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Richard Delancey #6
Dead Reckoning
Captain Richard Delancey heads for the East Indies on the 32-gun frigate Laura to take part in the capture of the Cape of Good Hope. His ingenious tactics gain the attention of his superiors, who recruit him for a high-stakes to seek out and destroy the French privateer Subtile.
316 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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About the author
C. Northcote Parkinson
96 books49 followersCyril Northcote Parkinson was a naval historian and author of some sixty books. He was educated at Cambridge, and went on to teach in Malaya, and in the United States at Harvard and in Illinois.
He was an important scholar in the field of public administration.
His most famous work is Parkinson’s Law, or The Pursuit of Progress.
He was an important scholar in the field of public administration.
His most famous work is Parkinson’s Law, or The Pursuit of Progress.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 8, 2019
Though perhaps better known for 'Parkinson's Law',C Northcote Parkinson was a naval historian. This shines through his work. Unlike some others writing about frigate captains during the Napoleonic War, Parkinson does not hijack history and attribute it to his hero. Instead, he writes proper fiction.
Richard Delancy is a fully rounded character and his personality leaps out of the page, as does his love for his wife. Though not an epistolary novel, as such, Parkinson makes good use of Delancy's letters to his wife to summarise events that would otherwise be rather dull narrative. Sadly, the other characters, even his officers, are described only so far as is needed to deliver the story; they do not quite have a life of their own. Likewise, Parkinson rarely gives any indication of the daily life of a man-of-war. Nevertheless, the narrative is well-paced. Parkinson is a story-teller who knows his craft. If you like sea stories, this one grips throughout; I read more than half at one sitting.
Richard Delancy is a fully rounded character and his personality leaps out of the page, as does his love for his wife. Though not an epistolary novel, as such, Parkinson makes good use of Delancy's letters to his wife to summarise events that would otherwise be rather dull narrative. Sadly, the other characters, even his officers, are described only so far as is needed to deliver the story; they do not quite have a life of their own. Likewise, Parkinson rarely gives any indication of the daily life of a man-of-war. Nevertheless, the narrative is well-paced. Parkinson is a story-teller who knows his craft. If you like sea stories, this one grips throughout; I read more than half at one sitting.
November 14, 2014
The best book in the Richard Delancy series.
October 12, 2016
A great series
I have read the entire series. Each was a page turner. I am somewhat saddened to turned the last page. I wish there were more stories to tell. I loved the series.
I have read the entire series. Each was a page turner. I am somewhat saddened to turned the last page. I wish there were more stories to tell. I loved the series.
September 11, 2010
A lot of nautical terms in this book that were hard to comprehend because I haven't read the previous 5 books. A good read though.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews