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Isaac Biddlecomb #3
The Continental Risque
The third enthralling instalment of the Revolution at Sea series
A powerful maritime adventure in the epic, true-to-life tradition of Patrick O'Brian.
In the winter of 1776, a decade of simmering tensions finally comes to the boil. The rebel government of Philadelphia, determined to cast off the chains of British tyranny, has authorised the creation of the United States Navy - a brazen act of American aggression against the greatest maritime power in the world.
Still battered from her fight in Bermudan waters, the brig-of-war Charlemagne under the command of Captain Isaac Biddlecomb sets sail on a daring mission to raid the British store of arms on New Providence Island in the Bahamas. But he finds that his greatest enemy is an undisciplined crew on the brink of mutiny, and, beset by betrayal and treachery, Biddlecomb must find a way of uniting his men against a cruel and common foe... as the British Navy prepares to sink the Charlemagne under the merciless blasts of its guns.
A powerful maritime adventure in the epic, true-to-life tradition of Patrick O'Brian.
In the winter of 1776, a decade of simmering tensions finally comes to the boil. The rebel government of Philadelphia, determined to cast off the chains of British tyranny, has authorised the creation of the United States Navy - a brazen act of American aggression against the greatest maritime power in the world.
Still battered from her fight in Bermudan waters, the brig-of-war Charlemagne under the command of Captain Isaac Biddlecomb sets sail on a daring mission to raid the British store of arms on New Providence Island in the Bahamas. But he finds that his greatest enemy is an undisciplined crew on the brink of mutiny, and, beset by betrayal and treachery, Biddlecomb must find a way of uniting his men against a cruel and common foe... as the British Navy prepares to sink the Charlemagne under the merciless blasts of its guns.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2015
32 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
James L. Nelson
63 books362 followersJames L. Nelson (1962-) is an American historical nautical novelist. He was born in Lewiston, Maine. In 1980, Nelson graduated from Lewiston High School. Nelson attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for two years, and then transferred to UCLA, with the ambition of becoming a film director. Nelson, his wife, Lisa, and their daughter Betsy lived for two years in Steubenville, Ohio, while Lisa attended Franciscan University. They also have two boys, Nate and Jack. They now live in Harpswell, Maine, where Nelson continues to write full time.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 19, 2019
Captain Isaac Biddlecomb returned in the American brig-of-war Charlemagne from capturing black powder from British-controlled Bermuda in 1775. Biddlecomb’s ship was damaged during the mission and many of its crew killed. (See James L. Nelson’s The Maddest Idea.)
Now it’s 1776 and Charlemagne is officially accepted into the newly formed United States Navy as part of a six-ship squadron sent to harass British ships in the Chesapeake Bay and along the coasts of North and South Carolina. To placate the southern colonies, which complain that the northern states have a monopoly on the Navy, Biddlecomb is forced to accept sailors from North Carolina to fill out his depleted crew. Unbeknownst to him, the southerners come from the dregs of society and were recruited from prisons. Biddlecomb is also forced to replace his best friend and first officer, Ezra Rumstick, with Lieutenant Roger Tottenhill of North Carolina.
Friction quickly develops between Biddlecomb and Tottenhill, which affects the crew. To make matters worse, one of the men from North Carolina gets his jollies from setting men off against one another, and the northern and southern crew members offer him many opportunities to create entertaining dissentions. To top it off, the commodore in charge of the fleet decides to ignore his orders and attack New Providence Island in the Bahamas to capture the military supplies stored there.
Thus begins Biddlecomb’s voyage. One filled with antagonism between him and his new first officer and violent attacks between northern and southern members of his crew, who are egged on by the secret manipulator. Can Biddlecomb overcome his own prejudices against Tottnhill and and the other North Carolinians? Can he keep violent sectional hatreds from tearing his crew apart? Will Biddlecomb lose control of the Charlemagne? It appears that the Fates will say “yes.”
James L. Nelson has become one of my favorite authors of 18th-century seafaring novels. Being a licensed square-rigged sailor, he brings authenticity to his descriptions of sailing and shipboard life. Even though I’m unfamiliar with many of the nautical terms (for example, elm tree pump, cockbill, worming), I go along with the flow instead of looking up the terms in the glossary at the back of the novel. )
All in all, Continental Risque was a very entertaining book and I look forward to reading Lords of the Ocean, the next installment in Nelson's Revolution at Sea Saga.
Now it’s 1776 and Charlemagne is officially accepted into the newly formed United States Navy as part of a six-ship squadron sent to harass British ships in the Chesapeake Bay and along the coasts of North and South Carolina. To placate the southern colonies, which complain that the northern states have a monopoly on the Navy, Biddlecomb is forced to accept sailors from North Carolina to fill out his depleted crew. Unbeknownst to him, the southerners come from the dregs of society and were recruited from prisons. Biddlecomb is also forced to replace his best friend and first officer, Ezra Rumstick, with Lieutenant Roger Tottenhill of North Carolina.
Friction quickly develops between Biddlecomb and Tottenhill, which affects the crew. To make matters worse, one of the men from North Carolina gets his jollies from setting men off against one another, and the northern and southern crew members offer him many opportunities to create entertaining dissentions. To top it off, the commodore in charge of the fleet decides to ignore his orders and attack New Providence Island in the Bahamas to capture the military supplies stored there.
Thus begins Biddlecomb’s voyage. One filled with antagonism between him and his new first officer and violent attacks between northern and southern members of his crew, who are egged on by the secret manipulator. Can Biddlecomb overcome his own prejudices against Tottnhill and and the other North Carolinians? Can he keep violent sectional hatreds from tearing his crew apart? Will Biddlecomb lose control of the Charlemagne? It appears that the Fates will say “yes.”
James L. Nelson has become one of my favorite authors of 18th-century seafaring novels. Being a licensed square-rigged sailor, he brings authenticity to his descriptions of sailing and shipboard life. Even though I’m unfamiliar with many of the nautical terms (for example, elm tree pump, cockbill, worming), I go along with the flow instead of looking up the terms in the glossary at the back of the novel. )
All in all, Continental Risque was a very entertaining book and I look forward to reading Lords of the Ocean, the next installment in Nelson's Revolution at Sea Saga.
November 20, 2025
Audible/Kindle (the brilliant John Lee narrates)
Another solid installment. A fast-paced, engaging blend of Revolutionary War history and tight naval storytelling, and it stands out as one of the stronger entries in James L. Nelson’s Biddlecomb series. The novel follows Captain Isaac Biddlecomb as he takes command of the Charlemagne, a refitted merchantman pressed into service for the newly formed Continental Navy. From the outset, Nelson makes clear just how fragile this early American fleet truly was.
The central storyline revolves around the real historical event of the 1776 raid on New Providence in the Bahamas (the Battle of Nassau), the first offensive naval action undertaken by the Americans. Nelson uses the historical mission as the backbone of the book, tracing Biddlecomb’s southward voyage and the increasingly unstable situation aboard his ship. The crew, drawn from wildly different backgrounds and burdened with regional tensions, quickly turns the Charlemagne into a powder keg. The friction intensifies with the arrival of Lieutenant Roger Tottenhill, whose ambition and duplicity undermine Biddlecomb’s authority and push several sailors toward outright mutiny.
The novel’s middle act, which covers the planning and execution of the raid on New Providence, highlights Nelson’s talent for blending historical fact with fictional drama. While the real operation met only mild resistance, Nelson raises the stakes by inserting internal betrayal at the worst possible moment. Biddlecomb must not only carry out the mission but also navigate sabotage that threatens to compromise the entire assault. The raid succeeds, but not smoothly: discipline fractures, some crew members attempt to challenge Biddlecomb’s leadership directly, and the ship’s cohesion nearly dissolves in the aftermath.
The final act brings the consequences of these internal rifts into sharp focus. As the Charlemagne attempts to withdraw from the Bahamas with captured munitions, the British close in. The ensuing pursuit becomes both an external danger and a crucible for resolving the shipboard mutiny. Biddlecomb confronts Tottenhill’s treachery, reasserts his authority over a divided crew, and manages to hold the Charlemagne together long enough to escape British retaliation. By the end of the book, the ship is battered, the crew chastened, and Biddlecomb’s position—while secure for the moment—clearly burdened by the cost of leadership in a navy still struggling to define itself.
Nelson’s historical grounding elevates the narrative. His depiction of the Continental Navy’s infancy, its political entanglements, the desperation for gunpowder, and the overwhelming shadow of the Royal Navy all reflect real conditions of early 1776. The Nassau raid is woven into the story faithfully, even as the interpersonal conflicts are fictional. The result is a novel that feels true to the era while still prioritizing tension, momentum, and character-driven stakes.
Overall, The Continental Risque is an absorbing blend of history and fiction, offering both vivid action and a clear sense of the chaos and ambition that defined America’s earliest naval efforts. It’s a worthy continuation of the Biddlecomb saga and an especially satisfying read for anyone who enjoys seeing real historical events reinforced by strong narrative craftsmanship.
Another solid installment. A fast-paced, engaging blend of Revolutionary War history and tight naval storytelling, and it stands out as one of the stronger entries in James L. Nelson’s Biddlecomb series. The novel follows Captain Isaac Biddlecomb as he takes command of the Charlemagne, a refitted merchantman pressed into service for the newly formed Continental Navy. From the outset, Nelson makes clear just how fragile this early American fleet truly was.
The central storyline revolves around the real historical event of the 1776 raid on New Providence in the Bahamas (the Battle of Nassau), the first offensive naval action undertaken by the Americans. Nelson uses the historical mission as the backbone of the book, tracing Biddlecomb’s southward voyage and the increasingly unstable situation aboard his ship. The crew, drawn from wildly different backgrounds and burdened with regional tensions, quickly turns the Charlemagne into a powder keg. The friction intensifies with the arrival of Lieutenant Roger Tottenhill, whose ambition and duplicity undermine Biddlecomb’s authority and push several sailors toward outright mutiny.
The novel’s middle act, which covers the planning and execution of the raid on New Providence, highlights Nelson’s talent for blending historical fact with fictional drama. While the real operation met only mild resistance, Nelson raises the stakes by inserting internal betrayal at the worst possible moment. Biddlecomb must not only carry out the mission but also navigate sabotage that threatens to compromise the entire assault. The raid succeeds, but not smoothly: discipline fractures, some crew members attempt to challenge Biddlecomb’s leadership directly, and the ship’s cohesion nearly dissolves in the aftermath.
The final act brings the consequences of these internal rifts into sharp focus. As the Charlemagne attempts to withdraw from the Bahamas with captured munitions, the British close in. The ensuing pursuit becomes both an external danger and a crucible for resolving the shipboard mutiny. Biddlecomb confronts Tottenhill’s treachery, reasserts his authority over a divided crew, and manages to hold the Charlemagne together long enough to escape British retaliation. By the end of the book, the ship is battered, the crew chastened, and Biddlecomb’s position—while secure for the moment—clearly burdened by the cost of leadership in a navy still struggling to define itself.
Nelson’s historical grounding elevates the narrative. His depiction of the Continental Navy’s infancy, its political entanglements, the desperation for gunpowder, and the overwhelming shadow of the Royal Navy all reflect real conditions of early 1776. The Nassau raid is woven into the story faithfully, even as the interpersonal conflicts are fictional. The result is a novel that feels true to the era while still prioritizing tension, momentum, and character-driven stakes.
Overall, The Continental Risque is an absorbing blend of history and fiction, offering both vivid action and a clear sense of the chaos and ambition that defined America’s earliest naval efforts. It’s a worthy continuation of the Biddlecomb saga and an especially satisfying read for anyone who enjoys seeing real historical events reinforced by strong narrative craftsmanship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2025
something Like a Navy
Captain Biddlecomb continues his adventures with the brig Charlemagne. It’s a fast moving plot that shows readers just how hard it was to create, from merchants and fishermen, some sort of a Navy to oppose the best in the world, the British. The bumbling struggle to accomplish an actual mission assigned them by an unrealistic Congress is great entertainment as well as educational and sometimes funny. We meet many characters from history like Esek Hopkins and a young lieutenant named John Paul Jones.
Then there’s the downside, vividly portrayed. The newly formed navy needs men and, like its enemies, it tries to press criminals into service, rewarding them with pardons. The Royal Navy of the period did that and knew how to manage the psychological stresses that caused in a crew, but the American revolutionaries, handicapped by their ideals of freedom and equality, couldn’t pull it off. Charlemagne is threatened by sedition and mutiny as well as by storms and enemy action.
There are a few situations that seem improbable but overall another good read from Mr. Nelson.
Captain Biddlecomb continues his adventures with the brig Charlemagne. It’s a fast moving plot that shows readers just how hard it was to create, from merchants and fishermen, some sort of a Navy to oppose the best in the world, the British. The bumbling struggle to accomplish an actual mission assigned them by an unrealistic Congress is great entertainment as well as educational and sometimes funny. We meet many characters from history like Esek Hopkins and a young lieutenant named John Paul Jones.
Then there’s the downside, vividly portrayed. The newly formed navy needs men and, like its enemies, it tries to press criminals into service, rewarding them with pardons. The Royal Navy of the period did that and knew how to manage the psychological stresses that caused in a crew, but the American revolutionaries, handicapped by their ideals of freedom and equality, couldn’t pull it off. Charlemagne is threatened by sedition and mutiny as well as by storms and enemy action.
There are a few situations that seem improbable but overall another good read from Mr. Nelson.
January 25, 2018
Being the middle book of the series, it certainly doesn't wrap things up with a nice happy bow. Like Empire Strikes Back, this is the one that leaves the heroes in place for a huge come back for the final confrontation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 29, 2022Goodbook
May 21, 2024
MAGNIFICO. Il libro sulla navigazione più bello che abbia mai letto. Avventuroso fino all'ultima pagina. DA LEGGERE ASSOLUTAMENTE
June 8, 2025
Decent third installment in the series, though towards the end my eyes started to glaze over and I looked forward to finishing it. Kept thinking that I'd rather be reading O'Brian.
April 1, 2016
Better than the first two in this series! More interesting plot and descriptions. Better, more subtle character development. I like both Rumstick and Biddlecomb better with some faults. Excellent historical settings. Hooray!
July 30, 2011
Great historical fiction about navy warfare during the Revolutionary War.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews