The French Invasion

Merriman Chronicles #3

by Roger Burnage

Recalled home from the West Indies, Lieutenant James Merriman is promoted to the rank of Post Captain and given command of the frigate ‘Lord Stevenage.’ It is known that the French are amassing an army and a fleet to invade Ireland and join with Irish rebels. If it succeeds then England will be ringed by enemy countries under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte, and only the navy stands between France and England.


Once again Merriman is involved in the murky world of secret agents with English spymaster Mr Grahame, a man he knows well, to find out what they can about the French plans in Ireland where Merriman’s old enemy Moreau, a French agent, appears once more. This is a rousing story about murder, fights with the French at sea and ashore with the background of the real French invasion of Ireland which was attempted but failed.

ebook

First published October 2, 2013

About the author

Roger Burnage had an eventful life that ultimately led him to pursue his passion for writing. Born and raised in the village of Lymm, Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom, he embarked on a journey of adventure and self-discovery.

Roger's life took an intriguing turn when he served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during his national service. He was stationed in Ceylon, which is now known as Sri Lanka, where he worked as a radio mechanic, handling large transmitters.

After his release from the RAF, Roger went on to work as a draughtsman at Vickers in Manchester. Through dedication and hard work, he eventually climbed the ranks to become a sales engineer. His job involved traveling abroad to places like Scandinavia and India, which exposed him to new cultures and experiences.

It was during this period that Roger Burnage stumbled upon the Hornblower novels by C. S. Forester. The captivating tales of naval adventures ignited a spark of interest in the historical fiction genre within him
Eventually, Roger settled in North Wales, where he focused on building a business and raising a family. Throughout his professional and personal life, the desire to write for himself never waned. However, it wasn't until retirement that he finally had the time and opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming an author.

Despite facing initial challenges and enduring multiple rejections from publishers and agents, Roger persevered. He refused to give up on his writing aspirations. Even when he underwent open-heart surgery and had an operation for a brain haemorrhage, he continued to work diligently on his craft. Typing away with only two fingers for months on end, he crafted "The Merriman Chronicles."

In 2012, with the support of his youngest son, Robin, Roger self-published his debut novel, "A Certain Threat," on Amazon KDP, making it available in both paperback and Kindle formats. His determination and talent began to bear fruit, as his fan base grew, and book sales remained strong.

Despite facing health challenges, Roger's creativity and passion for writing remained steadfast. He had many ideas for the future of "The Merriman Chronicles" series and left several unfinished manuscripts at various stages of development

Unfortunately, Roger Burnage's life journey came to an end in December 2015, following a short illness. However, his legacy lives on through his writing, and the adventures of The Merriman family will be continued.

Reviews

[John Fockler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth continuing

The field of Age of Sail naval fiction has been filling up lately, because the background lends itself so well to adventure stories. Mr. Burnage's effort here is a readable addition to the field. He doesn't go into the minute details of ship handling as other writers do, but his continuing characters are strong, his sense of the historical era is sharp, his plots are taut and spare, and the end result is pleasing. I've enjoyed the first three entries, and expect to purchase the fourth shortly.

[Phillip Mclaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

another attempted French invasion of Ireland

A really well done age of fighting sail series.
As the third installment of Merriman, this book adds some new characters and fleshes out others.
Must say the nautical pictures in this series are superior to others writing in the genre.
Highly recommend.

[Jan Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually read (a lot) before going to sleep. Despite some of the comments on accuracy, this is historical fiction and I take it exactly that way. Swashbuckling, storms, shipwrecks, broadsides (no, not the Adnams variety), Revolution, Napoleon and even a light touch of bodice ripping - no wonder my sleep is reality free. I am on book 4 and, compared to another author in this genre whose series I read earlier, I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written adventure. Maybe I am harking back to my Boys Own or Hardy Boys environment, but this is an adult version of fiction based on history and sailing facts, I love it.

[Steven Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third book of the Merriman Chronicles is the best so far! Not sure exactly why that is, possibly it benefits from the historical background: the invasion of Ireland by a fleet and army commanded by General Hoche actually took place, in 1796, even though it seems a little crazy to me, but truth is stranger than fiction. The action is very fast with an eventful plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Cdr. Merriman is recalled to Portsmouth where he is promoted to post captain and appointed to command a frigate that he renames for Lord Stevenage, his Admiralty patron. He's been requested by his Treasury sponsor, Mr. Grahame, who has received intelligence of the French plan. The frigate is refitted in a hurry and sets out for the southwest part of Ireland where he arrives just in time to find elements of the French fleet. Details of the topography seem accurate and the naval action is exciting and authentic. There's a landing by the French (premature because they are in danger from heavy weather even in a partly sheltered river); Merriman guesses by studying the chart that the landing must happen in one of two places; he picks the wrong one but a small part of the French force does too, after many days of rain and fog, certainly a believable sequence of events. They fight it out on land and the sequence of events there is equally riveting. His opponent from a previous book, the spy Monsieur Moreau, is there too representing the Revolutionary government.

The book includes romance and a double wedding that's almost as good as the one in Pride and Prejudice. Also, a disaffected man in Merriman's crew nearly ruins the whole operation -- I think this episode might be coming it a trifle high but it certainly adds suspense and excitement. The many threads of the narrative are neatly pulled together in the very satisfying ending, as if the author was planning for the series to end here, but it doesn't. I wonder what he'll do for an encore?

Even though I gave the book 5 stars, it's still a mystery to me why the French thought an invasion of Ireland would help them. One of the characters says England would be "surrounded" by enemies if the French got a foothold on Ireland, but in reality, the island has few natural resources and a damp, cold climate without even any shipbuilding wood. I think that even had the expedition succeeded and left France in control of the island, it would have been a drain on their resources ever after, demanding sea resupply and a big naval and merchant marine commitment for little in the way of rewards. I don't get it but the answer to this argument is that it actually happened, and more than once during the Napoleonic period! It's unusual that a novel leads the reader to think more about strategy.

[Louie Halfacre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Royal Navy

This was a very average read. I read the 1st book in this series and decided to possibly read all the books in this naval adventure. After reading this 2nd book I came to a quick decision not to. One of the reasons why was the Midshipmen problem of discipline. I have read many seafaring novels and know that the Captain of the ship can unmake a midshipman as fast as he can make one. Any disrespect towards the Captain will result in immediate dismissal and reduced to ordinary seaman. This one showed numerous slights and complete disregard for the Captain. He strikes the officer down from behind and kills his Coxswain and what punishment does he receive, OMG he is to be sent to the penal colony for life. This was because of his fathers service and he was an Earl. Things of this nature are hard for any knowledgeable reader to believe. I would not recommend this to any reader of Regency era Naval action. Read a Hornblower novel or look up an Andrew Wareham Naval book to read, it will be more enjoyable for you.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sailing ship adventure?

I enjoy sailing ship stories. However, this one seemed to have much other unneeded and unwanted verbiage.

[David Rubin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second of the series of Captain Merriman books where the action takes place during the Napoleonic Wars and specifically in Western England and Ireland. Here the French are attempting to invade Ireland and profit from the anti-English sentiment there and thereby opening up a Western front in its war with Britain. While the stories do move along, there is little suspense and the "good guys" always prevail. The British are smart, cunning, and handsome while the French are under-trained, poorly equipped,and are generally morally inferior to the Brits. The French only are given their due, in individual cases, where they turn traitor to their cause and help the British Navy.