Shortlisted for Book of the Month
A #DDRevs Diamond Read
Alexander Clay
series #3
Nautical /
Fictional Saga
18th Century
English Channel
Alexander Clay
is now a Post Captain following his exploits in the first two volumes and his
first command is a tough one: the crew of the Titan have mutinied and
deposed their ruthless captain. Unable to identify the ring leaders, Clay
restores certain activities – such as music on deck – and wins round the
majority of the crew. But he still needs the help of some of his former
shipmates.
Also in his
camp is Sir Edward Pellew, a nod to Forester here, but Pellew was a real
person, active at this time. Pellew
orders the Titan to take part in the blockade of a French port and here
Clay proves his worth once again, as do the majority of his crew, but mutiny is
still brewing and when the fleet rebels en masse, things don't look
promising for Clay. Despite all this, love could still be in the air for our
intrepid Captain ...
Mr Allan
follows a a tried and tested formula; other captains are either tyrants or weak
and they all look to support the 'gentlemen' rather than the talented. Pursers
are sly and penny-pinching, everybody on board has a secret, whether good or
bad and there are a lot of 'buddy' relationships covering all decks. What, for
me, elevates the author to the heights of Forester, Kent and O' Brian, is the
magnificence of the descriptions of life at sea, the hazards of sailing and the
really authentic-sounding dialogue incorporating the odd-sounding nuances of
the times.
There were a
few typos in my file and, as with all series, it is always best for readers to acquaint themselves with the
earlier volumes. There are, however, enough references to previous activities
to make this perfectly readable as an independent story. I would have liked to
have seen a date at least at the beginning if not as part of some chapter
headings and perhaps a map, but that was no great omission as most of the
action takes place in one place.
I can heartily
recommend this book in its own right, but especially to followers of the other
authors in this genre mentioned above.
© Richard
Tearle
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