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Weymouth Bound: Jack Stone, seaman, and the French naval plot to strike a mortal blow against England during the Napoleonic Wars
The merchant ship Cicely is captured by the brilliant and ruthless Captain Morlaix of the French Navy. Apprentice Jack Stone's life is changed forever. Can he survive?
‘This lively seafaring yarn was great fun to read...the inevitable comparison is with Hornblower’ - Marsali Taylor PBO
‘The book is bound to be compared with Patrick O'Brien, but … think back to CS Forester and Mr Midshipman Hornblower for the same combination of simple adventure and technical knowledge…adventure is there in plenty …. but it's the technical knowledge that brings the scene to life on every page. It's the description of how the ship is manned in peace and in war; and it's the description of the settings.’ VINE VOICE
Can anyone stop Morlaix and the French striking a damaging blow to the heart of the British Establishment?
In the time of the French wars, Jack Stone, son of a Portland smuggler, considers himself fortunate to have been apprenticed to the owner of a sailing ship carrying cargoes along the coasts of Britain and to Europe. His dreams of a peaceful seafaring career are shattered, and he finds himself, alone in France, the only loyal Englishman with the knowledge of a plan which Napoleon himself has conceived. Jack must find within himself the resilience to overcome hunger, loneliness and fear, and to use his resourcefulness and seamanship in the service of his country.
Enter the world of Jack Stone, a rapidly changing, dangerous world, but full of opportunity, evoked by the author with an original storyline, tempered by expert knowledge of ships and the sea, and historical accuracy.Readers praise for the print edition
‘The scenes on the ship were not only historically fascinating but I could almost taste the salt and feel the roll of the deck as I read. If you are a fan of all things nautical you’ll love this – and even if you’re not it’s a cracking good story.’
‘It’s a great mix of well-developed characters, real locations and a potent sense of historical accuracy’
‘I could imagine that those characters and their life stories actually existed’
‘A great rip-roaring adventure of the sea set in Napoleonic times - a can't put down yarn by an inspired storyteller’
‘This lively seafaring yarn was great fun to read...the inevitable comparison is with Hornblower’ - Marsali Taylor PBO
‘The book is bound to be compared with Patrick O'Brien, but … think back to CS Forester and Mr Midshipman Hornblower for the same combination of simple adventure and technical knowledge…adventure is there in plenty …. but it's the technical knowledge that brings the scene to life on every page. It's the description of how the ship is manned in peace and in war; and it's the description of the settings.’ VINE VOICE
Can anyone stop Morlaix and the French striking a damaging blow to the heart of the British Establishment?
In the time of the French wars, Jack Stone, son of a Portland smuggler, considers himself fortunate to have been apprenticed to the owner of a sailing ship carrying cargoes along the coasts of Britain and to Europe. His dreams of a peaceful seafaring career are shattered, and he finds himself, alone in France, the only loyal Englishman with the knowledge of a plan which Napoleon himself has conceived. Jack must find within himself the resilience to overcome hunger, loneliness and fear, and to use his resourcefulness and seamanship in the service of his country.
Enter the world of Jack Stone, a rapidly changing, dangerous world, but full of opportunity, evoked by the author with an original storyline, tempered by expert knowledge of ships and the sea, and historical accuracy.Readers praise for the print edition
‘The scenes on the ship were not only historically fascinating but I could almost taste the salt and feel the roll of the deck as I read. If you are a fan of all things nautical you’ll love this – and even if you’re not it’s a cracking good story.’
‘It’s a great mix of well-developed characters, real locations and a potent sense of historical accuracy’
‘I could imagine that those characters and their life stories actually existed’
‘A great rip-roaring adventure of the sea set in Napoleonic times - a can't put down yarn by an inspired storyteller’
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
52 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Paul Weston
5 books4 followersPaul Weston is the author of five books - Weymouth Bound, Not by Sea, Cape Corse, Gulf of Lions and Diamon Rock. The books are set in the time of the wars against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France, and have lively, credible plots, with accurate historical detail and realistic accounts of ships and the sea.
Paul spent eleven years as a merchant seaman, on tankers, offshore, and on ferries. After graduating with a mechanical engineering degree, Paul worked for the Bermuda Electric Light Company and Lloyds Register Technical Investigation Department. He started Weston Antennas Ltd, designing, manufacturing and installing large satellite earth station antennas worldwide. Paul works as a mechanical engineer Yunex Traffic in Poole. A prolific inventor, he has several patents to his name.
