#18 - Colours Aloft!
This naval page-turner from the pen of the master storyteller of the sea, multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, is full of action, political intrigue and personal tragedy and is perfect for fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester. Dive in and get straight to the heart of the action!
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times
'Really good book, needed to keep turning the pages' -- ***** Reader review
'This series is the daddy!' -- ***** Reader review
'A jolly good read' -- ***** Reader review
'Great novel, great writing, always guaranteed to keep me interested' -- ***** Reader review
'Excellent read, you're there with Boltho!' -- ***** Reader review
'Exciting throughout. Brilliant!' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1803: Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho finds himself the new master of the Argonaute, a French flagship taken in battle. With the Peace of Amiens in ruins, he must leave the safety of Falmouth.
What lies ahead is the grim reality of war at close quarters - where Bolitho will be called upon to anticipate the overall intention of the French fleet. But the battle has also become a personal vendetta between himself and the French admiral who formerly sailed the Argonaute.
Bolitho and his men are driven to a final rendezvous where no quarter is asked or given.
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times
'Really good book, needed to keep turning the pages' -- ***** Reader review
'This series is the daddy!' -- ***** Reader review
'A jolly good read' -- ***** Reader review
'Great novel, great writing, always guaranteed to keep me interested' -- ***** Reader review
'Excellent read, you're there with Boltho!' -- ***** Reader review
'Exciting throughout. Brilliant!' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1803: Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho finds himself the new master of the Argonaute, a French flagship taken in battle. With the Peace of Amiens in ruins, he must leave the safety of Falmouth.
What lies ahead is the grim reality of war at close quarters - where Bolitho will be called upon to anticipate the overall intention of the French fleet. But the battle has also become a personal vendetta between himself and the French admiral who formerly sailed the Argonaute.
Bolitho and his men are driven to a final rendezvous where no quarter is asked or given.
#19 - Honour This Day
If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this all-guns-blazing naval page-turner from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to have you hooked from page one!
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn' -- The Times
'Gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review
'Exceptionally well written' -- ***** Reader review
'What a story!' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1804: England stands alone against France and the fleets of Spain, expecting an invasion any day. Entrusted with an urgent mission for the King, Vice-Admiral Richard Bolitho hoists his flag above the veteran seventy-four-gun ship Hyperion and sets sail with a new squadron for the Caribbean.
Plagued by the knowledge that both his troubled marriage and the eye injured in his last battle with Contre-Amiral Jobert are worsening, Bolitho is eager to leave England less than three months after his return home. But even his beloved old ship Hyperion, hastily restored from an ignominious existence as a hulk, is full of tormenting memories and lost faces.
Having navigated several battles along the way, he is roused in Antigua from his darkness of soul by the rediscovery of a passion which defies convention and every risk to his reputation.
His future is full of uncertainty as he sails east to Gibraltar, for a rendezvous that all who follow his flag will remember...
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn' -- The Times
'Gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review
'Exceptionally well written' -- ***** Reader review
'What a story!' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1804: England stands alone against France and the fleets of Spain, expecting an invasion any day. Entrusted with an urgent mission for the King, Vice-Admiral Richard Bolitho hoists his flag above the veteran seventy-four-gun ship Hyperion and sets sail with a new squadron for the Caribbean.
Plagued by the knowledge that both his troubled marriage and the eye injured in his last battle with Contre-Amiral Jobert are worsening, Bolitho is eager to leave England less than three months after his return home. But even his beloved old ship Hyperion, hastily restored from an ignominious existence as a hulk, is full of tormenting memories and lost faces.
Having navigated several battles along the way, he is roused in Antigua from his darkness of soul by the rediscovery of a passion which defies convention and every risk to his reputation.
His future is full of uncertainty as he sails east to Gibraltar, for a rendezvous that all who follow his flag will remember...
#20 - The Only Victor
The master storyteller of the sea, multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, has penned another gripping, swashbuckling and emotionally charged naval adventure full of vividly depicted military action - perfect for fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester.
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times
'Another great story, gripping to the end'-- ***** Reader review
'Once you start it's hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Kept me enthralled' -- ***** Reader review
'Great read from start to finish' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1806: The frigate carrying Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho drops anchor off the shores of southern Africa. It is only four months since the resounding victory over the combined Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar, and the death of England's greatest naval hero.
Bolitho's instructions are to assist in hastening the campaign in Africa, where an expeditionary force is attempting to recapture Cape Town from the Dutch. Outside Europe few have yet heard of the battle of Trafalgar, and Bolitho's news is met with both optimism and disappointment as he reminds the senior officers that, despite the victory, Napolean's defeat is by no means assured.
The men who follow Bolitho's flag into battle are to discover, not for the first time, that death is the only victor.
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times
'Another great story, gripping to the end'-- ***** Reader review
'Once you start it's hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Kept me enthralled' -- ***** Reader review
'Great read from start to finish' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1806: The frigate carrying Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho drops anchor off the shores of southern Africa. It is only four months since the resounding victory over the combined Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar, and the death of England's greatest naval hero.
Bolitho's instructions are to assist in hastening the campaign in Africa, where an expeditionary force is attempting to recapture Cape Town from the Dutch. Outside Europe few have yet heard of the battle of Trafalgar, and Bolitho's news is met with both optimism and disappointment as he reminds the senior officers that, despite the victory, Napolean's defeat is by no means assured.
The men who follow Bolitho's flag into battle are to discover, not for the first time, that death is the only victor.
#21 - Beyond the Reef
Let the master storyteller of the sea, multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, transport you to the heart of the action in this no-holds-barred naval adventure. You'll feel like you're on the deck with Bolitho!
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times
'A great read from beginning to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Keeps you hooked - I was not able to stop reading until the dramatic finale!!!' -- ***** Reader review
'Edge of your seat reading, most enjoyable' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down. Superb' -- ***** Reader review
'Another masterpiece from Alexander Kent' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1808: As Napoleon holds Portugal and threatens his old ally Spain, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho is dispatched once more to the Cape of Good Hope to establish a permanent naval force there.
Setting aside his bitter memories and the anguish of a friendship betrayed, Bolitho takes passage in the ill-fated Golden Plover. With him sail others commanded by duty and lured by danger - and those who wish only to escape.
But when shipwreck and disaster overtake the Golden Plover off the desolate coast of Africa, neither the innocent nor the damned are spared. Beyond the tortured hell of the reef, Bolitho's battle begins - to summon the survivors' last reserves of courage and of hope.
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times
'A great read from beginning to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Keeps you hooked - I was not able to stop reading until the dramatic finale!!!' -- ***** Reader review
'Edge of your seat reading, most enjoyable' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down. Superb' -- ***** Reader review
'Another masterpiece from Alexander Kent' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1808: As Napoleon holds Portugal and threatens his old ally Spain, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho is dispatched once more to the Cape of Good Hope to establish a permanent naval force there.
Setting aside his bitter memories and the anguish of a friendship betrayed, Bolitho takes passage in the ill-fated Golden Plover. With him sail others commanded by duty and lured by danger - and those who wish only to escape.
But when shipwreck and disaster overtake the Golden Plover off the desolate coast of Africa, neither the innocent nor the damned are spared. Beyond the tortured hell of the reef, Bolitho's battle begins - to summon the survivors' last reserves of courage and of hope.
#22 - The Darkening Sea
If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this captivating, vivid and exciting page-turner from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you hooked!
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times
'A very hard book to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Awesome' -- ***** Reader review
'Gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review
'A great yarn' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1809: Returning safely to England after the dramatic capture of Martinque, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho finds an all too brief respite from war and politics in the arms of his mistress Catherine Somervell.
But the shadow of a new conflict already darkens the horizon. The old enemy, France, forges an uneasy alliance with America - threatening the safety of British trade routes.
