Three Greenwich Built Ships
Book
Greenwich, the nautical centre of the world was also once part of the area of Southbank in London,...
Day of Secrets
10.0
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Book
A mother he thought he'd lost. A father he never knew. An enemy that wants them dead. At the age of...
Beyond the Bounty
Book
From the number one bestselling author comes a swashbuckling tale of mutiny and murder in paradise...
All That Is
Book
All That Is explores a life unfolding in a world on the brink of change. The life is that of Philip...
Oak
Book
The oak tree is found throughout the temperate zones of the world; knowing how to use it has made an...
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated A Certain Threat (Merriman Chronicles #1) in Books
Nov 11, 2019
What follows is a cracking story that combines Naval adventure in the age of sail with investigation into the mystery around the loss of the Custom ship. Merriman is a strong lead character, a capable officer who looks after his men as best he can at a time when the navy was hard and brutal work, with many seamen ending up dead or injured on even the most routine missions. He is also relentless and imaginative, using the information and resources at his disposal to maximum effect to uncover the true purpose of the smugglers.
Burnage shows tremendous ability in his writing. The tone and dialogue feel very authentic, the characters well drawn and memorable. Every scene drives the plot forward or builds Merriman's character and there is a real sense of momentum and drama in the story. The descriptions of the naval encounters are a real highlight, exciting but clearly showing the danger that existed at the time, as well as the skill required by every member of the crew to ensure victory in any engagement.
Overall this was a terrific book and I would recommend it to readers of any age as a thrilling story. An easy 5 stars and an introduction to what promises to be a thrilling series.
David McK (3425 KP) rated Master of Rome (Masters of the Sea, #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
This starts with teh Roman army defeated at Tunis, and then details the repercussions from this defeat and various other naval battles the fleet participates in. The novel also covers a long(ish) period of time: the events within are, sometimes, maybe a year or so apart.
Readable enough, but not a brilliant piece of writing.
David McK (3425 KP) rated A Ship of the Line in Books
Jun 30, 2019
A ship-of-the-line, by the way, is simply that: a naval ship of 2+ decks of guns that was designed to stand in the line of battle back in the days when they largely sailed astern of each other, and when the battles devolved into firing broadsides at each other.
Under the command of Admiral Leighton, who has married Hornblower's extramarital flame from the previous novel (Lady Barbara Wellesley), Hornblower finds himself sailing the coast of Catalonia (Spain) and getting - as per usual - involved in all sorts of missions both on and off land, ending with a cliff-hanger ending when he and his ship fights alone against 4 enemy vessels.
James Fenimore Cooper: A Life
Book
James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was America s first novelist, celebrated for his masterpiece, /The...
Tales from the Captain's Log
Book
For centuries, ships' commanders kept journals that recorded their missions. These included voyages...