Powder Monkey

Fox #5

by Adam Hardy

(aka SAILOR'S BLOOD)George Abercrombie Fox decided, not particularly rationally and not at all calmly, that he would first shoot the Master-at-Arms and cut off his head and boil it, would string up the cook and all the bosun's mates he could lay hands on, would in various gory and unbecoming ways dispose of most of the other petty officers, and then would set fire to the ship and dance about in glee as she burned to the waterline and sank.Fox wasn't much concerned about anybody aboard this King's ship. If anyone did manage to escape his imagined attack long enough to attempt to swim ashore, Fox would push him under. His attitude was understandable, for he was still angered and aching from a whipping. He was only eleven years old and a powder monkey, one of the lowest forms of life afloat. Such was the beginning of Fox's career in the Royal Navy.In a short time, however, he would rise through the ranks. He would survive the brutality of bigger men and demanding officers. He would acquit himself bravely amidst the crashing chaos of cannonfire and hand-to-hand combat. He would battle the French, the Spanish, the Americans ... any enemy who dared to risk his wake.He would become the toughest bastard who ever walked the rolling deck of a fighting ship!Adam Hardy was a pen name used by Kenneth Bulmer (1921-2005). A prolific writer, Bulmer wrote over 160 novels and innumerable short stories, both under his real name and various pen names. He is best known for science fiction, including his long-running Dray Prescot series of planetary romances, but he wrote in many genres.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Naval History

137 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Adam Hardy is a pseudonym used by Kenneth Bulmer (1921-2005).

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling tale from the lower deck, April 4, 2017

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This review is from: Powder Monkey (Fox Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

Powder Monkey is the first of fourteen volumes chronicling the career of "low born" George Abercrombie Fox as he claws his way from poverty and oppression to the quarter deck in the Royal Navy. Kenneth Bulmer, writing as Adam Hardy, does not spare the reader the harsh circumstances of the lives of the downtrodden English lower classes or the miserable life of a ship's boy in the Royal Navy. Most readers will cheer Fox on as he deals with his tormentors. This short volume puts Fox and the ship's company in the midst of the American Revolution and the French intervention on the side of the colonists.

This is a well written, exciting tale as one would expect from prolific British author Kenneth Bulmer who is best known for his science fiction. He wrote the long running Dray Prescott sci-fi series under the pen name Alan Burt Akers, later using the name of the main character, Prescott. His additional pen names include work written under house names used by more than one author. Under his pseudonyms and his own name, he wrote more than 160 books and numerous short stories, mostly sci-fi and historical fiction. He was also a ghost writer for Barry Sadler of Green Beret and Casca fame.

[Ernest Godfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure

A ripping yarn an adventure a real good old fashioned proper tale of derring do. The stuff of boys own to stir to stir the blood. Every man would like to be a boy again just to do this. Ok so in real life we would all be dead but that's the point its not real life its an adventure. Written with such realism you can taste the salt smoke and blood, proper grand.

[James Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Bad - Decent Read

Taking a young boy, putting him on a British ship and developing a story around his experiences isn't a new idea - see Horatio Hornblower or Jack Aubrey - so I debated reading this book. However I decided to take a chance and found I was enjoying following the young boy from squalid streets to being a ship's boy on a British ship of war.

[Steveschanback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technical detail with action and plot.

A good book to skipabus through. Ruthless boy becoming a man by violence and brains. The stuff of a graphic comic.

[Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most lovers of Age of Sail naval fiction have never even heard of this fourteen-book series. Some may have come across one or two paperback titles at a used-book sale. In the entire world, according to OCLC’s WorldCat database, most of the books have three or fewer copies scattered among every public library in the world. Although actually written by Kenneth Bulmer, under one of his many pseudonyms, the books never received any critical acclaim. One reason for this lack of praise is the length of each book, at only 118 to 160 pages each.

Most likely, it is a result of the main character’s fictional pedigree and uncouth behavior. Despised by most of the senior and wardroom officers George Fox encounters, he is clearly not Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey or Alexander Kent’s Richard Bolitho. Although Fox comes through the hawsehole to the quarterdeck he is, if anything, the antithesis of Julian Stockwin’s Thomas Kydd. Instead of meeting The Admiral’s Daughter (Kydd Sea Adventures, book 8), Fox has an illicit affair with the Captain’s wife (Prize Money, book 3) who’s living aboard their ship!

But one thing that’s clear from the onset is that every book in this series is a great read. If you like action you, won’t be disappointed because Fox is a fighter! Whether he’s bullied as a Powder Monkey or commanding from the quarterdeck, he is as brilliant a tactician as he is when aiming or commanding the great guns, or repelling boarders with unrivalled intensity.

He starts life by being born in the gutter when the excitement surrounding his uncle Abercrombie’s hanging becomes too much for his mother. Hence his fancy middle name. He is raised as a Thames marsh boy, learning to hunt birds using a pebble in a sling. With too many children to raise and not enough work, Fox is sent to live with Uncle Ebeneezer and hears his stories of being in the Royal Navy and earning “prize money.” Soon Fox realizes joining the Royal Navy offers him the best chance to help his family to survive.

As a Powder Monkey he is given the worst jobs, ordered about by anyone on the lower deck, and bullied by the Midshipmen, especially the one who is a member of the nobility. The only way Fox has to end this harassment, as well as the rough life everyone has while serving on the lower deck, is to advance all the way to the quarterdeck. He despises all gentlemen and isn’t interested in emulating them, but that isn’t going to stop him from achieving his goal.

In spite of his origins, he is smart and has an excellent memory. He learns everything about his ship and tries to be the best at his duties. But he comes to understand that none of this matters without “interest.”

His opportunity for patronage comes when he saves the life of another ship’s Captain. That Captain has Fox transferred to his own ship where Fox becomes a Midshipman and later passes the test to become a commissioned Lieutenant. Shortly afterwards his Captain dies in battle and Fox loses the only “interest” he has.

With his country at war he stays employed. Magnificent in battle, he never receives the credit he deserves, which is the only way he will ever be advanced to Post-Captain. Achieving that promotion will drastically increase his share of the prize money for his family.

His career places him in a number of battles, including single-ship actions and fleet battles. He is also with Sir William Sidney Smith at the Siege of Acre, which costs Napoleon so many lives and months that the French never invade the Ottoman Empire or India.

Now Amazon has made the entire series available in correct chronological order for $7.99 each in paperback or $2.99 each on Kindle. So if you’re looking for much more intense and realistic action sequences, and won’t really miss reading the daily life details that add hundreds of pages to other nautical fiction books, Fox is ready to lead you into battle!

Just look at these titles if you’re still not convinced there’s enough action packed into less than 200 pages:

1. Powder Monkey
2. Press Gang
3. Prize Money
4. Siege
5. Treasure Map (sometimes entitled Treasure)
6. Blood for Breakfast
7. Court Martial
8. Battle Smoke
9. Cut and Thrust
10. Boarders Away
11. Fireship
12. Blood Beach
13. Sea Flame
14. Close Quarters

Book review Copyrighted © 2016 by Irwin Bryan
Pirates & Privateers www.cindyvallar.com/pirates.html

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although written fifth in the series, this is the first story in order of the life of George Abercrombie Fox, and really should be read first. It tells of his birth during the hanging of his namesake uncle for highway robbery, his mother lying in a gutter while his uncle died.

Fox lives a rough and tumble life on the streets as London poor, with parents trying to raise him as best they can and the streets trying to grind him down. Over the years he learns to take care of himself, but also to keep his eyes open and learn from what he experiences.

The Fox series of sea novels stands out in several key ways, mostly because Fox is not a gentleman, not a fine person, and he starts out at the absolute bottom of the ladder, working as a ships boy even younger than the midshipmen. There he learns about the life of a ship, battles to defend himself from bullies, and even deals with a pederast.

Fox starts out just interested in prize money, but begins to plan on being an officer, even a captain, and here his career in the navy begins. He's clever, he's inventive, he's driven, and he's ruthless, and all of that works well for him despite the many hardships he faces.

Like all the series, the book is fairly short, more a novelette than a full novel, and rips along at a nice pace while covering quite a bit of ground. Its more gritty and brutal than most sea series, with the protagonist anything but a gentleman and more than willing to kill if he needs to. He's often heartless and brutal, but shows a caring side as well, and is fiercely loyal.

Overall, a great read like all the series and worth looking into.

[Ellen McNerney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time well spent

A good fun read, not in a class with Forrester or O'Brien but still worth the time. Teens might enjoy.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guttersnipe to officer!

Excellent yarn of naval happenings in the Revolutionary era in the British navy. Great characters, good action with an excellent storyline!

[David F Kneeskern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read.

For anyone who appreciates a sea tale, and naval adventure in the age of sail. I will read more of the series.

[Richard Heggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good start to the series. Fox from 8 to 13 - and now a captain has taken an interest in him, his career can progress.