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Isaac Biddlecomb #2
The Maddest Idea
From Simon & Schuster, The Maddest Idea is James L. Nelson's Book Two is a powerful saga of the American Revolution and a stirring dramatic maritime adventure.
When gunpowder reserves dwindle to dangerously low levels in 1775, General George Washington sends Captain Isaac Biddlecomb on a treacherous mission to capture British gunpowder in Bermuda.
When gunpowder reserves dwindle to dangerously low levels in 1775, General George Washington sends Captain Isaac Biddlecomb on a treacherous mission to capture British gunpowder in Bermuda.
417 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
43 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
James L. Nelson
62 books362 followersJames L. Nelson (1962-) is an American historical nautical novelist. He was born in Lewiston, Maine. In 1980, Nelson graduated from Lewiston High School. Nelson attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for two years, and then transferred to UCLA, with the ambition of becoming a film director. Nelson, his wife, Lisa, and their daughter Betsy lived for two years in Steubenville, Ohio, while Lisa attended Franciscan University. They also have two boys, Nate and Jack. They now live in Harpswell, Maine, where Nelson continues to write full time.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 31, 2018
Several months have passed since Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill. Now George Washington's new ragtag colonial army is besieging the British in Boston. There's just one problem: the army only has enough black powder for 9 cartridges per soldier. Hardly enough for a skirmish, leave alone a battle. And if a cannon duel should flare up between the two sides . . . well, the colonials' precious power would be quickly depleted and army would be defenseless. So much for the nascent revolution – defeated before it could start.
Enter Isaac Biddlecomb, captain of the armed brig Charlemagne and a man haunted by seeing so many of his shipmates killed in a ship-to-ship battle before the book opens. When George Washington learns that the British have a cache of black powder in Bermuda, he sends a reluctant Biddlecomb to steal the powder and bring it back to Cambridge. Although he agrees to the mission, Biddlecomb has mixed feelings because there's a price on his head for leading a mutiny onboard a British ship (see Book 1, Force of Arms) and if Biddlecomb is captured he'll be hanged. But no one in Bermuda will recognize him, right? Wrong! The mission is actually a trap to capture Biddlecomb set by the British and one of the five patriots who know about the mission.
Meanwhile, back in Cambridge, Washington learns about the trap and sends his aide, Major Edward Fitzgerald of Virginia, to find and kill the traitor. Fitzgerald has his own problem: he's a high-ranking officer but has never been tested in battle and considers himself a sham. He also discovers that ferreting out the traitor is more difficult than he imagined. And he falls in love with Virginia Stanton, the woman Biddlecomb loves but is too shy to tell her of his love.
Of course Biddlecomb escapes and returns to Boston in a series of hair-raising adventures – up until almost the last page – that would be unbelievable if handled by a less-skilled author than Nelson. The book isn't all action, though, because Virginia and Fitzgerald have to work out their relationship. The Biddlecomb-Viriginia-Fitzgerald problem is only a very small part of the story and I wouldn't really call it a love triangle (which I'm really tired of). It is an important part of the story, though.
I'm a great fan of C. S. Forrester's Horatio Hornblower series (I've read it three times) and wasn't sure how good Nelson's series would be. When I saw this book in a used bookstore, I decided to give it a try. After a slow start, I found myself engrossed in the story. At first, though, I had trouble. I do know some nautical terminology but Nelson flings the terms like hail in a hail storm: futtock shrouds, scantlings, gantline, clewline. (Nelson used to be a professional square rig sailor, so those terms come easily to him.) He does include a glossary in the back of the book and I found myself looking up term after term, which interrupted the reading. Then I had an idea: stop looking up the terms and just go with the flow. I did, and just sailed along and enjoyed the adventure.
I usually don't jump into a series without reading the previous books. Fortunately, Nelson provided just enough details from Force of Arms for me to get oriented to how that story affected this one. And even though I now know how that book ends, I'm going to read it.
Just a side note: Nelson lives in Maine as do I. In June my wife and I learned Nelson was performing at the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site in Pemaquid, Maine, as the pirate Dixy Bull. We both love 18th-century history and went to see both the site and Nelson. Nelson gave a fun performance in full pirate regalia that appealed to both adults and kids. If you're in Maine and have a chance to see him, I highly recommend it.
Enter Isaac Biddlecomb, captain of the armed brig Charlemagne and a man haunted by seeing so many of his shipmates killed in a ship-to-ship battle before the book opens. When George Washington learns that the British have a cache of black powder in Bermuda, he sends a reluctant Biddlecomb to steal the powder and bring it back to Cambridge. Although he agrees to the mission, Biddlecomb has mixed feelings because there's a price on his head for leading a mutiny onboard a British ship (see Book 1, Force of Arms) and if Biddlecomb is captured he'll be hanged. But no one in Bermuda will recognize him, right? Wrong! The mission is actually a trap to capture Biddlecomb set by the British and one of the five patriots who know about the mission.
Meanwhile, back in Cambridge, Washington learns about the trap and sends his aide, Major Edward Fitzgerald of Virginia, to find and kill the traitor. Fitzgerald has his own problem: he's a high-ranking officer but has never been tested in battle and considers himself a sham. He also discovers that ferreting out the traitor is more difficult than he imagined. And he falls in love with Virginia Stanton, the woman Biddlecomb loves but is too shy to tell her of his love.
Of course Biddlecomb escapes and returns to Boston in a series of hair-raising adventures – up until almost the last page – that would be unbelievable if handled by a less-skilled author than Nelson. The book isn't all action, though, because Virginia and Fitzgerald have to work out their relationship. The Biddlecomb-Viriginia-Fitzgerald problem is only a very small part of the story and I wouldn't really call it a love triangle (which I'm really tired of). It is an important part of the story, though.
I'm a great fan of C. S. Forrester's Horatio Hornblower series (I've read it three times) and wasn't sure how good Nelson's series would be. When I saw this book in a used bookstore, I decided to give it a try. After a slow start, I found myself engrossed in the story. At first, though, I had trouble. I do know some nautical terminology but Nelson flings the terms like hail in a hail storm: futtock shrouds, scantlings, gantline, clewline. (Nelson used to be a professional square rig sailor, so those terms come easily to him.) He does include a glossary in the back of the book and I found myself looking up term after term, which interrupted the reading. Then I had an idea: stop looking up the terms and just go with the flow. I did, and just sailed along and enjoyed the adventure.
I usually don't jump into a series without reading the previous books. Fortunately, Nelson provided just enough details from Force of Arms for me to get oriented to how that story affected this one. And even though I now know how that book ends, I'm going to read it.
Just a side note: Nelson lives in Maine as do I. In June my wife and I learned Nelson was performing at the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site in Pemaquid, Maine, as the pirate Dixy Bull. We both love 18th-century history and went to see both the site and Nelson. Nelson gave a fun performance in full pirate regalia that appealed to both adults and kids. If you're in Maine and have a chance to see him, I highly recommend it.
September 4, 2017
A pretty solid story about some events in American history I was not familiar with. While the US wars at sea were never as long and involved as British, there still were some interesting events, and this trilogy examines a few during the US Revolutionary War.
The second in the trilogy, Maddest Idea deals with the protagonist Isaac Biddlecomb coming to terms with being a part of the Revolution and becoming a full war-time sea captain. There are some events that are a bit unlikely (his crew learns to be experts and work together a bit too swiftly) but overall it is exciting and clearly written by someone familiar with the sea.
By this time, so many sea novels have come out that its not easy to present the reader with something new or surprising about combat at sail, but Nelson manages to pull it off several times again. Isaac isn't so much a man like Hornblower who seems to know everything about sailing far better than any others, but he's more like James Bond, who makes the right response, in a flash, to the slightest opportunity and turns that to his advantage.
Overall entertaining, and laced with interesting historical events and personages.
The second in the trilogy, Maddest Idea deals with the protagonist Isaac Biddlecomb coming to terms with being a part of the Revolution and becoming a full war-time sea captain. There are some events that are a bit unlikely (his crew learns to be experts and work together a bit too swiftly) but overall it is exciting and clearly written by someone familiar with the sea.
By this time, so many sea novels have come out that its not easy to present the reader with something new or surprising about combat at sail, but Nelson manages to pull it off several times again. Isaac isn't so much a man like Hornblower who seems to know everything about sailing far better than any others, but he's more like James Bond, who makes the right response, in a flash, to the slightest opportunity and turns that to his advantage.
Overall entertaining, and laced with interesting historical events and personages.
October 13, 2017
The sixth book read of this author. An exciting page turner. The Biddlecomb character is like a Dirk Pitt of the 18th century
November 6, 2025
This is the fast moving, action-packed story we have come to expect from Mr. Nelson, although I thought some of the plot was a little improbable. However, the psychology of the American Revolution is entirely believable: once you decide to rebel against the leading military power of the time, how do you find officers and crews for the ships you've built or bought at great expense? It's surprising how many Continental Navy vessels managed to not only escape prompt capture, but even won an occasional battle. The fictional character of Capt. Biddlecomb rings profoundly true to the time. The fact he's an unenthusiastic convert to the rebel cause shouldn't upset anyone who knows the history. The arguments in favor of remaining a colony vs becoming independent were about equally cogent, and the hero who is pushed into battle is almost common enough to be a cliché. Was it in one of John Wayne's movies that the main character writes out a letter of resignation as a junior lieutenant and brings it with him to every subsequent billet?
A lot of the geographical region where the action takes place is familiar to me as I've sailed in both Narragansett Bay and the Caribbean. I'm trying to get over the fact that author Nelson never mentions Wickford, RI, the port I sailed out of in 1970. It had buildings dating to the 1680's as I remember. It was a bustling little harbor when I used it but maybe too small to be economically used in the 1770's? Anyway, most of the local detail is spot on and the seamanship details are, too. A fun, very fast read. I haven't checked primary sources on the action around Boston in that period with Gen. Washington laying siege to the place but the topography of the port seems about right (yes, been there and visited USS Constitution a couple of times).
A lot of the geographical region where the action takes place is familiar to me as I've sailed in both Narragansett Bay and the Caribbean. I'm trying to get over the fact that author Nelson never mentions Wickford, RI, the port I sailed out of in 1970. It had buildings dating to the 1680's as I remember. It was a bustling little harbor when I used it but maybe too small to be economically used in the 1770's? Anyway, most of the local detail is spot on and the seamanship details are, too. A fun, very fast read. I haven't checked primary sources on the action around Boston in that period with Gen. Washington laying siege to the place but the topography of the port seems about right (yes, been there and visited USS Constitution a couple of times).
November 18, 2025
Audible/Kindle (the great John Lee of Lewrie fame reads these too...just brilliant)
The Maddest Idea (Isaac Biddlecomb #2)
Coming in hot at about a 4.5. This one is a genuine step up from the first book, which I liked but didn’t exactly toast with grog. Here, Nelson finally catches the wind just right. I’ll be finishing this series and probably anything else he writes. It’s a rare joy to stumble onto an author who hits your preferred style without braining you with it.
I’m deep into Age of Sail fiction to a possibly concerning degree, and let’s be honest: most of it isn’t exactly “fun.” Alan Lewrie remains the lone trouble making exception. Nelson, blessedly, is not Patrick O’Brian, and I say that with love. He’s nautical without forcing you to study for a midshipman’s exam. No endless dissertations on blocks and tackle. No paragraphs about the correct emotional bond between a captain and his mizzenmast.
Better yet, we get off the Royal Navy Quarterdeck for once and watch events from the scrappy young USA’s deck. Biddlecomb gets dispatched by General George to the Bahamas to rustle up gunpowder (the titular maddest idea). There’s a love triangle, a traitor, and enough land-based intrigue to keep things lively when you’re not smelling tar and salt.
And the romance? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it works. Virginia is a legitimately compelling character instead of the usual historical-fiction cardboard cutout. I didn’t even roll my eyes, which is saying something.
Historically, it lines up well enough. Yes, the colonies had a gunpowder crisis. Yes, Washington sent out retrieval missions. This specific escapade is fictional, but the context is solid. Traitors and spies? That part practically writes itself.
I used AI to sort what was real from what was made-up, and it’ll stay in my toolkit for future reads. Saves the trouble of hunting down dusty footnotes.
All told… absolutely my kind of book. YEAH BABY.
The Maddest Idea (Isaac Biddlecomb #2)
Coming in hot at about a 4.5. This one is a genuine step up from the first book, which I liked but didn’t exactly toast with grog. Here, Nelson finally catches the wind just right. I’ll be finishing this series and probably anything else he writes. It’s a rare joy to stumble onto an author who hits your preferred style without braining you with it.
I’m deep into Age of Sail fiction to a possibly concerning degree, and let’s be honest: most of it isn’t exactly “fun.” Alan Lewrie remains the lone trouble making exception. Nelson, blessedly, is not Patrick O’Brian, and I say that with love. He’s nautical without forcing you to study for a midshipman’s exam. No endless dissertations on blocks and tackle. No paragraphs about the correct emotional bond between a captain and his mizzenmast.
Better yet, we get off the Royal Navy Quarterdeck for once and watch events from the scrappy young USA’s deck. Biddlecomb gets dispatched by General George to the Bahamas to rustle up gunpowder (the titular maddest idea). There’s a love triangle, a traitor, and enough land-based intrigue to keep things lively when you’re not smelling tar and salt.
And the romance? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it works. Virginia is a legitimately compelling character instead of the usual historical-fiction cardboard cutout. I didn’t even roll my eyes, which is saying something.
Historically, it lines up well enough. Yes, the colonies had a gunpowder crisis. Yes, Washington sent out retrieval missions. This specific escapade is fictional, but the context is solid. Traitors and spies? That part practically writes itself.
I used AI to sort what was real from what was made-up, and it’ll stay in my toolkit for future reads. Saves the trouble of hunting down dusty footnotes.
All told… absolutely my kind of book. YEAH BABY.
June 5, 2025
Revolution at Sea book two. Nelson has a descriptive ability that only comes from years of real life sailing experience. The new characters were a nice addition and the pacing is once again swift, almost too swift sometimes. There were some things that happened in the second half that were a bit of a stretch, but overall this is a solid sequel to the first.
April 14, 2021
Biddlecomb the accomplished Captain
If you love maritime fiction, you will love this. A great story, set in it’s historical context. The plucky Colonials take on the might of the Royal Navy.
If you love maritime fiction, you will love this. A great story, set in it’s historical context. The plucky Colonials take on the might of the Royal Navy.
October 14, 2022
Maddest Idea delays housework
Just couldn’t put it down. Best James Nelson I have read. Only disappointment was when I turned the last page and it was finished. Must get back to housework now before I start another in the Nelson series
Just couldn’t put it down. Best James Nelson I have read. Only disappointment was when I turned the last page and it was finished. Must get back to housework now before I start another in the Nelson series
October 13, 2017
There were so many twists in this book, it was hard to tell which idea was the maddest. However I really did like how the stakes just kept getting ramped up to a satisfying climactic confrontation.
May 21, 2024
MAGNIFICO. Il libro sulla navigazione e sui pirati più bello che abbia mai letto. Avventuroso fino all'ultima pagina. DA LEGGERE ASSOLUTAMENTE
June 28, 2013
I love James L. Nelson's books. I've been a big fan of "sea stories" like Horatio Hornblower and the Aubrey/Maturin series for some time. However, Nelson's writing is much easier to read and I would think more gratifying for the modern audience. His Revolution at Sea series is also from the American perspective. It's nice, for once, to read historical fiction from this side of the pond.
I always like a little romance in my books, but I never expect much from books that aren't written as romances. While, Nelson doesn't have a lot of women in his books - it is, after all, set mostly on ships of war - the main female character is believable and engaging. She's clearly not just some after thought that the author added so he could spice things up a bit. The love that is blossoming between Virginia and Captain Biddlecomb is very endearing.
I am very much looking forward to reading the third book in the series!
I always like a little romance in my books, but I never expect much from books that aren't written as romances. While, Nelson doesn't have a lot of women in his books - it is, after all, set mostly on ships of war - the main female character is believable and engaging. She's clearly not just some after thought that the author added so he could spice things up a bit. The love that is blossoming between Virginia and Captain Biddlecomb is very endearing.
I am very much looking forward to reading the third book in the series!
May 2, 2007
Second book in the trilogy. Not as much fun as the first book. A sea-faring novel about the Revolutionary War with extremely accurate and authentic nautical renderings.
July 15, 2007
Another good historical maritime novel
July 30, 2011
Great historical fiction about navy warfare during the Revolutionary War.
July 7, 2012
Second in the Revolution at Sea Triology (which later became the Revolution at Sea Saga due to the inclusion of a 4th and 5th book)
March 19, 2016
Similar to the first book: enjoyable historical fiction, if a little over-dramatic in the descriptions of the character's emotions. I liked it.
March 31, 2015
Exceptional, even better than first.
October 23, 2016
Another 5 star read. Can't wait to continue on!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews