Endangered Species (Mariner's Library Fiction Classics) [Paperback]

Richard Woodman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2000 | Series: Mariners Library Fiction Classic

Capt. John Mackinnon and his ship, the Matthew Flinders, are embarking on their last voyage.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This duo of sea adventures spans the historic to the contemporary. Written in 1988, Baltic Mission is an installment in Woodman's Nathaniel Drinkwater series. This episode finds the British sailor on a secret assignment for the crown while Napoleon continues to acquire real estate. Drinkwater is soon at odds with his crew and hamstrung by his drunken first mate. The Endangered Species of this 1992 title are both the British merchant fleet and Capt. John Mackinnon, skipper of the Matthew Flinders. On his last voyage before retirement, Mackinnon, too, finds himself facing a hostile crew, as well as a typhoon and a load of Vietnamese refugees he feels he must rescue and deliver to safety. Now that Patrick O'Brian is gone, this is a solid author to recommend.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Captain John Mackinnon and his ship, the MATTHEW FLINDERS, are embarking on their last voyage. The captain and his vessel symbolize the irreversible, quiet decline of the British merchant fleet. But this journey to Hong Kong will prove to be anything but quiet. Internal tensions among the crew provoke unrest and lead to a navigation error, steering them right into the violent, destructive path of Typhoon David. Suddenly the crew of the MATTHEW FLINDERS are no longer fighting for their livelihood, but for their very lives. Yet on the same sea, other lives are at stake as well. MacKinnon feels compelled to rescue a boatload of Vietnamese refugees fleeing to Hong Kong authorities, and the greatest challenge of his nautical career. Endangered Species is a dynamic, brilliantly written maritime action/adventure novel. --Midwest Book Review, April 2000

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (April 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574090763
• ISBN-13: 978-1574090765
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,906,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for working sailors, February 9, 2002

By 

Jeffrey Leeper "kem2070" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Endangered Species (Mariner's Library Fiction Classics) (Paperback)

The "Matthew Flinders" is on her final voyage for Hong Kong to be sold for scrap, and the members of the crew are sailing to the demise of their way of life (hence the name, "Endangered Species"). En route, they rescue a sinking junk filled with people fleeing Vietnam. There is plenty of excitement as this novel looks at the changing times and how we fight and adapt to them.

This is not a "historical" sea-faring novel like the Nathaniel Drinkwater series by Woodman or the Aubrey and Maturin series by O'Brien. The book is most likely set in the 1980s since there is an AIDS reference and Hong Kong is still under British control. The story tells of the lives of seamen in the British Merchant Navy as it declines.

Richard Woodman, from the information in the book, has been a sailor for a large part of his life. His detailed descriptions of the ship show you his familiarity. Also, his portrayal of the characters will remind you of past shipmates (if you have worked and lived on a boat as I have). We all know the war-veteran skipper, MacKinnon, and the ne'er-do-well MacGregor.

There are some logical problems with the novel though. First, the ship goes through a typhoon and finds itself in the eye of the storm. This would mean that the crew must pass back through the storm, but this never happens. Second, a window is shattered by the storm and someone is injured. The window is never repaired, and there is no mention of the after-effects (like wind or noise). Lastly, the navigation is mostly dead reckoning and celestial fixes. I would think that a modern novel would mention other sources (like Loran or Omega). These may be petty, but they are noticeable.

Regardless of these errors, this is still an engaging and nostalgic read. I could easily see myself reading more books by Woodman, just as I would recommend that you should read this one.

5.0 out of 5 stars A dynamic, brillitantly written maritime action/adventure., April 6, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Endangered Species (Mariner's Library Fiction Classics) (Paperback)

Captain John Mackinnon and his ship, the Matthew Flinders, are embarking on their last voyage. The captain and his vessel symbolize the irreversible, quiet decline of the British merchant fleet. But this journey to Hong Kong will prove to be anything but quiet. Internal tensions among the crew provoke unrest and led to a navigation error, steering them right into the violent, destructive path of Typhoon David. Suddenly the crew of the Matthew Flinders are no longer fighting for their livelihood, but for their very lives. yet on the same sea, other lives are at stake as well. When Mackinnon feels compelled to rescue a boatload of Vietnamese refugees fleeing to Hong Kong, he sets off an explosive chain of events that will lead to mutiny, confrontation with Hong Kong authorities, and the greatest challenge of his nautical career. Endangered Species is a dynamic, brilliantly written maritime action/adventure novel.