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Fox #14
Close Quarters
George Abercrombie Fox is in command of Alkon, a lightly armed Navy transport carrying wounded from the battle in Egypt back to England.
The Alkon has an encounter with Spanish gunboats before Gibraltar. Outgunned and outmanned, only Fox's tactical genius can save his ship and crew.
On convoy duty to England Fox captures the Archimede — a French submersible and its inventor Marcel Bruant. Fox soon puts the ingenious device to good use, rescuing an old friend and Indiamen merchant ships captured by French privateers.
FOX IS NOT THE NOBLE HERO OF TRADITIONAL FICTION. FOX IS A FIGHTING MAN WHO TRANSCENDS HEROISM — HE DOESN’T CARE HOW HE WINS AS LONG AS HE WINS. HE’S MEAN, CUNNING AND MOST VICIOUS WHEN TRAPPED. THERE’S NO WAY TO OUTFOX FOX!
Adam Hardy was a pen name used by Kenneth Bulmer (1921-2005). A prolific writer, Bulmer wrote over 160 novels and many short stories, both under his real name and various pen names. He is best known for science fiction, including his long-running Dray Prescot series of planetary romances, but he wrote in many genres.
The Alkon has an encounter with Spanish gunboats before Gibraltar. Outgunned and outmanned, only Fox's tactical genius can save his ship and crew.
On convoy duty to England Fox captures the Archimede — a French submersible and its inventor Marcel Bruant. Fox soon puts the ingenious device to good use, rescuing an old friend and Indiamen merchant ships captured by French privateers.
FOX IS NOT THE NOBLE HERO OF TRADITIONAL FICTION. FOX IS A FIGHTING MAN WHO TRANSCENDS HEROISM — HE DOESN’T CARE HOW HE WINS AS LONG AS HE WINS. HE’S MEAN, CUNNING AND MOST VICIOUS WHEN TRAPPED. THERE’S NO WAY TO OUTFOX FOX!
Adam Hardy was a pen name used by Kenneth Bulmer (1921-2005). A prolific writer, Bulmer wrote over 160 novels and many short stories, both under his real name and various pen names. He is best known for science fiction, including his long-running Dray Prescot series of planetary romances, but he wrote in many genres.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 1977
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About the author
Adam Hardy
41 books4 followersAdam Hardy is a pseudonym used by Kenneth Bulmer (1921-2005).
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 3, 2019
This book was very disappointing. Not that the book was bad, but that it ends without resolving anything and as this is the final book in the series, you're left hanging.
George Abercrombie Fox is trying to get to Gibraltair with his old, now-damaged ship Alkon, with most of its armaments removed so it has extra space to carry passengers: mostly wounded from the battle of Aboukir Bay in Egypt. Having survived an attack by the French in the previous book Sea Flame, Commander Fox now finds himself becalmed, and under attack by Spanish gunboats.
This book moves along a bit slower than some, with the gunboat battle taking a significant chunk of the story. It isn't dull or slow to read, just a fairly long and detailed sequence of a fight for the life of the ship.
Overall the novel takes some unusual twists and turns, several of which set up the very strong likelihood that Fox is promoted to Captain due to his actions. But sadly, it ends as usual for a Fox novel almost like the end of a long chapter, with the next book meant to carry on the story.
But the next book never came. Close Quarters was printed 1977, and then Adam Hardy (real name Kenneth Bulmer) changed over to a series of science fiction novels. Why he never returned to the Fox series is unclear.
The series is wide open and welcome to more books which I would love to see taken up. I can even see a rough outline of the future books in my mind.
George Abercrombie Fox is trying to get to Gibraltair with his old, now-damaged ship Alkon, with most of its armaments removed so it has extra space to carry passengers: mostly wounded from the battle of Aboukir Bay in Egypt. Having survived an attack by the French in the previous book Sea Flame, Commander Fox now finds himself becalmed, and under attack by Spanish gunboats.
This book moves along a bit slower than some, with the gunboat battle taking a significant chunk of the story. It isn't dull or slow to read, just a fairly long and detailed sequence of a fight for the life of the ship.
Overall the novel takes some unusual twists and turns, several of which set up the very strong likelihood that Fox is promoted to Captain due to his actions. But sadly, it ends as usual for a Fox novel almost like the end of a long chapter, with the next book meant to carry on the story.
But the next book never came. Close Quarters was printed 1977, and then Adam Hardy (real name Kenneth Bulmer) changed over to a series of science fiction novels. Why he never returned to the Fox series is unclear.
The series is wide open and welcome to more books which I would love to see taken up. I can even see a rough outline of the future books in my mind.
June 13, 2016
Excellent Nautical History of the Napoleonic War era. Fox is a terrific character and he shines in this the last novel of the series.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews