Debatable Lands: The Sixteenth Carlisle & Holbrooke Naval Adventure

Carlisle & Holbrooke Naval Adventures #16

by Chris Durbin

When Spain joined the Seven Years War on the side of France, one of its aims was to conquer Britain’s ally, Portugal. They launched three separate land invasions, each of them ultimately unsuccessful, but each a deadly, existential threat to their neighbour. Portugal, meanwhile, was determined to hit back at Spain’s sprawling colonial empire, and the Debatable Lands between Brazil and the River Plate Estuary offered a tempting target. Finding themselves short of ships, the Portuguese government contracted a London company of merchant adventurers to provide two large privateers as the naval element of the expedition.
In September 1762 George Holbrooke, in his frigate Argonaut, is sent on a six-thousand-mile voyage to assist the Anglo-Portuguese expedition. However, Argonaut is not the only man-of-war heading for the River Plate. He finds a familiar adversary already there, eager to settle old scores. The scene is set for a final battle and the winner will be the captain who can best exploit the shifting sandbanks of this shallow estuary.
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This sixteenth novel concludes the Seven Years War series. The Carlisle and Holbrooke naval adventures will continue as Britain and her American colonies set out on diverging paths with different visions of the future.

333 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2024

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Chris Durbin - Historical Fiction, History

Reviews

[William Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story set in a location little known in the Seven Years War

One senses the author enjoys building the story and shares that pleasure. The maps are a great help in following the events. The stress on the British and Spanish captains’s loneliness and stress has elements of The Caine Mutiny.

[Elle Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seafaring check mate in South American waters

An excellent tale of strategy and the importance of navigating the shoals of the River Plate amidst the political intrigue of the Seven Year War between Spain, France and Great Britain. Author Durbin develops his characters well and provides great insights into the weight of Command on both sides of the war.

[Phillip Mclaughlin]

Whenever a new title in this series appears, I stop whatever I am reading and start to read until finished.
Now that the reader has finished the seven years war, this little action in the south Atlantic is bitter sweet.
A truly good read.

[John Rosenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent adventure. I really appreciate the detailed ship handling and navigation descriptions, as well as the detailed strategy and tactic discussions and decisions. A very realistic a believable account of 18th century RN life.

[H. Ted Buehring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading & excellent historical fiction

This book like all the others in this series is so well researched and written, that you feel like you are on the deck standing beside Captain Holbrook. I look forward to reading the up coming books in this series.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great age of sail series

I have read all 16 of the books and I am looking forward to reading more. The end of the 7 year war should give us some interesting new times

[Dwight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geography lesson

Great detail kept map Reading. The story had the same intensity that I have enjoyed in previous books. I would like to see more.

[Jim Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Seven Years War ends and all go ashore.
This series stays interesting, and the characters have evolved nicely. It is promised to continue through the years leading up to the Revolutionary War.