Customer Reviews

Sea of Grey (Alan Lewrie Naval Adventures)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Contrary to some reviewers' comments, I found this a solid and enjoyable addition to the unfolding Lewrie adventures. Granted, it didn't have cannons blasting on every other page, but the story moved the main characters forward on occasionally surprising, though utterly believable paths. Moreover, it did what I expect of all readable historical novels; i.e., it provided solid information about an aspect of history of which I knew little--in this case the on-going slave rebellions in the West Indies--while keeping me interested in the overall story line and characters.

I've read all the Hornblower books, as well as the entire O'Brian collection, and although I enjoyed them enormously, I find the Lewrie books the most enjoyable of the lot. The main character is clearly the most interesting to be found in these three series, resembling the roguish Flashman in George MacDonald Fraser's terrific series.

If you're looking for the print equivalent of a John Woo movie, with massive explosions on every other page, I'd recommend going to a John Woo movie or reading a comic book, rather than this novel. But if you enjoy seeing a character develop believably, beset by an interesting and plausible set of non-stop difficulties against the backdrop of fascinating history--and would like to stay plugged in to the undoubtedly interesting things to come in this rascal's career--I'd highly recommend reading this and all the other books in Lambdin's Alan Lewrie series.

I love these books! Okay, the guy is quite the rake-hell--not your standard hero. That's part of the charm. He is self-serving but decent. He's beset with all kinds of difficulties and has an uncanny knack for turning trouble into luck. His character flaws make him all the more believable and engaging. Lewry's reflections are a hoot. Lambdin's nautical information and sailing descriptions are to my mind, peerless in the nautical adventure series world. Lambdin does his homework.

The series is a most unpretentious romp, full of great information on the era and nautical information. I look forward to the next installment!

I'm writing a review of this particular novel in the series because it's the one that helped me break my habit. Alan Lewrie is an entertaining character, and the battles and love-making are fun, and the books are fairly well-written. The early ones do make a habit of ending long, long sentences with exclamation marks, in a failed attempt at adding some tension. But, otherwise, Lambdin has some pretty good prose. The books are riddled with anachronisms, such as having Lewrie playing "Down by the Sally Gardens" a hundred years before Yeats wrote it. Basically there are downmarket versions of C.S. Forester or Patrick O'Brian. They're fun, but not particularly though-provoking. After awhile, they get a bit predictable, Lewrie alienates someone, gives us a pornographic sex scene or two, and then blunders into good fortune. Fair enough. But Forester and O'Brian are better, a bit smarter and a bit more rewarding.

I will freely admit (1) to being a sailor, (2) to being a bit of a rake-hell myself when in the Navy, and (3) to having a willingness to forgive certain inaccuracies when reading or listening to a historical novel. I've read the negative reviews and am not about to argue with them. Rather, I offer an alternative view.

In order for "Sea of Gray" to make any sense, and to increase your enjoyment, it would be great if you (dear potential reader) would consider starting with Book 1 of the series, "The King's Coat." I did so, and have followed right through each in turn. Lambdin freely admits he's tried hard, and sometimes failed, to present the terms, rigging, ship movements, and historical context as best he is able. But it's clear to me the stories are NOT about the historical accuracy or naval specifics, but rather about Alan Lewrie, a feckless nobody forced into naval duty and, to everyone's surprise including his own, someone who accidentally succeeds. His trials and tributions, loves, lusts, fights, disasters, and occasional glory give these tales a spice I found lacking in most of the historical novels about any Navy.

In the Alan Lewrie series, we're not so interested in the little details or the hair-splitting accuracy as much as the crazy, hair-brained and utterly human situations Lewrie finds himself in, time and again. Oh, I love the battles, the sword fights, the scenes of chaos and mayhem, and admit to enjoying Lewrie's trysts with assorted women, but through it all I find myself identifying with the sheer HUMANNESS of the man himself. These stories could be set on the sea, in the wild West, or on a far distant star for all I care. I'm gripped by the tale of a wastrel who has slowly risen, by hook or by crook, to each rank in turn, and I see something of my own self in him. If you want microscopic naval accuracy, then I'm sure there are authors to satisfy you. If you want tales of daring-do, combined with a damn close rendering of conditions and sailing as it was in the late 1700's, then this series is for you. Pour yourself a generous tot of good rum (pick something dark and tasty from Barbados), and prepare for adventure.

Oh, but what about "Sea of Gray?" Well, it's told largely as a flashback - a style quite different from all the others in the series, and one I find a tad disconcerting, but acceptable. However, if you have never read any of Lambdin's Alan Lewrie books, I would not start with this one, any more than I would walk into a great movie halfway into the second reel. Whether you buy it, rent it, or get it from the Library, do yourself a favor and begin at the beginning. The lusty, sword-fight-loving, hot-blooded of you will find a true shipmate in Dewey Lambdin and his Alan Lewrie.

I really enjoyed all the previous novels about our once roguish hero, but he seems to have become middle aged and more concerned with the problems in his marriage than our former rake who had an eye for the ladies, boring. Like one of the other reviewers I found myself just skimmimg pages, something I seldom do, and never before in this series.
I hope this is just a passing phase of Captain Lewrie's life and Mister Lambdin's writing, and that the next chapter finds Lewrie engaging once again in page turning period adventure.

I've read now all but one of the series of Alan Lewrie naval adventures and I must say that what started out as a most promising set of novels has gone sour. The early works saw Lewrie as the young rascal, adventurous, but with a sometimes troubling morality. Now, however, he has evolved into nothing more than a middle-aged ship's captain befuddled with marital problems due to his past sexual escapades. In point of fact, nothing much really happens in this book. The author has seen fit to follow Lewrie's career chronologically, so this tale is set during a period after the Noire mutiny when, well, not much of anthing was going on in the British navy. I once again found myself constantly scimming tens of pages in order to locate a little action. King's Captain (the book before this) is a much more interesting work as it involves Lewrie's psychological efforts to thwart mutiny. This novel is just boring. If you want to enjoy Alan Lewrie at his best--read the early Lambdin novels and forget these later efforts. Remember, there is always O'Brien's Jack Aubrey and Forester's Horation Hornblower.

I am in some agreement with the fellow who wrote that you needed to read the earlier books in this series to understand everything that was going on because I didn't. . . and I didn't. That said, I still enjoyed this pretty good actioner, though I think there have probably been enough British naval heros in contemporary literature. This one has the distinction of being more of a rogue than some, so he's interesting in a Flashman sort of way. I guess as an American I'm pretty fond of James L. Nelson, whose Isaac Biddlecomb is the quintessential reluctant warrior/Yankee capitalist and whose stories celebrate a Navy other than the British Royal (and underdogs to boot). This was a good fast read, but just cannon fodder till the next Nelson book is out. I will definitely go back, though, and read the rest of this series.

Captain Alan Lewrie of the HMS Proteus has distinguished himself at Camperdown and has been awarded a medal for it, but his private life has pretty much gone down the tubes, as the trouble that had been threatening comes to fruition and his wife comes to believe the reports being sent by an anonymous "friend" who is obviously all too conversant in every one of Lewrie's weaker moments with women who were not his wife, and is more than willing to reveal all. This has a bad effect on Lewrie's naval career, but he can't do anything better than return to the relative safety of the sea. This time he's sent to the Caribbean--not usually associated with being grey at all, but things are definitely not looking all that bright for Lewrie--or for England, for that matter.

For one thing, there is the British attempt to keep the slave revolt from wreaking havoc in Haiti, a cause that is looking all too much like going the way of what happened in Toulon. And there are unfriendly superior officers and the changing alliances of various powers, making even patrols in the Caribbean seem grim and hazardous. And of course there is the fear of Yellow Jack and other deadly tropical fevers.

This is the tenth Alan Lewrie Naval Adventure and I am still hugely enjoying this series, even though they are dark days for Our Hero.

This is the 10th novel in a series about Royal Navy officer Alan Lewrie. It would be difficult to understand large portions of the plot without reading the earlier novels. After the previous novels ("Jester's Fortune," etc.), this one was a disappointment. The novel starts with Lewrie out on the town with his father, with a broken arm and an indication of troubles with his wife. The author then uses one chapter to flash back to Camperdown to explain the broken arm, and a second chapter to flash back to earlier in the day and a very public confrontation with his wife. Considering Caroline's past use of a pistol (see "the Gun Ketch"), Lewrie is lucky to come away with his hide intact.

Lewrie finds himself somewhat out of favor at the Admiralty, and is sent off to the West Indies (at least he has a command). The author tends to use large amounts of space on trivia, while barely mentioning things of significance (delivering dispatches to Admiral Jervis is covered in a sentence). There are places where the story seems to move forward in jumps. Old acquaintances are dragged into the story here and there as Lewrie is finally back into action in a series of engagements, either with the enemy or with available women. The losses from tropical fevers are described by Frederick Hoffman in his autobiography, "A Sailor of King George."

The novel seems to alternate between naval action, discussions of moral philosophy, short discourses on history or geography, and incidents in Lewrie's love life. The story is left unfinished. Caroline has thrown him out and wants most of his assets, his young daughter publicly calls him a sinner, his sons have been sent off to a boarding school, one of his friends wants him as a second in a planned duel, and the evil Choundos is back. The story has graphic sexual content which does not improve a mediocre novel.

I have read all of Lambdin's previous Lewrie books, but I don't remember being so annoyed by his habit of putting naval slang in quotation marks. Secondly, halfway through the book, there has been little but talk with his friend Cashman ashore. As I found myself skimming rather than reading more and more pages, I decided to stop altogether, and return to Forester, a real prose stylist, even if his character is a little priggish.
Or reread O'Brian, whose character is appealing, and his prose wonderful. Lambdin does not belong on the same shelf.