Beyond the Reef (The Bolitho Novels) (Volume 19) [Paperback]

Alexander Kent (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Bolitho Novels | Publication Date: October 1, 2005

March 1806: 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Impeccable naval detail and plenty of action." -- Sunday Telegraph

"One of the foremost writers of naval fiction." -- Sunday Times of London

"Shipwreck, survival, a new mission to the West Indies and, as ever, a spirited battle with the French..." -- The Times

About the Author

Alexander Kent, pen name of Douglas Edward Reeman, joined the British Navy at 16, serving on destroyers and small craft during World War II, and eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant. He has taught navigation to yachtsmen and has served as a script adviser for television and films. His books have been translated into nearly two dozen languages.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: McBooks Press (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093552682X
• ISBN-13: 978-0935526820
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #230,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > History > Military > Napoleonic Wars

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ...Bolitho's troubles persist, June 23, 2002

By 

tertius3 (MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Reef (The Bolitho Novels) (Volume 19) (Paperback)

By now we've heard almost all the sail commands and maneuvers possible, and Kent seems to have run out of new sea lore. This is another book in which Bolitho's passionate interest in his married lover Catherine takes pride of place to sea action. Kent is spinning his wheels in these later stories, or better said: "he's all aback, an' that's no error." Now that Richard Bolitho has been an admiral for a while, he's become more involved with grand strategy than small ship actions, and Kent is harder pressed to make him an exciting figure. This is probably true to life but makes for a tedious tale. Symptomatic of the problem is the fact the publisher devotes most of the cover blurb to the author's credentials to write such a book, and only two sentences to the story. The "Reefs" of the title are more metaphorical than geographic: the estrangement of Bolitho and his favorite officer, Herrick; Herrick's court-martial; Bolitho's cruel sister; Herrick's betrayal; and Bolitho's continuing estrangement from power and reward due to envy and his illicit affair. Despite his youthful appearance, a lifetime's violent assaults and horrific losses are grinding Bolitho down. Kent's mistake may have been to start Bolitho too early in his career and promote him too rapidly, arriving at flag rank too long before the convenient end of the Napoleonic world wars. Kent seems to be grooming Admiral Bolitho's nephew, frigate Capt. Adam Bolitho, for better and more cheerful stories in the future.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars If you read one Kent book, This ISN'T it!, July 12, 1999

By 

"land_sailor" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Reef (Mass Market Paperback)

I love the Bolitho series and have reread them all several times, Kent has not proved able to handle the transition from officer/captain to flag rank. Too dark, not enough action, what happen to the brillance of "To Glory We Steer" and others of the earlier books.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dismal and brooding, dark and depressing, July 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyond the Reef (Mass Market Paperback)

In this book, Kent's hero Bolitho broods about marital difficulties and best friendships gone bad for most of the novel. There is only one major sea battle, and that starts at page 296 of a 310 page novel! Bolitho, his best friend, his nephew, his coxswain, his servant and his flag captain are all undergoing problems related to marriage simultaneously. I was left wondering if Kent has some recent disaster in his personal life and wrote this dark and depressing book as a therapy session. I rate this book as the worst I've read in years, the worst Kent book I've read (out of about ten), and a definite do not read.