a bit repetitious. I enjoy the weaving in of characters from previous books.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good as always.

[Lynn Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

usual good read from this author. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Kip Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Enjoyed

Much better than the previous book. Well written, fast paced and riveting. Looking forward to the next book. Keep it up.

[Charlie Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bolitho, Keen,Adam and Herrick

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, riveting read. I now need to read them all in chronological order!