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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drinkwater Overcomes Adversity in the Pacific, July 5, 2001
This review is from: In Distant Waters: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel (Mariners Library Fiction Classic) (Paperback)
I became addicted to the Nathaniel Drinkwater series with the first installment. In my opinion the Drinkwater series is greatly underrated in the genre. Woodman has managed to create a niche between the lyricism of Patrick O'Brian and the furious action of Alexander Kent. Woodman writes well but sparingly and creates realistic characters with depth. Drinkwater, his prime creation, is the most realistic of any protagonist in the genre. He is a decent man who makes mistakes and doesn't always have control of the situation. He doesn't have the personal magnetism of a Bolitho or Ramage nor does he have the brilliance of a Hornblower. He does his duty to the best of his ability and ultimately is successful. In Distant Waters starts out ominously where Baltic Mission left off. Having brought sensitive intelligence back to England Drinkwater and his crew are immediately dispatched halfway round the world more for security reasons than from necessity it appears. Drinkwater must begin by hanging a deserter who in his own mind shouldn't be hanged under the circumstances. The demands of duty outweigh all other demands. The hanging casts a pall over the entire novel and is undoubtedly a motivator for some of the later problems. The route, the date and to some extent the mission are similar to The Happy Return, a trip round the Horn in 1808 to play havoc with the Spanish. Readers of the genre will know what neither Drinkwater nor Hornblower knew, that the Spanish will change sides. Like Hornblower in The Happy Return Drinkwater will not find out about the switch in time and must pursue subsequent plans accordingly. At this point the similarities end. While Hornblower was in firm command of his ship, Drinkwater's leadership and crew loyalty are tenuous. Drinkwater has the added complication of needing to deal with the Russians without complete orders. In Distant Waters proceeds from bad to worse and if the reader didn't know this was a series would wonder if things could ever work out. Drinkwater must deal with a crew that quite rightly believes that it has been mistreated (not by Drinkwater's hand), limited information, perfidious and dishonourable enemies, and an overall sense of gloom. The Drinkwater series is gothic in nature and In Distant Waters is one of the most gothic in the series. Fortunately for Drinkwater he has his wits about him, his faithful Tregembo and the redoubtable Mr. Q. The novel features only one major sea battle in its climax. However, there are a number of minor engagements plus a steady progression of action that builds suspense to a thunderous climax. When the climactic battle occurs, it is a release from the tension and gloom that have built up throughout the novel. The Nathaniel Drinkwater series is excellent and In Distant Waters is a strong entry worthy of inclusion. If you haven't read the earlier novels read them. If you have read In Distant Waters then proceed immediately to A Private Revenge.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Slow start, but great finish!, November 18, 2002
This review is from: In Distant Waters: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel (Mariners Library Fiction Classic) (Paperback)
Here we see Nat in command of Patrician, a cut-down 64 (Antigone having been too badly damaged in the previous battle); neither he nor his men were allowed leave for reasons of national security and his first task is to hang a deserter - not an auspicious start to a trip round the Horn. Mother Russia is in evidence again and there are hints of desertion that become all too real after landing on a deserted island; the little freedom the crew are given is curtailed as they sight, then sink a prize; more desertions as they repatriate the prisoners, then sabotage almost completes the felony. To say more would reveal too much, but there is more than enough intrigue and action to hold the attention. Slightly different from the previous 7 in the series, it appears stilted and chopped into seemingly disparate paragraphs, which throws one initially, but ultimately works very well as the hints and threads of the plots are drawn together. As usual, the spare, accurate descriptions leave one in no doubt as to the relative positions of the protagonists in each action, making it enjoyably easy to follow the sequence.
Again, this is based on fact, the surprising thing is how many of the characters really existed.
An exceptionally fine read *****
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rather distanced, indeed., June 6, 2001
This review is from: In Distant Waters: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel (Mariners Library Fiction Classic) (Paperback)
Following on BALTIC MISSION, Woodman again shows us British-Russian enmities, but here far, far from the European scene of the previous seven novels. Now 1808, Capt. Drinkwater's frigate rounds the cape and heads to the Northern Pacific, experiencing a long slide of morale among his crew of sailors too long without shore leave. For once he is not on a spy mission. He encounters a dishonorable Spanish captain and perfidy, intrigues his way through Spanish San Francisco with the help of a beautiful woman, runs afoul of bad luck and helpless defeat, and is bested by a Yankee mountain man. The book climaxes in a series of violent encounters with the Russians, who are moving on (British) Oregon from Alaska in alliance with Spain. This is an unusual but true setting for one of the more remote encounters of the Napoleonic Wars, the world's first true World War of global empires. These are well-crafted and authentic sounding stories, but without the infectious humor of a Forester or O'Brian, or the gusto of Lambdin. Woodman writes in a style that is a little too serious and grim to evoke my empathy or wonder, and skips too quickly through the battle scenes. He doesn't quite seem to love the sea and those who sail upon it. IMHO, the better sailing-navy authors I've read would rank as: O'Brian and Forester, Lambdin and the new Stockwin, Woodman, with real Capt. Murryat and Adm. Mack below the line. (Sheridan House omits three of the early books from its Drinkwater republication list, but is printed on better stock than the earlier, execrable but much cheaper, Time Warner pb edition.)
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