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Windjammer #1
The House of Windjammer
In the autumn of 1636, tulip fever is sweeping Amsterdam, and Europe's fortunes rise and fall with the promise of the New World. That year, the great Dutch family of Windjammer suffers the loss of their entire trading fleet and they face certain ruin. The only person who can save the family's home, fortune, and reputation is Adam, the family's young heir. But he faces many enemies encouraged by the despicable banker Hugo van Helsen, and stirred up by the wicked preacher Abner Heems. Only one hope remains:a dark secret, a rare treasure called the Black Pearl. It is not the precious jewel that Adam imagines, but a flower:a tulip:one of the rarest and most valuable. In fact, it is worth enough money at the height of tulip fever to save the House of Windjammer. Adam is determined to find this hidden treasure, but he is not the only one on a mission to find the Black Pearl.
350 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2003
8 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
V.A. Richardson
6 books3 followersV.A. Richardson was born and brought up in the North East of England on the River Tyne near Corbridge in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He is married and lives in London with his wife, Janie, daughters Indigo and Zara, and a benign ghost left over from the late Victorian era. He also writes novels for Bloomsbury under a pen-name, Ben Bo.
After leaving school, V.A. Richardson studied at Reading University before going to University at Caen in Normandy. 'I got heavily into the art and literature of France. I’ll never forget my time spent there. I returned to London determined to be a designer and illustrator. I first made some money by designing a coin holder for £1 coins. It sold more than a million! After that I was able to set myself up designing novelties, diaries, and calendars. It was a short step from there to writing and illustrating books.'
In 1995 I had a short story published by Transworld and soon after that Barry Cunningham (then editor at Bloomsbury Children's Books) picked one of my stories out of the slush pile. The slush pile is the name publishers give to all their unsolicited manuscripts — the ones people like me send them in the hope of being published. I just kept sending in my stories and was lucky. Mind you - I did illustrate the envelope and so it must have stood out. I’ve been writing for Bloomsbury ever since.
After leaving school, V.A. Richardson studied at Reading University before going to University at Caen in Normandy. 'I got heavily into the art and literature of France. I’ll never forget my time spent there. I returned to London determined to be a designer and illustrator. I first made some money by designing a coin holder for £1 coins. It sold more than a million! After that I was able to set myself up designing novelties, diaries, and calendars. It was a short step from there to writing and illustrating books.'
In 1995 I had a short story published by Transworld and soon after that Barry Cunningham (then editor at Bloomsbury Children's Books) picked one of my stories out of the slush pile. The slush pile is the name publishers give to all their unsolicited manuscripts — the ones people like me send them in the hope of being published. I just kept sending in my stories and was lucky. Mind you - I did illustrate the envelope and so it must have stood out. I’ve been writing for Bloomsbury ever since.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 12, 2018
After the death of his father, Adam Windjammer is the head of his household and must save his house from the clutches of his corrupt uncle and protect his mother and little sisters, Viola and Rose from his corrupt and double dealing )Augustus, the ruthless banker Hugo van Helsen (whose henchman is the evil preacher Abner Heems. Added to the mix is Van Helsen's beautiful and enigmatic daughter Jade. Adam adventures through the slums of Amsterdam from his house in the rich quarter of Amsterdam, the Herenracht, and must seek the elusive 'black jewel)
Captures the sights, sounds and smells of 1630s Amsterdam, and is full of atmosphere and high adventure with rich characterization.
Merged review:
After the death of his father, Adam Windjammer is the head of his household and must save his house from the clutches of his corrupt uncle and protect his mother and little sisters, Viola and Rose from his corrupt and double dealing )Augustus, the ruthless banker Hugo van Helsen (whose henchman is the evil preacher Abner Heems. Added to the mix is Van Helsen's beautiful and enigmatic daughter Jade. Adam adventures through the slums of Amsterdam from his house in the rich quarter of Amsterdam, the Herenracht, and must seek the elusive 'black jewel)
Captures the sights, sounds and smells of 1630s Amsterdam, and is full of atmosphere and high adventure with rich characterization.
Captures the sights, sounds and smells of 1630s Amsterdam, and is full of atmosphere and high adventure with rich characterization.