Paul spent eleven years as a merchant seaman, on tankers, offshore, and on ferries. After graduating with a mechanical engineering degree, Paul worked for the Bermuda Electric Light Company and Lloyds Register Technical Investigation Department. He started Weston Antennas Ltd, designing, manufacturing and installing large satellite earth station antennas worldwide. Paul works as a mechanical engineer Yunex Traffic in Poole. A prolific inventor, he has several patents to his name.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 18, 2023
Jack Stone has a dream. He wants to be a sailor, to travel the seas in search of adventure. His father, a fisherman and smuggler, wants Jack away from the dangers of illegally trafficking goods. To that end, he arranges for Jack to apprentice for seven years with the captain and part owner of the Cicely, a merchant ship that carries cargo from one port to another.
May 1800 finds Jack learning the ins and outs of Cicely and seafaring. With the keen eyes of a youth, he often finds himself aloft as lookout. He gets on with most of the crew, but the one man to steer clear of is the mate, Dennis Vasey. Rumor has it that he frequents opium dens and he’s got a temper. His father is part owner of the ship, so the captain cannot fire him. Nor does Vasey do much even when he is aboard.
One evening, while the rest of the crew is ashore, Jack remains aboard. He’s aloft watching the stars and the area around the ship when he spies Vasey nearing the ship. His movements are furtive, as if he doesn’t wish anyone to know he’s around. Terrified of the mate after almost dying because of one of his orders, Jack remains hidden. Soon after Vasey comes onto the Cicely, he’s joined by a stranger. He’s even more scary, especially since he wears a coat of the Royal Navy and has a scarred scalp. Jack knows he should tell the captain, but he holds his tongue. Doing so turns out to be extremely dangerous, not only for the crew, but also for England. Jack is the only one who can remedy his silence to warn his homeland and the king before it’s too late.
Weymouth Bound is an alluring tale that slowly weaves its spell on the reader. Although written for adults, even young people will enjoy Jack’s ingenuity and courage as he gets far more adventure than he craves, some of which is nerve-wracking and tense. Readers who enjoy nautical tales of accidents at sea, revenue agents, privateers, and shipwrecks will enjoy this first volume in a new trilogy written by a merchant seaman.
(This review was originally published at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-hist...)
May 1800 finds Jack learning the ins and outs of Cicely and seafaring. With the keen eyes of a youth, he often finds himself aloft as lookout. He gets on with most of the crew, but the one man to steer clear of is the mate, Dennis Vasey. Rumor has it that he frequents opium dens and he’s got a temper. His father is part owner of the ship, so the captain cannot fire him. Nor does Vasey do much even when he is aboard.
One evening, while the rest of the crew is ashore, Jack remains aboard. He’s aloft watching the stars and the area around the ship when he spies Vasey nearing the ship. His movements are furtive, as if he doesn’t wish anyone to know he’s around. Terrified of the mate after almost dying because of one of his orders, Jack remains hidden. Soon after Vasey comes onto the Cicely, he’s joined by a stranger. He’s even more scary, especially since he wears a coat of the Royal Navy and has a scarred scalp. Jack knows he should tell the captain, but he holds his tongue. Doing so turns out to be extremely dangerous, not only for the crew, but also for England. Jack is the only one who can remedy his silence to warn his homeland and the king before it’s too late.
Weymouth Bound is an alluring tale that slowly weaves its spell on the reader. Although written for adults, even young people will enjoy Jack’s ingenuity and courage as he gets far more adventure than he craves, some of which is nerve-wracking and tense. Readers who enjoy nautical tales of accidents at sea, revenue agents, privateers, and shipwrecks will enjoy this first volume in a new trilogy written by a merchant seaman.
(This review was originally published at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-hist...)
December 4, 2022
trials and tribulations
A well written book with two interestingly conceived plot lines. Character development a bit skimpy. Good action sequences. A recommended read if you follow the 19th century British Navy.
A well written book with two interestingly conceived plot lines. Character development a bit skimpy. Good action sequences. A recommended read if you follow the 19th century British Navy.
February 21, 2023
It's supposed to be an adventure novel but the main character fails or loses at virtually every turn.
November 21, 2024
A really interesting historical naval adventure with close ties to the West Country and an author from Swanage.
August 10, 2019
An enjoyable tale about a young man who becomes a sailors apprentice upon the ship Cicely. I bought this from a shop in Weymouth which had a local authors section. I holiday there twice a year so it was enjoyable to read a story set there. There was quite a lot of technical information woven into the drama of the story, which made it seem more realistic. The characters were vivid and it almost read like an autobiography. I could imagine that those characters and their life stories actually existed. I really enjoyed the book.
January 2, 2021
found this book quite interesting to read
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews