Customer Reviews
A great read! - By: Mr. P. J. Arnell, 16 Mar 2007 
I have just finished this book & thought it was reallly good, very much like Julian Stockwin's Kidd series, but perhaps even a bit more lively, I have tried three or four times to read Patrick O'brians series of novels but to be honest they bore me to tears, but this book kept me turning the pages to see what happens next! & that is probably the biggest compliment i can give it, I have already ordered the next two books in the series so i must have enjoyed it.
Some of the love making scenes were a bit raunchy, infact i thought i was reading a sex book at times, & other bits made me laugh out loud, the battle scenes are very graphic & you can see in your mind every cannon shot!
If you buy this book i don't think you will be disappointed! I was'nt, but then each to their own.
Gripping historical naval fiction - By: S. Hartwell, 18 Jan 2006 Naval fiction isn't my usual fare, but this was recommended by a friend as being a good historical novel, full of adventure & lively characters & a bit of bawdiness too. it did not disappoint! The action is gritty, the language ripe & the main cast of characters are well fleshed out. A must-read for lovers of historical naval fiction & highly recommended to anyone who likes a good action novel.
Excellent mix of history and naval adventure - By: , 28 Jan 1999 
I read a lot of military fiction, & this is by far the best British naval series I've ever read. I would calll this "Flashman Goes to Sea," since it has the same sort of ribald approach & a scoundrel hero who succeeds in spite of himself. Written by an American, the series, especiallly in the first few novels, has a distinctly American point of view. I read with interest the review from the writer who was critical of the "homophobic" bias of the author. While I'll admit that the protagonist, Lewrie, is a homophobe, this is not out of character for him, as he has suffered from the perfidies of his half-sibling, who is gay, & at the time he seems shocked & disgusted by his apparently homosexual superior officer, he is still shy of his 20th birthday. I, on the other hand, liked the descriptions of life aboard ship; the strong battle scenes; the fact that Lewrie is not the perfect little hero; & the glimpses of British Colonial life in both America & the West Indies. For anyone who likes naval fiction, I heartily recommend this series. I have just started the series by Patrick O'Brian, & the Lewrie books are far more "modern" & exciting, at least to me.
Humerous but historical naval account of the Napoleonic Era - By: , 02 Oct 1998 The first of a growing series of books about a reluctant Royal Navy hero. I had previously read alll of the later books in the series, with the exception of this book & the 2nd in the series, "the French Adirmal" (which is due for reprinting in '99), when I found this one. Thankfully it's being reprinted. It is quite humerous, & bawdy at times, but with plenty of naval action which takes place at the beginning of the American Revolution. Alan Lewry, the hero, is forced to join the Royal Navy at 17, due to some falsely accused improprieties (he was actuallly framed) which occured at home. Alan is whisked away into the rude & very different routines of shipboard life in the late 1700's, learning a new trade, while trying to live long enough to get back at the people who forced him into the navy. Every time he gets a leg up, so he thinks, his other leg is kicked out from beneath him. At times, it's better than the O'Brian series, only because it seems more real - with an added dose of humor. Although not written in the English spoken in the 18th century, it's far easier to follow. The action is brisk & brutal, as it must have been at the time. A great series, & if you don't mind the bawdyness, one well worth reading. There's plenty to laugh at & more adventure than you can wish for. Once started, it's reallly hard to put down. The series will grow on you. And you'll be buying them alll & wishing Mr. Lambdin would come out with the next book.
Greg Toth