Merged review:
After the death of his father, Adam Windjammer is the head of his household and must save his house from the clutches of his corrupt uncle and protect his mother and little sisters, Viola and Rose from his corrupt and double dealing )Augustus, the ruthless banker Hugo van Helsen (whose henchman is the evil preacher Abner Heems. Added to the mix is Van Helsen's beautiful and enigmatic daughter Jade. Adam adventures through the slums of Amsterdam from his house in the rich quarter of Amsterdam, the Herenracht, and must seek the elusive 'black jewel)
Captures the sights, sounds and smells of 1630s Amsterdam, and is full of atmosphere and high adventure with rich characterization.
July 14, 2025
One author came to mind as I was reading this: Geoffrey Trease. It seems such an old fashioned read, a boy's historical adventure. As in so much of Trease you have a teenage boy and girl sharing the thrills, though in Trease the risks were usually more evenly divided between the sexes. They obviously fancy each other like nobody's business but are caught up in a literary prurience that forbids human nature to reach a climax, as it were. The background was almost Trease-like: there was an evil money-grabbing banker, some hard-working and thoroughly honest middle class merchants, and then, not at all Trease-like, a scumbag working class of violent beggars and slow-thinking shipbuilders and dock workers who, for some mad reason, expected to be paid for their work.
The story is set in seventeenth-century Amsterdam and concerns the fall and hopeful rise of the trading House of Windjammer – this is volume one of a trilogy. At the start of the story the company loses its great trading fleet off the coast of North America in a storm. A piece of writing that is about as exciting as a description of a toddler tripping up in a paddling pool. However, things pick up once we're in Amsterdam and the Windjammers start to implode.
Much of the first two thirds of the story is a little top-heavy with financial deals and details, and family disputes. However, if the reader persists it all metamorphoses into that hearty old-fashioned adventure tale of chase, capture and escape. And don't worry about the Black Pearl – I wouldn't give you an onion for it.
The story is set in seventeenth-century Amsterdam and concerns the fall and hopeful rise of the trading House of Windjammer – this is volume one of a trilogy. At the start of the story the company loses its great trading fleet off the coast of North America in a storm. A piece of writing that is about as exciting as a description of a toddler tripping up in a paddling pool. However, things pick up once we're in Amsterdam and the Windjammers start to implode.
Much of the first two thirds of the story is a little top-heavy with financial deals and details, and family disputes. However, if the reader persists it all metamorphoses into that hearty old-fashioned adventure tale of chase, capture and escape. And don't worry about the Black Pearl – I wouldn't give you an onion for it.
Read
November 23, 2019DNF at 50%
March 6, 2014
fraudio
Holland> Amsterdam
TBR Busting
Older child
filthy lucre
Historical Fiction (1636)
Adventure
Seven Seas
Summer 2012
pub 2003
serial/ first in series
novella
treasure
Unresolved storyline as a hook to lead you to the next installment. Would love to read an adult book about 17th century tulip fever - anyone have a suggestion?
The ship in the story, Draco, would have looked something like this:
Herman Witmond (c. 1605-1684). Marine painter, trained in Amsterdam 1636. Entered Delft Guild 1644. One of Witmont's specialties were "pen paintings". These consist of finely detailed pen drawings in black indian or bister ink on a canvas or panel which was first prepared with a white ground.
start 2/6/2012
finish 3/6/2012
2.5*
Holland> Amsterdam
TBR Busting
Older child
filthy lucre
Historical Fiction (1636)
Adventure
Seven Seas
Summer 2012
pub 2003
serial/ first in series
novella
treasure
Unresolved storyline as a hook to lead you to the next installment. Would love to read an adult book about 17th century tulip fever - anyone have a suggestion?
The ship in the story, Draco, would have looked something like this:
Herman Witmond (c. 1605-1684). Marine painter, trained in Amsterdam 1636. Entered Delft Guild 1644. One of Witmont's specialties were "pen paintings". These consist of finely detailed pen drawings in black indian or bister ink on a canvas or panel which was first prepared with a white ground.start 2/6/2012
finish 3/6/2012
2.5*
January 10, 2022
After the deaths of his uncle and father, Adam, 15, becomes the head of the Windjammer family business but the vindictive Hugo van Helsen wants to destroy the Windjammers. His daughter Jade unexpectedly becomes Adam's ally:
Here is a link to my review at Staircase Wit: http://tinyurl.com/blyvrd3
Here is a link to my review at Staircase Wit: http://tinyurl.com/blyvrd3
June 1, 2024
A trading fleet is lost at sea. For the Windjammer house and its trading company this spells potential disaster. They have a lot riding on the fleet, and don't have deep enough pockets to take the loss. They need more capital but will their partners and bankers give it to them. To make matters worse there is personal tragedy and young Adam Windjammer soon finds himself in a crucial position, but without the knowledge or family backing to carry it out. And it is soon clear that it is not just financial ruin that is at stake, lives may be too. Adam must find his way out of this mess and get out of the clutches of banker van Helsen but it seems even the house’s own servants have secrets to unravel. W.A. Richardson’s The House of Windjammer is an action packed financial thriller set in 17th Century Amsterdam.
A quick read. Everything comes apart very quickly for Adam and we are in for a pacy thrilling ride through to the finish. Speed is of the essence for much of the novel as there is a ticking clock over the head of our hero in the form of a set time at which the banker will move in if he does not get paid.
I wonder whether Richardson was intentionally pairing the book back so as to be able to keep up a good pace without complications of extra characters. But it does mean that there are plot elements that either have holes or lack depth. It is hard to imagine that Adam has absolutely no friends he can work with, surely in an era where all business is about personal connections it would be vitally important to be getting the heir of the family in good company with others his age. But there is literally no one there. The other oddity is that he is clearly not trained in the family business. This would be believable if he was say under 10 years old, but not at 15, in an age when the vast majority of the population will be working by the time they are 12. In both cases this increases the peril facing the main character. But at the cost that he seems rather clueless and is just reacting throughout.
Despite these plot issues I was sucked into the story, but this was not so much the case for the setting. It feels like the surface elements of 17th century Holland are there but not the deeper differences. Thus we get the ships, the canals, the black and white floors, the tulips. But significant cultural elements are missing; in 1636 the Dutch provinces have been at war with Spain for almost 70 years! Yet there is no mention of this, perhaps you could say it has been so long it is just normality so no need to mention it. But what about religion? This is the height of the religious wars in Europe. The Dutch may be commercially minded but they took their religious independence very seriously. Yet the only element of religion is a preacher who is clearly totally crooked and cynically misusing his calling - this is a very modern take on religion that probably would be astonishing at the time. This could have been made much more believable by having the preacher be completely ideologically inflexible and really believing that God is punishing the Windjammers. Connected to setting, but something the author may have had little input into, on the version of the book I have the cover is of more than a century later, and the ship would appear to be flying a British ensign… though it is at least in peril on a rocky shore so has an appropriate feel for the start of the book.
Unfortunately while there is a good action filled finale it really feels like Richardson is more intent on setting up a sequel rather than providing a good satisfying conclusion. There is a pretty abrupt switch in focus from the banker to the preacher as the main bad guy. And there is not really any success either, there would have been far better ways to use the tulips to provide a more satisfying ending.
The House of Windjammer is a good read but not without considerable flaws. That said a good number of the flaws in my view were arising from from the historical accuracy side which will likely matter less to most readers than to me.
A quick read. Everything comes apart very quickly for Adam and we are in for a pacy thrilling ride through to the finish. Speed is of the essence for much of the novel as there is a ticking clock over the head of our hero in the form of a set time at which the banker will move in if he does not get paid.
I wonder whether Richardson was intentionally pairing the book back so as to be able to keep up a good pace without complications of extra characters. But it does mean that there are plot elements that either have holes or lack depth. It is hard to imagine that Adam has absolutely no friends he can work with, surely in an era where all business is about personal connections it would be vitally important to be getting the heir of the family in good company with others his age. But there is literally no one there. The other oddity is that he is clearly not trained in the family business. This would be believable if he was say under 10 years old, but not at 15, in an age when the vast majority of the population will be working by the time they are 12. In both cases this increases the peril facing the main character. But at the cost that he seems rather clueless and is just reacting throughout.
Despite these plot issues I was sucked into the story, but this was not so much the case for the setting. It feels like the surface elements of 17th century Holland are there but not the deeper differences. Thus we get the ships, the canals, the black and white floors, the tulips. But significant cultural elements are missing; in 1636 the Dutch provinces have been at war with Spain for almost 70 years! Yet there is no mention of this, perhaps you could say it has been so long it is just normality so no need to mention it. But what about religion? This is the height of the religious wars in Europe. The Dutch may be commercially minded but they took their religious independence very seriously. Yet the only element of religion is a preacher who is clearly totally crooked and cynically misusing his calling - this is a very modern take on religion that probably would be astonishing at the time. This could have been made much more believable by having the preacher be completely ideologically inflexible and really believing that God is punishing the Windjammers. Connected to setting, but something the author may have had little input into, on the version of the book I have the cover is of more than a century later, and the ship would appear to be flying a British ensign… though it is at least in peril on a rocky shore so has an appropriate feel for the start of the book.
Unfortunately while there is a good action filled finale it really feels like Richardson is more intent on setting up a sequel rather than providing a good satisfying conclusion. There is a pretty abrupt switch in focus from the banker to the preacher as the main bad guy. And there is not really any success either, there would have been far better ways to use the tulips to provide a more satisfying ending.
The House of Windjammer is a good read but not without considerable flaws. That said a good number of the flaws in my view were arising from from the historical accuracy side which will likely matter less to most readers than to me.
October 23, 2025
The House of Windjammer by V.A. Richardson is a historical adventure set in 17th-century Amsterdam, during the height of the Dutch trading empire and tulip craze.
When Adam Windjammer’s father dies, the family’s shipping company—once one of the most powerful in Amsterdam—suddenly faces ruin. At just sixteen, Adam is thrust into a world of merchants, betrayal, and financial disaster. With the family’s fortune slipping away and powerful rivals circling, Adam must find the courage and wisdom to save both his family name and his future.
When Adam Windjammer’s father dies, the family’s shipping company—once one of the most powerful in Amsterdam—suddenly faces ruin. At just sixteen, Adam is thrust into a world of merchants, betrayal, and financial disaster. With the family’s fortune slipping away and powerful rivals circling, Adam must find the courage and wisdom to save both his family name and his future.
January 8, 2023
Beautifully written book that follows young Adam Windjammer as he tries to save his family's house and the family's business when it is thrown into jeopardy following his father's death and the ruin of their fleet. An exciting read!
May 2, 2012
This is an odd one. I got it for my seventh grade son in advance of our trip to Amsterdam, thinking it would give him a feel for the culture and city. He couldn't get into it, but I decided to read it myself. After a couple of chapters, I could see why it didn't grab him. It didn't grab me, either, at first, but once I settled in and gave it a chance, I really enjoyed it. The language, vocabulary and figures of speech, in my opinion, are a couple steps above what the average middle-schooler would grasp or appreciate, but to a writer like myself, I was impressed page after page with his turns of phrase, word choices and the way he masterfully put the reader in the place and time, and in the head of the main character. There is a lot of talking, thinking, mourning, self-reflection and observation--this is by no means an "action/adventure" novel. But when it appears, the action is well done and appropriately paced. There were many twists and unexpected conflicts, and the further I got into it, the faster I read it. The ending was a tiny bit of a letdown, but after thinking about it later, it felt right. Will definitely track down the sequel. Bottom line: would only recommend to older, more mature teens, but definitely recommend to adults who like historical fiction.
March 20, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, even though I am not even the target audience. I liked that it was not a dumbed down teen book - it taught the reader a lot about 17th century Holland / Netherlands, their customs, the everyday lives, the society and all, through the eyes of a 15-year-old boy who has to grow up soon when he has to take his father's place on the front of a once glorious, now detereorating trade dynasty.
This book also had the perfect spacing. It wasn't a brainless action-adventure type of book, yet there was not any dull moment in it. It was fascinating and exciting, and it kept the tension all the time with various plot twists that made sense, actually.
I also liked how it was more like a bildungsroman, and how this boy learns to adapt to the situation of leading a whole trading family, and to make decisions that affect lots of people's lives, and to take responsibility.
This book also had the perfect spacing. It wasn't a brainless action-adventure type of book, yet there was not any dull moment in it. It was fascinating and exciting, and it kept the tension all the time with various plot twists that made sense, actually.
I also liked how it was more like a bildungsroman, and how this boy learns to adapt to the situation of leading a whole trading family, and to make decisions that affect lots of people's lives, and to take responsibility.
February 1, 2011
This dramatic tale of obsession, secrets and betrayal in 1636 Amsterdam kept me guessing. I was hoping the tulip fever trade might save the Windjammer family from ruin after the sudden death of Adam's father. However, the impulsive betrayal of Jade van Helsen with the 'Black Pearl' in her grasp changed everything at the last minute for Adam. Will he be able to continue to save his family's great name in book 2?
July 10, 2012
This is the first historical fiction I've read set during the tulip craze of Amsterdam in 1636, where a single tulip bulb could buy a house, carriage and horses, and extra land to boot. I enjoyed learning more about this interesting time when trade was being established with the Americas. The characters were interesting and imperfect in realistic ways.
I'm hoping there's a book 2 so that I can see whether Adam is able to keep his promises and reestablish the House of Windjammer.
I'm hoping there's a book 2 so that I can see whether Adam is able to keep his promises and reestablish the House of Windjammer.
May 3, 2013
The first time I saw this book, I was almost positive it will be a complete bore. Boy, was I wrong!? I don't get why they don't make people read this book in school, because I found at least some symbolism, a few parts of foreshadowing, and a lot of plot. The plot was amazing, and I could really tell that the author did his research about this time period. Almost everything seems perfect. I would recommend this to anyone
February 14, 2015
This is a very gripping and well-researched read, but the ending fell… flat. All that buildup for a pretty big disappointment. But, I suppose it sets us up for the next book which might give us some more heavy victories.
Also, if you're expecting a read about the Dutch tulip trade, tulips don't play as much of a role in the story as you might expect. It's more about the fall of a trading family and their uncertain future.
Also, if you're expecting a read about the Dutch tulip trade, tulips don't play as much of a role in the story as you might expect. It's more about the fall of a trading family and their uncertain future.
December 19, 2016
The writing is good, with an easy to read language, vivid character portrayals and just enough descriptions of surroundings. The story is intriguing, but loses a lot of points from the anti climatic ending. There are some scenes during the book that make you want to scream at the characters for being so stupid and allowing certain things to just happen (which could have been easy to prevent), and this also pulls the book down a bit. But overall enjoyable, and easy and quick to read.
May 13, 2010
Entertaining and interesting both the history and the story. A family owning a shipping company in 1600's Amsterdam loses everything. The 16 yr old son try's desperately to fight for their livelyhood and honor. The story is one of loss, betrayal and loyalty. Good story and clean! For kids 12 and older
January 18, 2012
Interesting setting. characters that make you want to invest in the story. the good guys are intelligent and trust worthy, even though it doesn't look like it and everything is not what it seems.
The bad guys are complicated ruthless and vicious with the odd hint of compassion.
The bad guys are complicated ruthless and vicious with the odd hint of compassion.
January 3, 2017
I read this years ago in high school and really enjoyed it. However since I can't quite remember the details of the plot or whether or not a 12 or 13 year old's 5 star rating is equivalent to what I consider a 4 or 5 star book today, I'm giving it an average of 3 stars, which is still pretty good.
June 2, 2008
In this story Adam Windjammer finds manhood thrust upon at the unexpected passing of his father. It's a great story of a young man coming of age.
Read
June 25, 2008This book was interesting. I haven't read a historical fiction book in a while so the change in subject was pretty good.
December 21, 2008
The beginning is kind of boring but I began to like it about halfway through. I really liked the story line and and think it really showed that no matter what bad things happen, life will go on.
June 13, 2010
i really enjoy this series
March 4, 2018
If I ever read the words "Windjammer" again...it will be too soon!
December 18, 2010
Great adventure/historical fiction
July 27, 2011
He's a dodo. I find it hard to like a book when the main character is a dodo. Shame as I think the story itself is okay.
January 26, 2014
Great historical detail. Had a tough time liking the main character. He just seemed to never grow and change and got to the end by other means than his own.
November 10, 2017
Humpf, bof. Ce livre m'a fait pensé à "La Miniaturiste", mais pour les enfants/ados. Ça ne m'a pas emballé.
November 6, 2012
adam, you can do it! win jane's heart!!
March 8, 2014
Quickest I've read a book in ages - that has to mean something...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews