Baltic Mission

Nathaniel Drinkwater #7

by Richard Woodman

In the seventh tale of the highly acclaimed Drinkwater series, Captain Drinkwater's frigate, HMS ANTIGONE, is ordered to the Baltic Sea in the Spring of 1807 as Napoleon's grip has begun to reach across Europe to the borders of Holy Russia. As country after country falls under the weight of French domination, Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater is faced with the challenges brought about by military disaster and diplomatic intrigue.

On board the ANTIGONE, Drinkwater is threatened by the seething discontent of his crew and the instability of his drunken first lieutenant. Drinkwater's task is to cooperate with his country's allies and intelligence agents. When a coded message is intercepted, his mission suddenly becomes one of extreme personal danger. As the fate of Europe is being decided, Drinkwater must carry out his mission in the face of his old enemy. This final confrontation brings him to the brink of death.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Military Fiction, Nautical

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Captain Richard Martin Woodman was an English novelist and naval historian who retired in 1997 from a 37-year nautical career, mainly working for Trinity House, to write full-time.

Reviews

[John Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a need to return to the sea again (vicariously), so I picked up novel #7 in the series by Richard Woodman. Had been looking forward to the continuing and exciting sea adventures of Royal Navy Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater during the Napoleonic War. I have read only three novels by Patrick O'Brian and enjoyed them but this 14 novel series by Woodman seems to be more intimate regarding Captain Drinkwater and his loyal crew members with many detailed descriptions of shipboard life. There is also some interesting history to be learned about the Napoleonic War. All seven books so far proved to be exciting page turners. Though generally reluctant to read long series or view long TV series, I look forward to following the career of Captain Drinkwater and completing the series.

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another pretty solid book in the series. What I'm beginning to like about the series is that they're not cookie cutter action books. Most of the other Hornblower clones are just action books or action books with some disguise over them. Others tried to be history books. I gave up all 3 series I tried eventually: Ramage (long winded and lost wind), Lawrie (became long winded history in dialog) and Kydd (difficult to read). I hope this series will have more staying power.

Spoilers ahead.

This book can be split into two parts. First part is basically run of the mill Baltic vignettes. Second part is more interesting, it focuses on the Treaty of Tilsit and how ND managed to spy on it. We got an interesting ground floor view of the signing of the treaty.

Don't read this part if you don't want it spoiled, really.

The other part I like about this series is no character is safe. All of the other books have relatively run of the mill characters. All the supporting characters are either good or bad (even Hornblower), and especially the clones. Ramage has a host of worshipers, even the enemy.

In this series we have more variations of the characters. We have Lord Walmsley the midshipman who was the arch typical noble type lord who restituted himself but finally went back to his old ways and got killed. Then we have Lt. Rogers who was first an enemy, then an ally, then became an alcoholic and finally died in action. So the characters are more "real", more different and Woodman spends more time fleshing out them.

Hornblower also has memorable side characters but CSF spends a lot less time on them and his descriptions are more short and sharp. That is one of the reasons why the Hornblower books are so good.

[Robert Mckay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Woodman is good at presenting the technical details of sailing a British man of war during the Napoleonic wars (though it would be nice if now and then he would define terms - I have no idea what a "hance" is, for instance, and looking it up doesn't give nearly as clear a picture as would an explanation in the text). But if he's writing a naval series, then he ought to write a naval series, not a series that has a lot of espionage in it, and a lot of stumbling about ashore. I know that intelligence gathering has always been part of every service, including the naval service, and that naval personnel sometimes of necessity perform their duties on land, but the essence of a navy is at sea, not miles inland spying on a meeting of emperors.

Hopefully the next installment in this series will be better.

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is political intrigue in this story as Drinkwater sails to the Baltic Sea. The action is fast paced as characters from the past show up once again. Some are welcome and others dreaded. Some problems are solved perhaps not in the way that Drinkwater may want them solved, but solved they are. For a look at the Eastern half of the Napoleonic Wars this book brings it into focus. As with all historical fiction there is always a little license taken.

[Nat Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical novel is part of a series concerning the War of 1812. It deals with actual events which changed the direction of the War, and substitutes fictional characters for men whose identities are otherwise unknown to historians. Very well written!

[R B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much land and not enough sea.

[Dangerfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rather pedestrian part one of the book is more than offset by the excitement of parts two and three.

[Roderick Clive Tanguay · Rating 5 out of 5]

INTRIGUES AND CUNNING. treachery and politics in the Baltic

A great Read, well researched by the man qualified to know the secrets of the Royal Navy
Nathanial Drinkwater taken out of his ship to unravel their lordships of the Admiralty's problems in the Baltic.
Mention Napoleon and his negotiations with the treacherous Russian hierarchy and I knew I was in for great read.
I did appreciate the explanations at the end .
Many thanks

[RhC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment begins with Drinkwater on escort duty as deliveryman and evolves into an adventure of espionage as he finds himself in throes of actual Secret Serives -- reconnecting with his brother, losing another midshipman and a lieutenant, and finally another, albeit definitive, confrontation with his arch nemesis, Santhonax.

[David Eppenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be the best book yet in this series. An excellent historical fiction melding an actual event of the Napoleonic Era with a great age of fighting sail adventure with a good spy thriller thrown in for good measure. Now to find and order the next book in this series.

[Sonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great mission with Captain Drinkwater!