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Jon Hunt #8
Formidable
This is the eighth book in the 'Jon Hunt' series based on the Royal Navy and events of recent years.
HMS Formidable is the Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier. Captain Jonathon Hunt has been given command. He has the uphill struggle of getting a new and untried machine of war into service and then is almost immediately faced with a major crisis. A massive mineral discovery in a small African republic has led to a potential confrontation. With both Navy and Air Force Harriers embarked, Jon and his new ship are the only hope for a group of innocent hostages.
Not an Amazon review but a comment on the series from the Author's Facebook 'I stumbled onto them on Amazon looking for something else and read the lot in a couple of weeks! They're bloody brilliant!'
HMS Formidable is the Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier. Captain Jonathon Hunt has been given command. He has the uphill struggle of getting a new and untried machine of war into service and then is almost immediately faced with a major crisis. A massive mineral discovery in a small African republic has led to a potential confrontation. With both Navy and Air Force Harriers embarked, Jon and his new ship are the only hope for a group of innocent hostages.
Not an Amazon review but a comment on the series from the Author's Facebook 'I stumbled onto them on Amazon looking for something else and read the lot in a couple of weeks! They're bloody brilliant!'
Audible Audio
Published September 3, 2025
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About the author
Larry Jeram-Croft
41 books11 followersBest selling author, Larry Jeram-Croft spent thirty years in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot and engineer. He then worked in industry for seven years before retiring. When he retired, he and his wife bought a yacht and went to live in the Caribbean. It was this experience that led to the idea for his 'Jacaranda trilogy'. The novels are based on true events in the West indies of Nelson's time and provide thrilling and exciting stories for all who love the sea and sailing. Brought up on the books of C S Forester and Patrick O'Brian he was surprised that no one was writing similar stories about the modern Royal Navy, especially with so much going on in previous decades. As he was himself a Lynx helicopter pilot during the Falklands War, he decided to start there, using his own extensive knowledge of the conflict. 'Sea Skimmer' was the result; a book based on many true stories, the main one being why the Argentinian Exocet missiles failed to explode. Directly involved in anti Exocet countermeasures and also with a grandstand seat of the final Exocet raid of the war, the book, although a novel, has an authenticity that cannot be bettered. More books have followed. The latest 'Diamant' is a historical novel set in 1805 about the Royal Navy setting up a garrison on Diamond Rock off Martinique an exercise that almost brought Nelson and the French together well before Trafalgar.
In addition to his fiction, last year he published his first non- fiction work, an operational history of the RN Lynx helicopter. Another about the RN Wasp helicopter is due out this year.
Larry now lives in Martock, Somerset and spends most of his time writing and playing golf extraordinarily badly.
You can keep up to date on his blog at: http://sowethereyet.blogspot.co.uk/
In addition to his fiction, last year he published his first non- fiction work, an operational history of the RN Lynx helicopter. Another about the RN Wasp helicopter is due out this year.
Larry now lives in Martock, Somerset and spends most of his time writing and playing golf extraordinarily badly.
You can keep up to date on his blog at: http://sowethereyet.blogspot.co.uk/
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 13, 2021
In the eighth instalment in the career of Jon Hunt, he is now a Captain, and has been given command of the newly built HMS Formidable. Hunt is to get the ship ready for commissioning and attempt to shed it of the tag ‘unlucky’.
A large portion of the book is taken up with getting the ship ready, rather than the actual fight, and for that this is a bit of a disappointment. There are drills, trials and numerous mishaps that, although apparently based on facts, seem a bit too much of a stretch coming one after the other within the space of a few weeks. I realise the author is a RN veteran and I am not questioning the accuracy – just the relentlessness of them.
In the background, Hunt’s old MI6 colleague Rupert Thomas, now chained to a desk job, stumbles across a possible situation in a fictional, mineral rich African country. There is a bit of Chinese involvement, and Hunt finds himself and his new ship sailing to the African coast, his ship overloaded with a combination of Royal Navy Sea Harriers and RAF ground attack versions, and he is thrust into what may become a major situation, with the Chinese seemingly pulling the strings.
Overall this was one of the weaker books to be honest. There was just too much setup, training and the like and not enough of the actual story – a quick helicopter mission, then a very short action, everything done and dusted, and the ship is heading home. I realise given only a three combat-ship task force there is not much scope for a long engagement, but it all seemed to be a bit too smooth and quick. A bit less setup and another fifty pages action would have been better.
A large portion of the book is taken up with getting the ship ready, rather than the actual fight, and for that this is a bit of a disappointment. There are drills, trials and numerous mishaps that, although apparently based on facts, seem a bit too much of a stretch coming one after the other within the space of a few weeks. I realise the author is a RN veteran and I am not questioning the accuracy – just the relentlessness of them.
In the background, Hunt’s old MI6 colleague Rupert Thomas, now chained to a desk job, stumbles across a possible situation in a fictional, mineral rich African country. There is a bit of Chinese involvement, and Hunt finds himself and his new ship sailing to the African coast, his ship overloaded with a combination of Royal Navy Sea Harriers and RAF ground attack versions, and he is thrust into what may become a major situation, with the Chinese seemingly pulling the strings.
Overall this was one of the weaker books to be honest. There was just too much setup, training and the like and not enough of the actual story – a quick helicopter mission, then a very short action, everything done and dusted, and the ship is heading home. I realise given only a three combat-ship task force there is not much scope for a long engagement, but it all seemed to be a bit too smooth and quick. A bit less setup and another fifty pages action would have been better.
May 9, 2018
As a point of interest Wales is not definitely not in england.
Because I enjoy these books (Jon hunt ) I won't say anymore about the Welsh mistake. There is a book about the boundaries of great Britain the author might like read.
Because I enjoy these books (Jon hunt ) I won't say anymore about the Welsh mistake. There is a book about the boundaries of great Britain the author might like read.
August 19, 2023
perilous rescue
Land and sea operations were exciting and well.paced. I agree that top leadership is of primary importance to the crew’s morale and effectiveness.
Land and sea operations were exciting and well.paced. I agree that top leadership is of primary importance to the crew’s morale and effectiveness.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews