What do you think?
Rate this book
Reluctant Adventures of Lieutenant Martin Jerrold #2
The Chains of Albion
July 1806. Commanding a prison hulk full of French captives, Lieutenant Martin Jerrold thinks his war can't get much better. He's far away from the more life threatening aspects of naval service and he can keep his mistress close to hand. It all seems too good to last. And so it proves. When one of the prisoners goes missing, Jerrold's comfortable world is suddenly turned upside down. Ordered by the First Lord of the Admiralty to recapture the Frenchman at any cost, he finds himself racing across from the stinking marshes of Chatham to the wilds of Dartmoor and the fashionable resort of Brighton. But what makes this prisoner so damned important? At the Post Office, Jerrold's old friend Mr Nevell is curious; so too are politicians from either side, including the cunning Tory leader Spencer Perceval. Even the seductive Princess Caroline takes an unexpected interest. As Jerrold - dogged by his usual bad timing, bad luck and bad behaviour - closes in on his elusive quarry, he uncovers a devilish web of treachery and deceit stretching back twenty years and ensnaring the most exalted members of society. And in hot pursuit are those who will stop at nothing to stop him...
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2004
1 person is currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Edwin Thomas
16 books10 followersAka Tom Harper
Edwin Thomas grew up in West Germany, Belgium and America before returning to England to study history at Lincoln College, Oxford. His conclusion to the short story 'Death by the Invisible Hand' was published in The Economist in 1997, and the first chapter of The Blighted Cliffs was runner-up in the 2001 Crime Writers' Association Début Dagger Award for new fiction. The first two installments of the adventures of Martin Jerrold, The Blighted Cliffs and The Chains of Albion, are available in Bantam paperback.
Edwin Thomas grew up in West Germany, Belgium and America before returning to England to study history at Lincoln College, Oxford. His conclusion to the short story 'Death by the Invisible Hand' was published in The Economist in 1997, and the first chapter of The Blighted Cliffs was runner-up in the 2001 Crime Writers' Association Début Dagger Award for new fiction. The first two installments of the adventures of Martin Jerrold, The Blighted Cliffs and The Chains of Albion, are available in Bantam paperback.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 23, 2022
**Should Read as 4.5 Stars!**
Read this book in 2005, and its the 2nd part of the "Martin Jerrold" series.
Its July, AD 1806, and Martin Jerrold, far from the actual battles, storm and disagreeable elements of naval life, is Commanding the prison-hulk in the Medway guarding French prisoners.
When one of these Frenchmen, Dumont, goes missing, Jerrold is summoned by the First Lord of the Admiralty in London and told in a most pressing manner that this Frenchman must be recaptured as soon as possible.
This pursuit will take Jerrold all over England, from the slums of London to the stinking marches of Chatham, from the wilds of Dartmoor to the seaside port of Brighton.
This Frenchman has information that goes back twenty years and can damage the Government, because not only the Whig Government wants the man back in imprisonment and silenced, but also the Tory opposition, while also the seductive Princess Caroline has an unexpected interest in this man and case.
What is to follow is an astonishing naval adventure, where intrigue, deceit and treachery will play a major part in this wonderful told story of England in uproar, and where this secret from this Frenchman, Dumont, can bring disgrace to both societies on both sides of the channel.
Highly recommended, for this is a terrific addition to this wonderful series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Excellent Chains Of Albion"!
Read this book in 2005, and its the 2nd part of the "Martin Jerrold" series.
Its July, AD 1806, and Martin Jerrold, far from the actual battles, storm and disagreeable elements of naval life, is Commanding the prison-hulk in the Medway guarding French prisoners.
When one of these Frenchmen, Dumont, goes missing, Jerrold is summoned by the First Lord of the Admiralty in London and told in a most pressing manner that this Frenchman must be recaptured as soon as possible.
This pursuit will take Jerrold all over England, from the slums of London to the stinking marches of Chatham, from the wilds of Dartmoor to the seaside port of Brighton.
This Frenchman has information that goes back twenty years and can damage the Government, because not only the Whig Government wants the man back in imprisonment and silenced, but also the Tory opposition, while also the seductive Princess Caroline has an unexpected interest in this man and case.
What is to follow is an astonishing naval adventure, where intrigue, deceit and treachery will play a major part in this wonderful told story of England in uproar, and where this secret from this Frenchman, Dumont, can bring disgrace to both societies on both sides of the channel.
Highly recommended, for this is a terrific addition to this wonderful series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Excellent Chains Of Albion"!
September 19, 2017
Have you ever read a book with such clumsy plotting and poorly crafted characters that you were incapable of suspending disbelief? That's what it's like to read this book. The author bludgeons you over the head with one unrealistic scenario after another and hopes no one will notice.
A more skilled author might have used dramatic irony to justify the most conspicuous contrivances that escaped the protagonist's attention but were blatantly obvious to the reader. Instead, the reader was expected to be just as unobservant and obtuse as the protagonist, undermining my ability to sympathize with the character and immerse myself in the story.
No characters questioned mischievous behavior, subordinate crewmen never found reasons to inform their superiors of suspicious events and if they did it's brushed aside or forgotten, and the protagonist was entirely incapable of using deductive reasoning.
For instance, he doesn't question why or how a robbery aboard the prison hulk might correspond to the prisoner's escape, and is genuinely surprised to discover a correlation between the two. It's insulting to the reader's intelligence. I found myself rolling my eyes so often that I developed a migraine. The lack of realism eventually builds into a tsunami of contrivances, pinning the story under its own wreckage. I didn't even bother finishing the last few chapters. Quite frankly, life's too short to waste time on books of this caliber. If you're a forgiving reader who can overlook condescending writing, then you might find enjoyment out of it, especially if you're already a fan of the series. But if you're a more discriminate reader, this may strike you as particularly substandard.
A more skilled author might have used dramatic irony to justify the most conspicuous contrivances that escaped the protagonist's attention but were blatantly obvious to the reader. Instead, the reader was expected to be just as unobservant and obtuse as the protagonist, undermining my ability to sympathize with the character and immerse myself in the story.
No characters questioned mischievous behavior, subordinate crewmen never found reasons to inform their superiors of suspicious events and if they did it's brushed aside or forgotten, and the protagonist was entirely incapable of using deductive reasoning.
For instance, he doesn't question why or how a robbery aboard the prison hulk might correspond to the prisoner's escape, and is genuinely surprised to discover a correlation between the two. It's insulting to the reader's intelligence. I found myself rolling my eyes so often that I developed a migraine. The lack of realism eventually builds into a tsunami of contrivances, pinning the story under its own wreckage. I didn't even bother finishing the last few chapters. Quite frankly, life's too short to waste time on books of this caliber. If you're a forgiving reader who can overlook condescending writing, then you might find enjoyment out of it, especially if you're already a fan of the series. But if you're a more discriminate reader, this may strike you as particularly substandard.
August 6, 2025
From the moment I began reading The Chains of Albion, I became enraptured with the style and pace of writing. Almost immediately, as a reader, I felt I was in the hands of a writer well-versed in the craft. That was both comforting and reassuring.
The time is July 1806. The lead protagonist is Martin Jerrold, a Royal Navy officer in command of a prison ship full of French prisoners of war. The prison ship is a dismasted warship moored in the Thames in London, housing 800 men. Compared to the usual hazards of wartime life in the Navy, Jerrold has a safe, secure posting and is glad of it. Plus, he has a mistress, Isobel, who dotes on him and has an enchantingly childish zest for life that never fails to charm and engage Jerrold. How could life be any better?
But when one of the prisoners goes missing, Jerrold's life is turned upside down in an instant. His command is taken away from him and he is enjoined by a contemptuous cavalry officer (a Major Lebrett) to assist him in finding this prisoner, Dumont. A prisoner who, as the novel progresses, has a special value to both the Admiralty and the government. Jerrold is required to find Dumont at any cost. Otherwise his naval career will likely become forfeit. This leads to him going on a wild chase across England in pursuit of Dumont so as to prevent him securing passage on a smuggler's ship to France.
The chase itself proves to be highly dangerous and full of surprises, making The Chains of Albion one of the most delightful thrillers I've read in quite some time. I recommend it highly.
The time is July 1806. The lead protagonist is Martin Jerrold, a Royal Navy officer in command of a prison ship full of French prisoners of war. The prison ship is a dismasted warship moored in the Thames in London, housing 800 men. Compared to the usual hazards of wartime life in the Navy, Jerrold has a safe, secure posting and is glad of it. Plus, he has a mistress, Isobel, who dotes on him and has an enchantingly childish zest for life that never fails to charm and engage Jerrold. How could life be any better?
But when one of the prisoners goes missing, Jerrold's life is turned upside down in an instant. His command is taken away from him and he is enjoined by a contemptuous cavalry officer (a Major Lebrett) to assist him in finding this prisoner, Dumont. A prisoner who, as the novel progresses, has a special value to both the Admiralty and the government. Jerrold is required to find Dumont at any cost. Otherwise his naval career will likely become forfeit. This leads to him going on a wild chase across England in pursuit of Dumont so as to prevent him securing passage on a smuggler's ship to France.
The chase itself proves to be highly dangerous and full of surprises, making The Chains of Albion one of the most delightful thrillers I've read in quite some time. I recommend it highly.
October 24, 2020
I was sceptical of these books, because I generally find heroes who spend all their time resisting being part of the story tiresome, but Jerrold is likable and it works here. Honestly this one probably works better than the first in the series.
July 14, 2024
Action packed swashbuckling political adventure. Really glad I’ve found this trilogy.
March 6, 2014
This seems better - fingers crossed. A prison boat far from the action of war...
Narrator..................David Thorpe
Abr/Unabr...............Unabridged
Genre.......................Adventure
Source.....................9 CDs
Just a bit too light. Out of the two series, I prefer Flashman just a smidgeon more
Narrator..................David Thorpe
Abr/Unabr...............Unabridged
Genre.......................Adventure
Source.....................9 CDs
Just a bit too light. Out of the two series, I prefer Flashman just a smidgeon more
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2011
Good sequel to The blighted cliffs. Again, I just really enjoy Lt. Jerrold. Love his cowardice, his simplicity, his concern over his his heavy-handed uncloe. Who can't identify? Admittedly this isn't fine literature and not even high adventure, but it's a lot of fun. I look forward to the next installment.
March 25, 2012
It was fairly good for it to be the second book to complete
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews