At the Edge of Honor (The Honor Series) [Hardcover]

Robert N. Macomber (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Honor Series | Publication Date: February 1, 2002

A novel about naval warfare in Florida during the Civil War.

The year is 1863. The Civil War is leaving its bloody trail across the nation as Peter Wake, born and bred in the snowy North, joins the U.S. Navy as a volunteer officer and arrives in steamy Florida for duty with the East Gulf Blockading Squadron. The idealistic Wake has handled boats before, but he's new to the politics and illicit liaisons that war creates among men. Assigned to the Rosalie, a tiny, armed sloop, Captain Wake commands a group of seasoned seamen on a series of voyages to seek and arrest Confederate blockade-runners and sympathizers, first in Florida's

Wake risks his reputation as a tough officer and smart decision-maker when he falls in love with Linda Donahue, whose father is a Confederate zealot, and steals away to spend precious hours with her at her Key West home. Their love is tested as Wake must make the ugly decisions of war in a beautiful, tropical paradise--decisions that will take Peter Wake right up to the edge of honor.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Macomber's maiden voyage is the first of seven projected installments tracing a seaman's career during the American Civil War. Assigned to his first command position in 1863, Officer Peter Wake takes charge of a Union navy sloop charged with patrolling the gulf waters and disrupting Confederate trade routes. Sailing from port to port and out to sea and back, often without engaging the enemy, Wake learns quickly how isolating life aboard ship can be. His confrontations with his rebellious crew are nearly as grueling as skirmishes with rebel forces, and an outbreak of malaria ravages Key West, where his ship is based. Wake's romance with Key West resident and reb sympathizer Linda adds an extra dimension to the tale, but the ups and downs of their relationship can't make up for the dearth of galvanizing action at sea. Despite the promise of more volumes to come, too many plot lines are left dangling: Wake's aggressive bos'n is baited as a possible traitor but drowns before anything can be proved, and the investigation of a high-seas conspiracy is deferred. The raw nature of gun-wielding seamen remains largely unexplored here, and the nitty-gritty details of seamanship and navigation are less than vividly portrayed, but Macomber does skillfully describes tactical strategizing while providing the history of Florida's Civil War sea battles.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Pineapple Press; 1 edition (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561642525
• ISBN-13: 978-1561642526
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,328,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, July 22, 2003

By 

Michael Cantor (Richmond, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At the Edge of Honor (The Honor Series) (Hardcover)

There are two things that I thoroughly enjoyed about this book. First, there just isn't enough written about not just the naval theater during the Civil War, but on routine daily life in the Navy. When we think of naval war, we often imagine life aboard the CSS Alabama or running the gauntlet at Mobile Bay as being the norm during this time frame. In fact, as Bob Macomber very ably demonstrates, many sailors served on smaller vessels, in remote areas, and performed relatively routine duties. In order to understand the Navy experience, it is crucial that we understand what sailors actually did, and Macomber explains this very well and, as a result, fills a niche that otherwise would remain vacant.

In addition, he also writes in a manner and format that is very appealling to many who otherwise would not even pay a second thought to the Civil War. Macomber effortlessly intertwines the fiction with the non-fiction so that the entire story flows seemlessly. In some circles, historical fiction is maligned as distorting the truth or not representing historical fact. However, Macomber demonstrates that you can predicate a fictional work on facts and documented history to produce a compelling, enjoyable, and highly educational work.

There's a lot to offer a variety of people here, and I would recommend this to both the casual reader as well as the avid Civil War enthusiast.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neat Nautical Novel - From Florida's Finest, June 16, 2002

By 

Martha M. Boltz "Martha Morgan" (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At the Edge of Honor (The Honor Series) (Hardcover)

Naval historical novels are rare; those situted around Florida are rarer still. Few know that FL was a WBTS site of battles, etc. Macomber has brought to light the little known, and wrapped it in an appealing work of fiction, apparently one of a series. REAL naval knowledge is obvious -- almost too much so -- I read it with the dictionary beside me. Character development evolves well while scene descriptions evoke a "you are there" feeling. Will Peter Wake regain his Linda? Sure hope so! Want a romantic ending after a super first novel.

Kudoes, Sailor Macomber --keep it up. You have us in your preemptive thrall, make us beg for more and keep 'em coming. More dialogue would be nice, but the descriptive passages make up for it. As a friend said, a "Warm Ocean is sure better [and more readable] than a Cold Mountain..." You will have groupies galore, we predict. You make book signings real experiential, complete with "ships-ahoy" cookies to nibble. Throw out the anchor, we've got the lifeline well in hand. And so do you.

Martha and Don

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking forward to Volume Two!, May 18, 2002

By 

Janice Olson (MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At the Edge of Honor (The Honor Series) (Hardcover)

This is not my usual genre. I bought it on advice. This book is a compelling read. Not being knowledgable with regard to Civil War era Naval warfare, Macomber pulled me in with his storytelling. His nautical experience is evident as he recreates strategies and battles, and his intimate knowledge of the Florida Keyes makes me believe it is one of the more beautiful places on earth. I like the development of the relationship between Wake and Linda, and the socio-policital plays this book sets up for future volumes. Mr. Macomber is onto a very good thing! I now buy this book as gifts!