Although ordered immediately to the Indian Ocean, for the first time Bolitho's thoughts are not of glory but his own - and the Navy's - past.
Both Nelson and Collingwood died in their country's service. For the navy's newest Admiral, is there life beyond the sea itself?
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times
'A very hard book to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Awesome' -- ***** Reader review
'Gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review
'A great yarn' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1809: Returning safely to England after the dramatic capture of Martinque, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho finds an all too brief respite from war and politics in the arms of his mistress Catherine Somervell.
But the shadow of a new conflict already darkens the horizon. The old enemy, France, forges an uneasy alliance with America - threatening the safety of British trade routes.
Although ordered immediately to the Indian Ocean, for the first time Bolitho's thoughts are not of glory but his own - and the Navy's - past.
Both Nelson and Collingwood died in their country's service. For the navy's newest Admiral, is there life beyond the sea itself?
#23 - For My Country's Freedom
Fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester will love this captivating, vivid and exciting page-turner from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat!
'Shipwreck, survival... a spirited battle... a splendid yarn' -- Times
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Alexander Keen is a master of his craft' -- ***** Reader review
'Seamless fiction at its best' -- ***** Reader review
'Another great story, gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1811: After two and a half months of precious peace in Cornwall with his beloved mistress Catherine, Admiral Richard Bolitho is once again summoned to London.
In defence of an Empire, the Admiralty must quell the unrest in America - or face the war with those who were once friends. For when diplomacy fails, the cannon will speak.
For his daring mission, Bolitho must call on the loyalty of his most trusted officers - and the trust of those he loves the most. Distance too is their enemy, as the Indomitable leads the fleet from Plymouth towards the rich merchant grounds of the Americas.
In the troubled seas from Antigua north to Halifax, Admiral Bolitho's revolutionary 'flying squadron' will face their first and harshest test. For a country's freedom.
For a hero's right to turn his back on the sea ...
'Shipwreck, survival... a spirited battle... a splendid yarn' -- Times
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Alexander Keen is a master of his craft' -- ***** Reader review
'Seamless fiction at its best' -- ***** Reader review
'Another great story, gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1811: After two and a half months of precious peace in Cornwall with his beloved mistress Catherine, Admiral Richard Bolitho is once again summoned to London.
In defence of an Empire, the Admiralty must quell the unrest in America - or face the war with those who were once friends. For when diplomacy fails, the cannon will speak.
For his daring mission, Bolitho must call on the loyalty of his most trusted officers - and the trust of those he loves the most. Distance too is their enemy, as the Indomitable leads the fleet from Plymouth towards the rich merchant grounds of the Americas.
In the troubled seas from Antigua north to Halifax, Admiral Bolitho's revolutionary 'flying squadron' will face their first and harshest test. For a country's freedom.
For a hero's right to turn his back on the sea ...
#23 - For My Country's Freedom
Fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester will love this captivating, vivid and exciting page-turner from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat!
'Shipwreck, survival... a spirited battle... a splendid yarn' -- Times
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Alexander Keen is a master of his craft' -- ***** Reader review
'Seamless fiction at its best' -- ***** Reader review
'Another great story, gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1811: After two and a half months of precious peace in Cornwall with his beloved mistress Catherine, Admiral Richard Bolitho is once again summoned to London.
In defence of an Empire, the Admiralty must quell the unrest in America - or face the war with those who were once friends. For when diplomacy fails, the cannon will speak.
For his daring mission, Bolitho must call on the loyalty of his most trusted officers - and the trust of those he loves the most. Distance too is their enemy, as the Indomitable leads the fleet from Plymouth towards the rich merchant grounds of the Americas.
In the troubled seas from Antigua north to Halifax, Admiral Bolitho's revolutionary 'flying squadron' will face their first and harshest test. For a country's freedom.
For a hero's right to turn his back on the sea ...
