In "Commodore Hornblower", I think Forester's effort slipped. It seems to be slapped together without a real plot - a series of unexciting events with huge gaps, almost as if the author lost interest too. I loved the books in the series which portrayed Hornblower as a young, clever junior officer. In "Commodore", he shows little of the "McGuyver-like" ability to get out of a tight spot that I always enjoyed most. In fact, as a senior officer, HH doesn't even take part in most of the exciting parts of the book, but oversees them from his God-like perch above the battlefield or even worse, he hears the information second-hand from the mast head. This is the exact opposite of my favorite Hornblower book ("Lt. Hornblower"), in which the hero's exploits are related through the eyes of Bush.

This Hornblower novel was a very good one. A lot of it is about politics on land just before and during the beginning stages of Napolean's invasion of Russia.

Hornblower has some new fangled weapons that he has never used before. Bomb ketches. He has two of them. What they really are is small vessels containing two 13 inch mortars each. The are ideal for bombarding with a plunging fire over walls and other obstacles. Incredibly accurate and very destructive. Hornblower has two occasions on which to use them. And, as might be expected, with great success.

Anyway, Hornblower is made commodore of a small squadron of ships, including Nonsuch captained by none other than his life long friend, Bush. He is set upon a mission to assist the Russians in the Baltic in any way in which he see fit. Perfect orders for someone that is willing to think outside the box.

Hornblower ends up sinking a French privateer. As can be expected, the French are outraged and invade the small country of Pomerania in defiance. This causes the Russions to become a little upset. Eventually, the French launch the invasion of Russia. The Russians are soundly beaten on all fronts except for the small port town of Riga. Hornblower is able to help with the defense of the town and it's approaches. He even leads an infantry assault into the French trench line.

This is another good book. Not a whole lot of naval action, but enough to keep the nautically minded interested. Lots of politics and history though. There is not a lot of information on the Baltic theatre of the war. Napolean was being attacked and beaten in the south by Wellington. For some unknown reason, Napolean thought that it would be a good time to attack Russia. His invasion started during the summer. They were in moscow by November. But Russia's ally, Old Man Winter, was waiting. He chased the French all the way back to Poland and beyond. During the withdrawal of the French, his allies were defecting left and right. First the Spanish and the Portugese. A few weeks later the Austriand and Germans, then the Prussians.

Well worth the read.

Commodore Hornblower was Forester's first attempt to replicate the pre-war success of his Horatio Hornblower trilogy; Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line and Flying Colours. After emerging victorious from the greatest war in human history, would his readership still be interested in a more distant conflict? The answer was "Yes", but Forester made sure by including strong parallels between the Napoleonic Wars and World War II. The result, as a historical novel, was as relevant to the readers of the day as if it had been written about WWII. Commodore Hornblower works as a historical novel of the Napoleonic era and as a reminder of the immense struggles and sacrifices of WWII.

Commodore Hornblower begins with Hornblower leaving his new wife and son to return to sea. How poignant this passage must have been for the first post-war readers. Hornblower, now in charge of a small squadron, must take his ships into the Baltic past hostile Danes and Swedes who maintain a sinister neutrality. What follows is a series of naval and land engagements that are typical of this type of novel. However nobody surpassed Forester in telling exciting yet realistic action stories. The battle scenes are both exciting and exhilarating yet horrifying at the same time.

During his stint in the Baltic, Hornblower rubs shoulders with the Tsar of Russia, Marshal Bernadotte of Sweden and the warrior/philosopher Clausewitz. Hornblower must try and win over those hanging onto to neutrality by a thread and those siding with the tyrant Napoleon. As always he acquits himself well although he is his own worst critic.

While Commodore Hornblower works as both an action novel and a historical novel, I think that it might have lost some of the impact that it had when it was first published. The parallels for the British people in 1940 and 1812 are very strong. There is a tyrant dominating Europe who is both willing and able to throw away far more lives than the British could manage or accept. There is Russia siding with the tyrant, invading Finland and ultimately resisting the tyrant's invasion from the west. There is Europe ready for an uprising to overthrow the tyrant. And, of course, there is Britain standing alone against the might of the entire continent until forces can be rallied to defeat the tyrant. Commodore Hornblower is a story of heroism in the Napoleonic era but it was published at the right time to remind the British people of the heroism that they had so recently shown. It's a marvelous sequel and worthy successor to Forester's pre-war efforts.

In the series beginning with Sharpe's Rifles, Bernard Cornwell took his hero Richard Sharpe through the battles of the Peninsula Campaign against Napoleon's armies, and on to Waterloo. Then, after backgrounding Sharpe's rise to officerdom in India with a four book series, Cornwell was faced with transitioning Sharpe from India back to England, and then to Spain. He starts this series of adventures by putting Richard in the middle of a major sea battle (move over, Hornblower!). We last left Richard Sharpe after the Siege of Gawilghur, where he revenged himself on the renegade officer he was pursuing, but his colonel decided that Richard was just not going to fit in the Officers' Mess. The colonel persuades Richard to accept a transfer to one of these new fangled rifle regiments that are being formed back in England. After all, that isn't the real army and maybe there will be a place for someone who isn't a real officer. After the merchant ship on which Richard, and a snooty Lord and his beautiful wife, are traveling becomes separated from their convoy, they are captured by a French ship of the line-under suspicious circumstances. The captain of the merchant ship sails away with the Frenchman, and takes Richard's poke of jewels with him. Sailing under a prize crew and as captives, Richard and his traveling companions are rescued by a ship of the Royal Navy that is chasing the Frenchman. Joining the navy vessel, and working as an honorary Royal Marine, Richard and the Royal Navy pursue the Frenchman around the Cape of Good Hope and almost to Spain. Just as they might catch up, they run right into the French fleet being chased by Lord Nelson on the way to the Battle of Trafalgar. Both ships join up with their respective fleets and participate in the historic battle. By a quirk of fate, of course, the two ships end up in battle and Richard gets his jewels back, and the girl, of course. Richard Sharpe is for the army what C. S. Forrester's Hornblower was to the navy - and I think the stories and the character are better. We still don't know how Ensign Richard Sharpe, with his poke of jewels and the girl, ends up as an impoverished quartermaster lieutenant in a beaten British army in Spain. There must be several more exciting tales to come, and I am looking forward to them.

Bernard Cornwell continues his incredible adventures of Richard Sharpe. With the series having explored nearly every aspect of the Napoleanic period in which the British were invovled, the author is running out of historical chronology in which to insert his main character.

Cornwell has been re-tracking Sharpe's career ever since he finished the Peninsular War and Waterloo. Its a credit to the author's genius that he manages to make it work, but the lengths at which he must go in order to do so are getting a little thin now. With this book Cornwell devles into Patrick O'Brien terrority with Royal Navy nautical lore. He seems to have the nautical jargon down pretty good, although this land-lubber wouldn't really know if he was off or not!

All the ingredients of the Sharp series are here. Some stawart companions, arrogant aristos who always want to bring Sharpe low, treacherous characters who are not what they appear, and a lovely lady of the blue blood who falls for Sharpe's manliness! We have seen this all many times before in the earlier series, but Cornwell still somehow makes it work! The plot moves along with the usual on the edge page-turner writing and after the slow build-up we explode onto the carnage and horror of Trafalgar where Sharpe gets to meet Nelson first hand and compare him to Wellsley!

The battle scenes are Cornwell's forte and the blood, sweat and tears of Trafalgar become vivd before the reader's eyes. The carnage among the Franco-Spanish fleet was truly horrible and even through the British suffered much less severely, the stress and strain of the battle was no less for them. Cornwell describes this very well, even though Sharpe's penchant for killing continues to stack the body count in his favor. In the wholes series Sharpe has probably killed close to several thousand people! A bit unbelieveable perhaps, but Cornwell's supurb action writing still manages to hold it all together. Next stop, Denmark and the 95th Rifles! After that, Sharpe series shouid get a much needed rest.

Sharpe's Trafalgar is a recent addition to the Sharpe saga although one of the earliest in chronology. While I had seen some of the Sharpe movies on TV, Sharpe's Trafalgar was my introduction to the books. As much of the action occurs at sea, it is has a quite different setting than the other works. Fortunately, the novel works well in the tradition of novels pioneered by C.S. Forester.

Sharpe's Trafalgar begins with Sharpe making friends with a Captain of a third rate Royal Navy ship. Rating refers to the number of guns as the captain and crew are first rate. Sharpe books passage back to India on a commercial vessel and after some chicanery participates in a sea chase around the Cape of Good Hope and up the Atlantic, arriving at Cape Trafalgar on October 21, 1806. On board there are intrigues but it all takes a back seat to the Battle of Trafalgar.

Cornwell has done a good job of writing a novel of wooden ships and iron men. Unlike the heroes of Forester, Woodman or Kent, his Sharpe has no official standing in the ship although we know that Sharpe won't miss out on any of the action when it comes. However, by establishing a friendship with the captain we are privy to much of the inner workings of the ship. Cornwell also provided a sketch of a typical ship so that a reader unschooled in naval literature will understand where everything is. The sailing details are minimal but I get bored with reading about the t'gallants being let out or the royals being reefed. If a reader found O'Brian impassible then Sharpe's Trafalgar might be a welcome introduction to the genre.

Cornwell also does a superb job of describing the Battle of Trafalgar. Unlike the most notable writers of the genre Cornwell does not describe a naval battle in elegant terms. Essentially naval warfare is like a vicious, bloody street fight in which the two fighters get in close and kick, gouge and bite until one falls. The kicking of the downed fighter only stops when it is sure he will no longer get up. Trafalgar is brutal savage butchery and Cornwell excels in blood and gore.

While Sharpe is the hero of the novel, not all of his actions are justifiable. Some of his actions are totally inappropriate and totally unacceptable even under the circumstances. Perhaps that's part of the interest in the series is that the hero doesn't always do the right thing. Paradoxically, I had the most sympathy for one of the villains when he gave his traditional- I'm gonna kill you and here's why- speech. The man made some good points. However, Sharpe's Trafalgar is a novel where the good guys wear white hats and the bad guys wear black, so to speak. Having a hero who does some unconscionable things and a villain who has some legitimate motivation for his evil, make it a little more interesting.

One thing that Cornwell communicates very well is Nelson's charisma. Sharpe's Trafalgar has the best presentation of Nelson of any novel of the era that I have read. Not only does he present Nelson's power to the reader but he also shows how the Royal Navy would follow him without question. The brief passages that include Nelson are almost inspiring and certainly very inspired.

Although Cornwell does not typically write in the hearts of oak genre, he could. Perhaps Sharpe won't go back to sea but let's hope that Cornwell's pen does.

First of all, Nelson probably realized that he simply does not have a tremendous amount of natural talent as a writer (unlike, say, Patrick O'Brian) so he wisely keeps the action moving in this novel. It is true that the novel's quick pace does keep the reader from dwelling on the quality of his prose and the fact that most of the characters are woefully underdeveloped. Nelson does do a good job developing one character, though; Captain Pendexter is a wonderfully three-dimensional bad guy. Also on the plus side, Nelson is obviously extremely knowledgeable on the subject of 18th century sailing vessels and of sailing in general. I also think that Nelson's decision to set his novels during the American Revolutionary War was a good one. The sea novel set during the Napoleonic Wars has been done to death and done very well by several other writers. The action scenes are well done, for the most part. The problem is that Nelson makes the situation just a little too desperate for us to believe that they survive it the way that they do. Also, certain events (that certainly could happen) tend to happen at very convienent times for our heros. The bottom line is that it was a fairly enjoyable novel, but Nelson should make Biddlecomb a little less of an 18th century Dirk Pitt.

For those who can't get enough of Nautical Fiction or Historical Fiction of the American Revolution, James Nelson has come to the rescue. Nelson in his first novel puts plot above character (the opposite of O'Brian), but there is a decidedly American flair to his work. For those of us who live in New England, we can feel the winter chill and see the deep blue winter sky of Rhode Island. The work is more like the novels of Kenneth Roberts. The action is fast paced. There are no naturalists pursuing arcane beetles, no duets coming from the Captain's Quarters. What there is, is a good sea story from the age of sail. If the map of Narragansett Bay in the front of the book is not adequate, than the serious history buffs should get out their charts.

A string of unfortunate events propel Isaac Biddlecomb from captain of a merchant ship, to wanted smuggler, to foremast jack, then - the ultimate degradation - pressed into service in the enemy's Navy, aboard a hell-ship run by incompetent tyrants. Hopes of escape in Barbados are thwarted by a farcical attempt at anchoring, the subsequent disgrace tipping the unstable Captain over the brink into madness.

In parallel, all the elements are coming together for mutiny, both at sea and in the American colonies; this is 1775, just over a year after the Boston Tea Party, and the British blockades and harrying of shipping are stretching tempers to the limit.

Biddlecomb finds himself a key player in the run up to the struggle for American Independance
Mr.Nelson does a fine job of weaving the threads of this story into a fine yarn, with plenty of historical facts to back it up. The characters are well-drawn and believable, the writing flows and the action sequences are so vividly detailed, one almost feels like part of the crew.

This is book 1 of a 5-part saga, which promises great things. There is action and plot twists right up to the last page, I couldn't put it down.
The author has also thoughtfully included a glossary of naval terms for those readers unfamiliar with the jargon.*****

My wife and I are planning our first cruise, and what a great surprise to read The Essential Little Cruise Book. Jim West has a hit, and I am sure anyone who reads this, and is planning their first cruise, will find the information to be more helpful than anything your travel agent could ever tell you. I have recommended it to people I know, and have even called his travel agency in Illinois to have him personally plan my next cruise. Here's his toll free number if anyone else would like to call him. 800-708-0880

I was so impressed with the amount of information in such a small book, and challenged my travel agent on a couple of things because of the advice from author Jim West. After doing so, my travel agent was able to give me a better price because of the information I asked her to look up. Amazing what can be done when you know the right things to say.

Anyway, I have to agree with the other reviews on this site, The Essential Little Cruise Book is terrific and I would also like to mention Jim West's toll free number. Only because he tells people in his book to call him or email him if they have any cruise questions. Not to many authors provide that kind of service! Here's his number for the record [phone number]and if I were you, I wouldn't pass up the chance to see what kind of cruise he can find for you and also what kind of advice he can give you to save some money if you already have it planned.

Good luck and thanks amazon.com for providing this little gem.

I've read seven cruise books, everything from how cruise ships are rated, what cruise lines offer what kind of products, and everything in between. The Essential Little Cruise Book is without doubt the best of all. It contains incredible enhancement tips that will literally save you hundreds of dollars. I also read some of the other reviews on this book, and I know why so many people included Jim West's toll-free number. I contacted him, and he not only took time to personally answer my questions, but he also gave me a letter to give to the captain on the ship we were going to be sailing on. He knew the captain personally, and we were treated like VIP's the entire time we were on the cruise...You should buy it from amazon.com immediately!!

Mrs Chippy's Last Expedition is an entertaining story of Ernest Shackletons journey to Antarctica as told from the perspective of the true-life on board cat who was named Mrs. Chippy. The story is told in journal form and will delight cat lovers with a keen view of the adventure as only a cat would see things. Caroline Alexander does an excellent job of capturing the intelligence and demeanor of cats as in this passage. "The dogs were barking like mad... i suspect they are bewildered much of the time by what goes on around them." Entertaining for both cat lovers and as an adjunct to any book on the true Shackleton adventure. I highly recommend Alfred Lansings account Endurance: Shackletons Incredible Voyage although Caroline Alexander herself also wrote a serious account after this Mrs Chippy cat diary version. Giving it 3 1/2 stars....4+ if you are a cat lover.

"Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition" is a playful window into the history and personalities of the 1908-09 Endurance expedition to Antarctica. Incredibly, the ship was crushed after 9 months trapped in the ice, but not a single man was lost. Mrs. Chippy (the cat who accompanied the crew of the Endurance to Antarctica) leads us on an examination, not just of history and brave explorers, but of day-to-day survival and interaction between men in dire circumstances. If you love cats and have a curiosity about Antarctic exploration, this is a great book to start your journey. One must, however, have patience with the 100-plus footnotes, as they are a slightly awkward part of the story that enable one to understand the big picture behind the journal of this extraordinary feline.

"Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition", though it is light and high-spirited, tells a vivid tale which stands in the same compelling league as Jon Krakauer's, "Into the Wild". Both left me in awe of nature and wringing my handkerchief by books' end.

I can't say enough good things about this book. However, I think it's obvious that any review of it must take into account that while the story takes place in actual historical context, the book's literary content, being the journal of a domesticated cat, is clearly fabricated. I find it humorous that several reviewers seem to have forgotten this and have criticized it for being somehow unrealistic.

The book is a journal of the Endurance's carpenter's cat, Mrs. Chippy (apparently, ships' carpenters are often nicknamed "Chips"). We learn that Mrs. Chippy took his responsibilities as an explorer, including keeping a stern watch to monitor the ship's progress, helping his mate in carpentry projects, and mousing, quite seriously. In fact, Chippy's concern for the maintenance of ship routine through the monotony of the shipwreck period surpasses that of virtually any other crew member.

If you've read any account of the Endurance Expedition already, you will quite likely enjoy this book for its thoughtful alternative perspective. It is not sappy in the least - Chippy's intelligent writing allows us to see him as he sees himself: as the 29th crew member on the expedition.

If you have to ask, "how did Chippy learn how to write?" or "when did he find the time?", you're not appreciating the books purpose - to entertain and provide a little insight into how an animal might have been more than slightly responsible for maintaining the crew's sanity.

This book is the story of a man who wins back his fortune and life from very difficult circumstances. He faces incredible storms and temperatures to salvage a boat with passengers off the coast of Antartica. He next saves an oil tanker who is also carrying his ex-wife and son.

As usual, Wilbur Smith writes in excesive detail, but makes every scene, every place and situation seems very real. The characters are also very life-like and you warm up to them imediately.

If there was anything I could say against this book, it would be that the author seems to spend too much time describing every scene during the storms and salvages, when it is hard to follow because it gets very technical. Also, the ending is a little disappointing because after he has warmed you up to his ex-wife and son you are left not knowing what happens to them.

However, it is overall a very good book and always a pleasure to read a book that is entertaining, alive and written in such a complete way.

I am a very big fan of Wilbur Smith. Especially his earlier works. Amoung these I consider this the best. The supense and decite give the book a wonderful flavour. Unfortunately his later works have mostly been lesser efforts. I did enjoy the seventh scroll though. I also recommend SUNBIRD from his early works.

I think this is one of W.S.'s best. If you are tiring of reading his South Africa chronicles (I was), you will find Hungry as the Sea, set in modern Europe and USA, a nice refreshment. Also, the storyline is good, action-packed in places leaving room for the development of the plot as well. If you are a Wilbur Smith fan, you'll love it. And lastly, for the reviewer above, if you have a problem with Wilbur Smith's symbolic use of names, at least quote them correctly when you criticize them: The main character is Nick Berg, not Alex Berg. Alexander is the villain of the story!

This book is a very well written introduction to James Sanders investigation into TWA Flight 800. I especially recommend this book to people who have not been following the various alternative investigations being conducted by independent researchers and the alternative press.

Unfortunately, however, this book is not a comprehensive summary of all of the evidence for/against various variations of the hypothesis that a missile brought down Flight 800, or a comprehensive summary of all of the evidence for/against the NTSB's center tank theory. Such a book, while much longer, more detailed and infinitely more difficult to write, is what someone who has followed the investigation is really looking for. Commander William Donaldson's preliminary report, available at www.twa800.com, is more like what we need at this point. An examination of that report, Sanders' earlier books, and "First Strike" reveal one of the problems researchers have created for themselves, undermining their ability to get Congress or other public officials to pay attention to them -- their hypothesis about what brought down Flight 800 keeps changing: Navy SAM, terrorist controlled ship-based SAM, terrorist controlled shoulder-fired SAM, etc.

In "First Strike," it is no a secret that Sanders and Cashill have concluded that both an accidental hit by a Navy missile and a high-explosive laden private jet brought down Flight 800. This is an entirely new hypothesis, and as other have pointed out, Sanders and Cashill have seriously weakened "First Strike" by presenting this hypothesis without spending the appropriate amount of time examining the evidence for/against it. The big objection is, of course, that no debris from a second plane was ever found. Now, maybe there is an explanation for that, but Sanders and Cashill don't present it. Similarly, they apparently haven't done any work to determine whether a small 6-seat jet plane went missing in July 1996. Or to determine the identity of the 6-seat plane spotted on radar prior to the crash. Maybe there is some aviator out there who can stand up and say, "Hey, that was me." Have they looked for him? It doesn't appear they have.

These sorts of questions seem basic to the hypothesis. Not having run them down seriously undermines the credibility of this work. This book may open some people's eyes (i.e., those who accepted the NTSB explanation but are willing to reconsider our government's response to terrorism in the 1990s in light of 9/11), but it's not going to change the minds of anyone in government who might actual do something about re-opening the investigation. And that's really too bad, because the country deserves an honest answer to the question of what happened to Flight 800.

The weight of evidence is overwhelming that the official version of what happened to TWA 800 is beyond belief. The authors make a compelling case that evidence supportive of a missile (physical, radar, satellite, voice recorder, data recorder, eye-witness) was routinely "lost", classified or destroyed. I find it a shame that these facts are not more widely reported. The national media have certainly not done a very good job of dispassionately analyzing the crash. By and large they have reported the official version which, as the book makes clear, is completely contrary to aerodynamics, the history of 747's and eyewitness accounts. I highly recommend this book because it is a well-researched, footnoted, convincing case that the accepted version of what happened on July 17, 1996 is bunk. I have some faith that the major media will one day tackle the issues raised in this book, but it seems most people (journalists and readers) have forgotten or no longer care about the suspicious nature of the crash. Buy this book, the more people are aware of the documented facts about TWA 800, the more likely that mainstream journalists will revisit what exactly happened back in 1996.

This book is a must-read. You simply will not believe the amount of corruption and cover-up involving TWA 800 that existed in the Clinton-Gore White House, FBI, CIA, NTSB, and Justice Department. This cover-up makes Watergate look like child's play, and the fact that Bubba had a "D" after his name (for "Democrat") made his amen choir in the New York Times, et al, blindly complicit in the schemes. The current civil lawsuits against all the major corrupt players at the FBI, NTSB, and Justice Department will finally bring some justice in this sordid travesty.

Interesting, one of these players deeply involved in this criminal cover-up (and the book describes his misdeeds) ... He won't sue the authors for slander because the ultimate defense in a slander suit is TRUTH.

Read this excellent, well-written and documented book and be prepared for the shocking truth of what happended to TWA 800 & why 3,000 of our fellow citizens did not have to die on 9/11 if Bill Clinton had the guts to tell us what really happened in July 1996!

This book took me to a world of piracy on the high seas that I probably had never thought I'd revisit after Treasure Island. While not exactly a page burner, it is worth the read. Nicholas Griffin gives a enough sense of day to day reality to the characters that makes you connect with what it must have been like to lead these lives. The historical detail and research give a great air of authenticity to the story.

The great challenge is how do you make a reader identify with a group of people who steal and murder for a living? The most interesting character for me was Innocent, the Yoruban black convert to an African brand of Christianity, who comes across as half savage, half mystic. Even the Captain Bartholomew Roberts' fear of the Almighty lent a spice of philosophic reality to what otherwise could have been a very two-dimensional character. Griffin lets us in enough on these inner lives to engage us with the characters.

The reversal at the end was for me an unexpected though intriguing finish with the motives of Phineas Bunch, the cabin boy, who is introduced by the second page, seems a minor character, and yet plays a key role. I won't spoil that surprise! It's a good pirate puzzle piece.

I recommend this book as a good read. It is satisfying as an adventure, as a historical snapshot of the period, written with enough twists and turns to make you enjoy the voyage.

This is an adventure story formed around the goals of the pirate Bartholomew Roberts, or Black Bart as he has been known.

Nicholas Griffin writes very well, and this is his first published book. I will read his next book also. The glossary in the back is very helpful, but I wish it had been more extensive. Also, in the paperback, the printing on the map is too small to read.

It did seem odd to me that an educated person like William Williams found himself among such cutthroats. Why was he there, and why did he stay in the face of the horrors they committed?

If you like boats, adventure, pirates, this is a good book to read.

And, it's a good time to read this book and contrast it with the summer's movie from Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean.

This is a novel about pirates in the early eighteenth century and if you like this sort of thing, you will greatly enjoy this terrific read.

It is written in the third person and told primarily from the point of view of William Williams, a youthful English scholar, impressed by an English slaver, and shortly thereafter captured by pirates. The story is that of his adventures with these pirates and their captain, Bartholomew Roberts, aka, Black Bart, a real life historical personage.

What sets this book apart from its peers is not only its great attention to detail, but the attention it pays to those little things that all of us who read historical fiction are interested in. How is justice meeted out on a pirate ship, for example? How does a captain become a captain, and how does he remain one? How is he able to get these outlaws to do anything? What do they do with their riches? Who would trade with them? For that matter, where do they get their crew? All of this is explored, and all of it is quite interesting. Also conveyed quite well is the way of life in general in this long ago century. If life in London was tough, life in the English navy was tougher. And life on a pirate ship was very, very brutal.

Also exceptional are the characters, who are unusual, but nevertheless completely believable. Along with your typical European cutthroats, there is also mixture of black Africans, Amazonian Indians, and Portuguese merchantmen thrown in. I particularly liked Innocent, the Queequeg of the novel, with his weird philosophy--an illogical mixture of the barebones stories of Jesus and Homer's Odyssey--taught to him by a bored, smirking shipmate. The main impression you get of these guys is their ignorance. None of them can read or write, and all of them are superstitious and childishly cruel. Of course, this makes sense. Pirates were culled from the lowest dregs of society.

The plot is as it must be: there are the wanderings around the Atlantic, the sometimes vicious encounters with merchants, the storm scene, the starvation scene, the mutiny, and finally the scene in which they are brought to justice. But it is fresh, and there is something new to be found in all of it. It is also artfully done. The ending, in particular, is poignant, as we realize that the lives of these poor men--those that survive anyway--are never going to change. They can expect no sympathy during the course of their short, brutish lives, and what little hope they nurture turns out to be illusory.

I sometimes think that David Poyer is a well-kept secret of a growing cadre of devotees. In my opinion, his best work so far is Thunder on the Mountain. It is an historical novel of the Depression era, describing a wild-cat strike at an oil refinery in Pennsylvania. This book succeeds brilliantly in the same way: it evokes an era. Mr. Poyer has done his homework, and many threads of the Civil War era are articulated in this book, particularly the confidence of Northerners at the outset of the Civil War that the rebellion of the Southern states would promptly be put down, which was the prevailing opinion at the time, as strange as that may seem to us who know how cataclysmic that struggle turned out to be. I admire Mr. Poyer's novels of the modern Navy. But here he goes beyond his characteristic acumen in developing characters, as his protagonist wrestles with the elemental struggle of liberating himself from dependence on his wealthy father, through the epiphany of horrendous loss of life in warfare. As always, the dialogue sparkles. This is a worthy book, and I share other reviewers' eagerness for the publication of further works in this trilogy.

This Civil War novel by retired navy captain David Poyer was certainly a good introduction to his writings. "Fire on the Waters" , although is heralded as the introduction to a three volume series , does much more than serve as a vehicle to introduce the requisite cast of characters ; it certainly gets the characters in their places and definitely distinguishes the "good guys" from the "bad guys".

From the start we are introduced to young Elisha Eaker , the son of a New York financier Micah Eaker , who joins the navy as an officer-volunteer. As he reports aboard the U.S. Navy steam sloop Owanee , several other primary characters in the drama to follow -- primarily Lieutenant Ker Clairborne , the executive officer , and Commander Trezevant , the Captain of the Owanee -- are brought into focus. The regular Navy men are somewhat taken aback by young Eaker , since the man appears to be in poor health as well as inexpreienced.

Eaker has volunteered for several reasons : to escape his totally domineering father and to either postpone or avoid an arranged marriage to his cousin , Araminta van Velsor. In addition , we find that "Eli" as he comes to be named throughout the story , is also suffering from tuberculosis!

Captain Trezevant allows Eli to sail on board the Owanee due to the political climate -- many of the lower officers on board the sloop have resigned their commissions and headed South prior to the looming outbreak of hostilities in 1861. The first real mission is a voyage to Charleston , S.C. in the relief of Fort Sumter. Eli amanages to distinguish himself to the satisfaction of the "regulars" and is accepted aboard and commissioned properly.

At the outbreak of war , many others leave the Union Navy and because of their loyalties to their homes and families join the Confederacy.

To reveal any more detail than this would belabor the issue and reveal too much that the reader should discover on his own. Altho I labored a little adapting to the author's style at the start of this book , I found the novel to be highly entertaining
and rated it four stars. Only a few warts on this one. Recommended.

Fire on the Waters, the latest from acclaimed author David Poyer, earns a well deserved Bravo Zulu (Naval Shorthand for Outstanding Job)for the superb job he has done on this Civil War tale of two navies. His ability to keep multiple sub-plots moving, nautical and period details both accurate and interesting, and keep a lively pace are once again showcased to their fullest extent. His ability to keep a plot twist hidden until the last instant was just one more thing that kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. I could not put this book down. His characters are sympathetic and interesting, and most importantly, believable. I have read most of Mr. Poyer's books, and once again he has not disappointed me. My only regret is that I have to wait for the next one to come out. This book, like all his books, leaves me eagerly anticipating the next. Mr. Poyer is an outstanding author of Naval Fiction, both contemporary as well as historical, and he has successfully crossed into other genres as well. I highly recommend ANY book he has authored. Bottom line: BUY THIS BOOK!

I have read all the Dirk Pitt Clive Clussler action series. China Sea is the first David Poyer book in the series I have read. I am in the Navy and find the character of Dan Lenson truly full of action. I am now on a mission to read all of the books with that Hero in it. The action Mr. Poyer puts down in print really holds my attention. It was hard to put China Sea down after I started reading it. It was true to life but still had plenty of gripping original action fiction. I loved it!

This is a great READ! After a middling disappointment with Poyer's last novel, TOMAHAWK, I had the opportunity to write to him and explain why I had trouble with the premise behind the plot in that book. He had dropped me a note and told me he was sorry I didn't like it and hoped I would like CHINA SEA better. Well, I'm here to say that I did and I WILL NOT HESITATE TO SAY SO!

In CHINA SEA, both David Poyer as author and LCDR Dan Lenson are back in top form. The time is 1990 and Dan Lenson is ordered to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard to relieve the CO of a Knox Class frigate, the USS GADDIS. The current skipper is an alcoholic and almost out of control and the ship is scheduled for decommissioning and transfer to the Pakistani Navy. Early in the book, Poyer describes in detail the problems of the handover and the lack of skill of the Pakistani captain. In one particular incident, he describes a small lube oil fire that sends the Pakistani engine room crew for the lifeboats. Their officers are not far behind. A small skeleton crew of Americans fights the fire, puts it out and waits for the return of the ship's new owners. Reading Poyer's description of the Pakistani captain's shiphandling skills is humorous and painful at the same time. There are several incidents that will make former USN readers cringe when they read them and make the same reader glad that competent seafarers like Lenson are aboard to help.

Approximately 1/4 of the way through this story, Poyer introduces a nice little twist. It coincides with the arrival of the former USN frigate in its new homeport in Pakistan. Lenson and the MTT (military transition team) receive orders that the transfer has been cancelled and the USA is again taking custody of the ship. Lenson receives verbal orders from the naval attache in Islamabad to take possession of the ship and steam for Singapore. There are problems, though. He has too small a crew, no money and no ammunition for the 5 inch gun or the 20 mm and 40mm guns that the Pakistanis had installed. He steams out of port nonetheless. In Singapore he picks up some bottom of the barrel replacements but still not quite a full ships's company. He also gets a naval reserve officer sent to the Far East for his annual training. Also a LCDR, he will prove his worth because of his intelligence background and the fact that while on active duty, he was a comptent surface warfare officer.

There is another stroke of genius in Poyer's writing that adds a complication to the novel's plot and Dan Lenson's life as the CO of "GADDIS." There is a serial killer aboard. It seems that everywhere the ship goes, it leaves horribly mangled dead women behind it. How Lenson solves this mystery adds immeasureably to the overall success of the entire book and I think readers will ponder long after they've finished Lenson's final resolution when the murderer is identified.

Along the way, GADDIS becomes part of a multi-national task force designed to ferret out and destroy pirates in the oceans between Singapore and the Chinese island of Hainan. The TNTF for "tiny nations task force" is composed of elements of the Singaporean, Indonesian, Malaysian and Phillipine Navies. Each nation contributes a ship and some are more capable than others. Poyer does an outstanding job of describing the difficulties of managing such an ad hoc force, especially one that is hampered by dissimilar capabilities, equipment and communications. While the GADDIS packs most of the combat punch of this force, Lenson must constantly keep an eye on his fuel gauges and remember that he is seriously lacking in ammunition for his main battery.

Poyer doesn't miss a trick and reminds the reader that the sea is a dangerous and unforgiving place. He also introduces typoons into the equation. The reader knows with this book that being the commanding officer of a naval ship sent in harm's way is much more demanding a job than anyone can ever begin to imagine. Poyer's description of Lenson's thought processes and the pressures he must deal with are masterful. This book becomes and remains a page turner from the time that Lenson reassumes command of the ship in Pakistan.

As Lenson and GADDIS deal with their various "minor" problems, major ones begin to surface. The crew of GADDIS is one that is thrown together and the enlisted personnel are not the cream of the crop. Lenson has a very small wardroom and an executive officer that he cannot count on. He must still also find out who among his crew is the killer. There are several false starts in his investigation before the culprit is finally revealed. While I realized where he was taking the investigation, I did not at first suspect who the author reveals. I think Poyer did a fine job of concealing that identity until the last moment.

This is sea story, a lesson in international power politics and a murder mystery all wrapped up in a tight and tidy package. There are good characters and bad ones. What I liked is that while Dan Lenson is not a perfect person, he never loses his moral compass. He is a better officer and person than he gives himself credit for and that is what makes reading about him so enjoyable.

After having read this book, I must say that I owe David Poyer an apology. In my review of TOMAHAWK here at Amazon, I told readers that I thought that novel should probably be Lenson's last outing. After reading CHINA SEA, I can honestly say that I hope to see several more installments in the continuing saga of DAN LENSON, USN.

Thank you Mr. Poyer for a most enjoyable read. I hope you'll keep Dan Lenson around for more adventures at sea.

Fair winds and following seas.

I become rather annoyed when the professional reviewers emphasize the accuracy of David Poyer's Navy expertise and descriptions. As someone who knows next to nothing about the Navy or seamanship or whatever, Poyer has nevertheless caught my attention as a masterful writer, a challenging thinker, and an insightful explorer of leadership within the context of human nature.

Poyer has always been an artistically admirable writer. If you've already read China Sea, return to Prologue 3 on page 11. As horrible as what it describes is, Poyer's prose is gorgeous, reminiscent of what made me pay special attention to him in another of his novels, As the Wolf Loves Winter. Poyer proves even in this small passage that he can consistently hit the artistic mark that Thomas Harris set in Silence of the Lambs.

Poyer's series hero, Dan Lenson, has evolved from a relatively innocent follower to a seasoned, wise, yet renegade leader. He struggles always to be faithful to his own commanders, yet his sense of loyalty and commitment brings him face to face, again and again, with the vagaries of human frailty. He is the adherent to the black-and-white code of Navy tradition that forever proves inadequate to contain the ambitions and passions of human leaders. And yet even as Lenson suffers professionally, he prevails in his belief that there is absolute truth somewhere out there.

The only character I can think of in another modern novel series who has been as exquisitely treated as Poyer's Dan Lenson is in the Lawrence Block series, Matt Scudder. Lenson's experiences and the effect they have on the ongoing development of his character are razor-sharp in every novel. Lenson feels like an old friend from whom I've heard many intimate thoughts, and he seems to be as complex and alive as any person I've ever known.

So many of Poyer's professional reviews focus on the realism of the Navy experience he describes, but what I am fascinated by is the realism of the human heart in the reality of leadership and command that Poyer portrays with such excellence.

Keep it up, David! I figure I'm going to retire right along with Lenson!