Der Falsche Lotse: Kapitän Drinkwater In Der Chinasee ; Roman

Nathaniel Drinkwater #9

by Richard Woodman

Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater brings the frigate Patrician to the Pearl River on the China coast and finds himself caught up in bizarre events.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Nautical, Military Fiction, Fiction

Perfect Paperback

First published July 25, 1999

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

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the Nathaniel Drinkwater Series by Richard Woodman.

In this book Drinkwater and the crew of HMS Patrician finds themselves in the Far East. After surviving a typhoon, HMS Patrician find shelter in the British East India Company facility on the Pearl River in China. From here it is non-stop action and suspense. Beside intrigue and pirates, Drinkwater faces off with his old foe, Morris.

Woodman is a master of the nautical historical novel. I particularly enjoy learning about sailing vessels of the 19th century along with the history of the British East India Company and the Napoleonic War. If you are looking for a good sea story, try this series. Thank you, Goodreads’ friend David, for introducing me to this series and for the books.

I read this in hardback form. It is 247 pages and published by St. Martin Press.

[John Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Private Revenge, Novel 9. This ongoing nautical series by Richard Woodman continues to be exciting and full of seagoing adventure, with many twists and turns. We first meet Nathaniel Drinkwater in Novel 1, as a young midshipman. Thirty years later (1808) he is now an experienced Post Captain feeling his age, nursing multiple wounds but not lacking in courage. He has had disappointments along the way but achieved many victories. As I continue through the series his likable character and that of some of his loyal crew members has me drawn completely into the story. I continue in anticipation of the final novel when Drinkwater retires in his eighties.

Don't read the book if you haven't read all the previous novels.

[Viva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole review is full of spoilers. Don't read it unless you want to know before you read the book.

This follows immediately after the last book. Remarkably the frigate Patrician heads for China after sinking the Russian 74 in battle. I have no idea why didn't they just either drop off the Russian officers or men or both on any shore or any nearby settlement. I would not have wanted to keep the crew of even a depleted 74 on my ship for thousands of miles nor was it his duty to do so.

Anyway they get to the Pearl estuary where they are merged with history. I didn't know this but apparently the British occupied Portuguese Macao for a short time to protect their trading interests. The Brits were then thrown out of Canton by order of the Chinese Manchu emperor. The locals including the Viceroy didn't want this because it cut off their income.

Drinkwater (ND) is then tasked with convoying a fleet of 14 British merchantmen to Penang (Malaysia). The author touches on the nepotism of Edward Pellew who promoted his son so fast that he became a post captain at 17 years old. I checked up on this and it was true.

At Canton ND meets up with Morris again (his old enemy from previous books) who by this time has become an obese and dissolute degenerate. I hate these arch enemy villains. Another reviewer once said it's to provide an element of conflict which has to be overcome. I don't like them because it's lazy writing to have the same enemy over and over again, this restricts the story line and someone this dangerous should have been dispatched the first time they got the upper hand over them.

I know what's going to happen is that Morris does something to ND which causes him harm and then ND gets the better of Morris and that's exactly what happens and that's what I mean about restricting the story line because it's always the same thing.

ND takes Morris as a passenger in his ship. I would have dumped him off to one of the merchantmen or better yet thrown him overboard during one dark night. Instead ND allows him to stay in his own cabin(!) and allows him to corrupt one of the weaker Russian midshipmen. This leads to the Russian sabotaging the ship's compass during a storm (see what I mean about throwing Morris overboard?). The Patrician loses the convoy because of this and 2 merchantmen are captured by Dayaks including one carrying a lot of silver.

They get to Penang where ND's reputation is tarnished because of this. Morris then suggests he help ND recover the 2 ships because he has the charts and knows the area. They get near the Dayak hideout and Morris abducts Tregembo (the captain's faithful coxswain) and escapes to the hideout. ND finds the hideout by following carrion birds flying above it. They attack but Tregembo is dead. ND finally kills Morris and appropriates all the accumulated Dayak silver.

Woodman does a pretty good job of melding actual history with the series. I just thought the addition of the Russians and Morris was superfluous. The Russians didn't add much to the story and the entire plot could have been more interesting without a known arch enemy. Besides, you could basically predict what was going to happen. Finally, no character is safe in this book and unfortunately Tregembo was killed and so was a new sailing master ND had picked up. The new master was the mixed progeny of a British merchantman and an Indian woman and I think would have made for an interesting character in the series.

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book Nathaniel Drinkwater is still in the Pacific sailing with a crew that wants only to see England again. I came away with the feeling that these men were starting to feel the loneliest of being at sea. But there are enemies to face before they can sail home to England. Drink water has to face an old enemy for a final time. The crew of the Patrician win in the end, but not without a butcher's bill to pay.

[R B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more like Indiana Jones than 19th century British naval fiction.

[John Nino · Rating 5 out of 5]

long overdue settlement

A well planned plot. Interesting twists and turns. Great character development. Actually quite a quick read. But it does grab and keep your attention.

[David Eppenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not know what attracts me to the books of early 19th century sailing adventures but I do so enjoy them. Woodman's books are certainly equal to and, I think better, than the OBrian books. I am nearing the end of this Drinkwater series and, hopefully, I will find a suitable replacement. Until that need arises, however, I will enjoy these tales of the sea. This particular addition to the series is a bit unusual for its violence and visceral emotions which were completely in keeping with the nature of the story. Woodman's Drinkwater is a much more human and complex captain than is O'Brian's Jack Aubry. While both are men of action with strong loyalties among their men Drinkwater has faults and failings that haunt him and plague his life. It is an interesting journey to follow this character and his adventures. On to the next book.

[RhC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the strongest entry to the series.

Some of the actions taken and decisions made I feel don't fit the Drinkwater character. HOWEVER, the arrival of an old nemesis possibly explains these incongruities as Nat is shaken to the core.

[Geoff Woodland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book twenty years ago and I still enjoyed reading it again.

[Sonny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave it 3 stars because I just didn't think it was up to par with previous books in the series.