'Shipwreck, survival... a spirited battle... a splendid yarn' -- Times
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Alexander Keen is a master of his craft' -- ***** Reader review
'Seamless fiction at its best' -- ***** Reader review
'Another great story, gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1811: After two and a half months of precious peace in Cornwall with his beloved mistress Catherine, Admiral Richard Bolitho is once again summoned to London.
In defence of an Empire, the Admiralty must quell the unrest in America - or face the war with those who were once friends. For when diplomacy fails, the cannon will speak.
For his daring mission, Bolitho must call on the loyalty of his most trusted officers - and the trust of those he loves the most. Distance too is their enemy, as the Indomitable leads the fleet from Plymouth towards the rich merchant grounds of the Americas.
In the troubled seas from Antigua north to Halifax, Admiral Bolitho's revolutionary 'flying squadron' will face their first and harshest test. For a country's freedom.
For a hero's right to turn his back on the sea ...
#24 - Cross Of St George
If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this gripping and swashbuckling maritime tale from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you hooked!
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES
'Addictive' -- ***** Reader review
'A rattling good tale...Alexander Kent captures the ethos of Nelson's navy as well as any writer before or since.' -- ***** Reader review
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review
'Could not put it down' -- ***** Reader review
'Fantastic book by an outstanding author' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1813: with convoys from Canada and the Caribbean falling victim to American privateers, Sir Richard Bolitho returns to Halifax to pursue a war he knows will not be won, but which neither Britain nor the United States can afford to lose.
England's youngest admiral desires only peace.
But peace will not be found in the icy Canadian waters, where a young, angry nation asserts its identity and men who share a common heritage die in close and bloody action.
Nor will there be a peace for those who follow the Cross of St George: for the embittered Adam, mourning his lover and his ship, nor for Rear-Admiral Valentine Keen, who must confront both grief and responsibility.
Nor will there be peace from those enemies who use this struggle between nations as an instrument of personal revenge...
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES
'Addictive' -- ***** Reader review
'A rattling good tale...Alexander Kent captures the ethos of Nelson's navy as well as any writer before or since.' -- ***** Reader review
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review
'Could not put it down' -- ***** Reader review
'Fantastic book by an outstanding author' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1813: with convoys from Canada and the Caribbean falling victim to American privateers, Sir Richard Bolitho returns to Halifax to pursue a war he knows will not be won, but which neither Britain nor the United States can afford to lose.
England's youngest admiral desires only peace.
But peace will not be found in the icy Canadian waters, where a young, angry nation asserts its identity and men who share a common heritage die in close and bloody action.
Nor will there be a peace for those who follow the Cross of St George: for the embittered Adam, mourning his lover and his ship, nor for Rear-Admiral Valentine Keen, who must confront both grief and responsibility.
Nor will there be peace from those enemies who use this struggle between nations as an instrument of personal revenge...
#25 - Sword Of Honour
With the epic scenes of action, powerful characterisation and the authentic period detail that we have come to expect from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, this all-action naval adventure is perfect for fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester. You'll be hooked from page one!
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES
'A real page-turner' -- ***** Reader review
'Masterful and emotional' -- ***** Reader review
'Another great story, gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1814: Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho returns to England from several months' rigorous patrolling off the North American coast. War with the United States has not yet ended, but news of Napoleon's defeat and abdication has stunned a navy and a nation bled by years of European conflict.
Victory has been the impossible dream and now, for Bolitho, a vision of the future and a personal peace seems attainable.
However an unsympathetic Admiralty dispatches him to Malta. Is this appointment a compliment or a malicious ploy to keep Bolitho from the woman he loves and the freedom he craves? He cannot know, but the voice of duty speaks more insistently even than the voice of the heart, and in this familiar sea where both glory and tragedy have touched his life, Bolitho must confront the future, the renaissance of a hated tyrant, and the fulfilment of destiny.
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES
'A real page-turner' -- ***** Reader review
'Masterful and emotional' -- ***** Reader review
'Another great story, gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review
*****
1814: Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho returns to England from several months' rigorous patrolling off the North American coast. War with the United States has not yet ended, but news of Napoleon's defeat and abdication has stunned a navy and a nation bled by years of European conflict.
Victory has been the impossible dream and now, for Bolitho, a vision of the future and a personal peace seems attainable.
However an unsympathetic Admiralty dispatches him to Malta. Is this appointment a compliment or a malicious ploy to keep Bolitho from the woman he loves and the freedom he craves? He cannot know, but the voice of duty speaks more insistently even than the voice of the heart, and in this familiar sea where both glory and tragedy have touched his life, Bolitho must confront the future, the renaissance of a hated tyrant, and the fulfilment of destiny.
#26 - Second To None
June 1815
On the eve of Waterloo, a sense of finality and cautious hope pervade a nation wearied by decades of war. But peace will present its own challenge to Adam Bolitho, captain of His Majesty's Ship Unrivalled, as many of his contemporaries face the prospect of discharge.
The life of a frigate captain is always lonely, but for Adam, mourning the death of his uncle Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho, that solitude acquires a deeper poignancy. He is, more than ever, alone, at the dawning of a new age for the Royal Navy, where the only constants are the sea and those enemies, often masked in the guise of friendship, who conspire to destroy him.
On the eve of Waterloo, a sense of finality and cautious hope pervade a nation wearied by decades of war. But peace will present its own challenge to Adam Bolitho, captain of His Majesty's Ship Unrivalled, as many of his contemporaries face the prospect of discharge.
The life of a frigate captain is always lonely, but for Adam, mourning the death of his uncle Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho, that solitude acquires a deeper poignancy. He is, more than ever, alone, at the dawning of a new age for the Royal Navy, where the only constants are the sea and those enemies, often masked in the guise of friendship, who conspire to destroy him.
#27 - Relentless Pursuit
December 1815
Adam Bolitho's orders are unequivocal. As captain of His Majesty's frigate Unrivalled of forty-six guns, he is required to 'repair in the first instance to Freetown, Sierra Leone, and reasonably assist the senior officer of the patrolling squadron. But all efforts of the British anti-slavery patrols to curb a flourishing trade in human life are hampered by unsuitable ships, by the indifference of a government more concerned with old enemies made distrustful allies, and by the continuing belligerence of the Dey of Algiers, which threatens to ignite a full-scale war.
For Adam, also, there is no peace. Lost in grief and loneliness, his uncle's death still unavenged, he is uncertain of all but his identity as a man of war. The sea is his element, the ship his only home, and a reckless, perhaps doomed attack on an impregnable stronghold his only hope of settling the bitterest of debts.
Adam Bolitho's orders are unequivocal. As captain of His Majesty's frigate Unrivalled of forty-six guns, he is required to 'repair in the first instance to Freetown, Sierra Leone, and reasonably assist the senior officer of the patrolling squadron. But all efforts of the British anti-slavery patrols to curb a flourishing trade in human life are hampered by unsuitable ships, by the indifference of a government more concerned with old enemies made distrustful allies, and by the continuing belligerence of the Dey of Algiers, which threatens to ignite a full-scale war.
For Adam, also, there is no peace. Lost in grief and loneliness, his uncle's death still unavenged, he is uncertain of all but his identity as a man of war. The sea is his element, the ship his only home, and a reckless, perhaps doomed attack on an impregnable stronghold his only hope of settling the bitterest of debts.
#28 - Man Of War
Antigua 1817
Every harbour and estuary is filled with ghostly ships, the famous and the legendary now redundant in the aftermath of the war. In this uneasy peace, Adam Bolitho is fortunate to be offered the seventy-four gun Athena, and as flag captain to Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Bethune once more follows his destiny to the Caribbean.
But in these haunted waters where Richard Bolitho and his 'band of brothers' once fought a familiar enemy, the quarry is now a renegade foe who flies no colours and offers no quarter, and whose traffic in human life is sanctioned by flawed treaties and men of influence. And here, and when Athena's guns speak, a day of terrible retribution will dawn for the innocent and the damned.
Every harbour and estuary is filled with ghostly ships, the famous and the legendary now redundant in the aftermath of the war. In this uneasy peace, Adam Bolitho is fortunate to be offered the seventy-four gun Athena, and as flag captain to Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Bethune once more follows his destiny to the Caribbean.
But in these haunted waters where Richard Bolitho and his 'band of brothers' once fought a familiar enemy, the quarry is now a renegade foe who flies no colours and offers no quarter, and whose traffic in human life is sanctioned by flawed treaties and men of influence. And here, and when Athena's guns speak, a day of terrible retribution will dawn for the innocent and the damned.
#29 - Heart Of Oak
It is February 1818, and Adam Bolitho longs for marriage and a safe personal harbour. But with so much of Britain's fleet redundant, he knows he is fortunate to be offered H.M.S. Onward, a new 38-gun frigate whose first mission is not war but diplomacy, as consort to the French frigate Nautilus.
Under the burning sun of North Africa, Bolitho is keenly aware of the envy and ambition among his officers, the troubled, restless spirits of his midshipmen, and the old enemy's proximity. It is only when Nautilus becomes a sacrificial offering on the altar of empire that every man discovers the brotherhood of the sea is more powerful than the bitter memories of an ocean of blood and decades of war.
Under the burning sun of North Africa, Bolitho is keenly aware of the envy and ambition among his officers, the troubled, restless spirits of his midshipmen, and the old enemy's proximity. It is only when Nautilus becomes a sacrificial offering on the altar of empire that every man discovers the brotherhood of the sea is more powerful than the bitter memories of an ocean of blood and decades of war.
#30 - In the King's Name
It is January 1819, and Captain Adam Bolitho ships out from Falmouth bound for Freetown, on the old the slave coast of Africa. H.M.S. Onward carries sealed orders in the strongbox below deck. But why all the secrecy and apparent urgency? And why Onward, so soon after the Mediterranean, and that bloody action with Nautilus?
On their way back into port having completed their mission, the crew of the Onward spy the debris of an allied frigate, destroyed as if taken by surprise. Bodies are strewn among the shark-infested waters and no enemy in sight. A single word frozen on the lips of the dead. Mutiny. The men begin to question who is friend and who is foe.
All is not well aboard the Onward; envy and hunger for power consume some of the crew, but they must band together and risk their lives, in the name of the King. A searing and gripping tale of trouble on the high seas, and of the weakness of the human spirit, In the King's Name heralds the return of our greatest living maritime writer and the legendary Adam Bolitho..
All is not well aboard the Onward; envy and hunger for power consume some of the crew, but they must band together and risk their lives together, in the name of the King. A searing and gripping tale of trouble on the high seas, and of the weakness of the human spirit, In the King's Name heralds the return of our greatest living maritime writer and the legendary Adam Bolitho.
On their way back into port having completed their mission, the crew of the Onward spy the debris of an allied frigate, destroyed as if taken by surprise. Bodies are strewn among the shark-infested waters and no enemy in sight. A single word frozen on the lips of the dead. Mutiny. The men begin to question who is friend and who is foe.
All is not well aboard the Onward; envy and hunger for power consume some of the crew, but they must band together and risk their lives, in the name of the King. A searing and gripping tale of trouble on the high seas, and of the weakness of the human spirit, In the King's Name heralds the return of our greatest living maritime writer and the legendary Adam Bolitho..
All is not well aboard the Onward; envy and hunger for power consume some of the crew, but they must band together and risk their lives together, in the name of the King. A searing and gripping tale of trouble on the high seas, and of the weakness of the human spirit, In the King's Name heralds the return of our greatest living maritime writer and the legendary Adam Bolitho.