Command a King's Ship [Hardcover]

Alexander Kent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1974

In March 1784, at a time when most of the fleet was laid up, His Majesty's frigate Undine weighed anchor at Spithead to begin a voyage to India and far beyond. As her new captain, Richard Bolitho was glad to go, despite the nature of his orders and the immensity of the voyage - for he was leaving an England still suffering from the aftermath of war. But he was to learn that signatures on proud documents did not necessarily make a lasting peace, and found himself involved in a conflict as ruthless as the one which had given him his first command during the war with France.In an uneasy peace the expansion of trade and colonial development in little-known areas of the East Indies soon pushed aside the pretence and brought the guns' fury into the open. There was no set line of battle or declared cause to rally Undine's small company. But the dangers and the endless demands had to be faced by the man who commanded the only King's ship available.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This trio, published in 1972, 1973, and 1968, respectively, offer more of the briny adventures of Richard Bolitho as he sails the seas during the late 18th century. LJ's reviewers found Sloop to be a "rousing novel" (LJ 12/1/72), while Kent himself was praised as the "worthy successor to C.S. Forester" (LJ 7/68). For all collections that like their adventure stories served with a pinch of salt.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"...enemy action, ... sinkings, boardings, amphibious operations, decks awash with blood.... This one does not disappoint." -- The New York Times

"Critics... dubbed Kent a worthy successor to C. S. Forester.... This hardly seems fair, for Kent's writing is fresh, singular, and worthy of judgement solely on its own high merit." -- Philadelphia Bulletin --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Coward Mc Cann (January 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399112782
• ISBN-13: 978-0399112782
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,149,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bolitho a role model, September 5, 2000

By 

Robert G. Leroe (Saugus, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Command a King's Ship (The Bolitho Novels) (Volume 6) (Paperback)

Years ago, when I served as a Chaplain for the 3rd Armored Division (Spearhead) in Frankfurt Germany, Dan, my Chaplain Assistant encouraged me to read the naval fiction of Alexander Kent. I had no interest in the British Navy, but Dan's enthusiasm, along with previous recommendations which had been on the mark, encouraged me to give Kent's books a try.

I began to read about the remarkable life of Richard Bolitho, whose life spanned from 1756 to 1815. In the course of 22 books we see Bolitho from his days as a lowly Midshipman (at the age of twelve) to his death as a knighted Rear Admiral during battle. Kent has even continued past Bolitho's death with a novel focused his nephew Adam, captain of a frigate, who appears throughout the saga.

I've since read C.S. Forester's books on Hornblower and have tried O'Brien's, but the lesser-known Kent outshines all in his fiction. He brings the hardships of the period to life, drawing the reader into the harsh world of the seaman, telling compelling, epic tales of courage.

Throughout Kent's books one finds impressive lessons regarding leadership and commitment to country and one's shipmates. Along with the sea battles, we learn of the press gangs, the in-fighting politics of the Admiralty, ethical dilemmas, the uneasy alliances among nations, and especially the human reaction to an irresistible yet severe life. Bolitho earns the respect and devotion of his sailors and officers through his bravery, fairness, tactical brilliance, and because he chooses to become personally involved in their lives and takes care of his men. Bolitho is not a remote, aloof or harsh leader. He is stern, yet compassionate. He is charming and complicated. On every ship he immediately learns the names and backgrounds of his men, and they find out quickly that he is committed to them. He is also flawed; Kent does not make him out to be a cardboard hero.

The many battle scenes are magnificent and horrible in their depiction of the tactics and awful bloodshed in close engagements. Heated shot, fire ships, risky maneuvering and grappling the sides of enemy ships for hand-to-hand combat mark this kind of war and determine the victor. Sometimes mutinous seaman, brutal weather, or cruel leaders become the enemy as well. Kent has exhaustively, in epic fashion, crafted the minute details of life at sea. In the process he tells compelling stories of the courage and cowardice. The brotherhood of seaman, "we happy few", as they quote the Bard, fight with and for each other. Kent even manages to get on land occasionally, and brings in some romance. But the bulk of the action involves the unique struggles of those in the warships.

In the course of his writing, Kent allows us to also see the American Revolution from a British perspective. Bolitho's brother deserts to the colonists' cause, which brings grief and disgrace to Sir Richard. Kent treats the Revolution as unfortunate and inevitable.

I want to pass on the favor Dan gave me by encouraging you to explore the unique world Alexander Kent has so meticulously and masterfully detailed. You will care about the people in these books, and in each you will find parables of leadership.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars High Adventure in East Indian Waters in the 1780's!, August 18, 1999

By 

Donal A. O'Neill - See all my reviews

This review is from: Command a King's Ship (The Bolitho Novels) (Volume 6) (Paperback)

Richard Bolitho is saved from peacetime idleness in the period between the end of the American War of Independence and the start of the French Revolutionary War by being assigned a frigate mission to the East Indies. The objective is to found a colony in an area disputed with other colonial powers, but the greatest challenge comes from an experienced French captain who, with his ship, has been seconded to the service of a ruthless local potentate. Action on both sea and land is violent and bloody and, as usual in these stories, the technical detail and historic context are conveyed in a wholly convincing manner. Bolitho's woes are compounded by an unhelpful British political agent and in the midst of all the turmoil still manages to commence a secret love affair. The story builds up to a splendid climax in which Bolitho's faithful friend Herrick, who appears in many novels of the series, emerges as the principal hero of the story. A rattling good read that is hard to put down.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping sea story, December 23, 2003

By 

Joseph H Pierre "Joe Pierre" (Salem, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Command a King's Ship (The Bolitho Novels) (Volume 6) (Paperback)

As I have noted before in other reviews, Kent is a great story teller. In this one, after the peace is signed at Versailles between France and England following the American Revolutionary War, the protagonist of the series (this is number five in the Bolitho series), Richard Bolitho, is given command of a 24 gun frigate, the Undine (a fifth rater), and ordered to India, where his task is to assist in taking over a Spanish post, which is to revert to the British flag. The post's governor is an admiral under whom he has previously served, and who is trying to restore his reputation after a bad command call in a previous sea battle..

There is skullduggery almost immediately, including plots to sabotage the deal by the French, who are in league with local pirates, and a love affair with a British government officer's wife. Bolitho, it would seem, is naive about women and driven more by his glands than his brain (as are many young men).

In any case, this is a whale of a story, and it will keep you reading far into the night--especially if you have reached the age when vicarious adventure is more appealing than the more dangerous kind, as have I.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre, USN (Ret)

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books