Customer Reviews

A King's Commander (Alan Lewrie Naval Adventures)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Lambdin's hero is the perfect foil for Jack Aubrey. Jack Aubrey, Patrick O'Brian's hero is a classic tarry-handed, lead-by-example fighting sailor to the bone but takes himself a little too seriously. Alan Lewrie, Lambdin's main man, also a real lead-by-example fighting sailor to the bone sees himself almost too much like a goat instead of a hero. Nonetheless, Jack Aubrey had mids like Lewry that he was rightly proud of. More importantly, they both get the King's work done in Bristol fashion without wasting a minute. Their men revere them both and follow them into the bellies of beast after beast. That they emerge victorious is as expected as it is wondrous but, in both cases, it makes great reading. If you are seeking lessons in Napoleonic Era England's dress, forms of address, gossip and politics embedded in robust tales of derring do, read O'Brian. If you want entertainment with much less history and a with a ring-side view of a real boy-becomes-man tale, go for Lambdin. That Lambdin's man still hasn't recognized himself for the man he has become makes him even more enjoyable. Sure he is a scooundrel but he is a successful scoundrel and a winner as well. Personally, I find both protagonists equally entertaining and believable. I can't imagine having to pick one over the other when I can have both.

Dewey Lambdin does it again.A worthwile, exciting read

I have been a big fan of this series and really enjoyed the earlier novels. They are certainly different to the Hornblower, Aubrey or Bolitho characters. In many ways, I found the approach refreshing and amusing. In this novel, Alan Lewrie has been promoted to Commander and given HMS Jester. A ship he took in the previous book. Much I have enjoyed this series to date, I just could not like this book.

Some of my issues:
Lewrie is constantly questioning himself and has gained no confidence in his abilities despite over 10 years in the service. Although I appreciate that some people can be this way, I found the constant questioning before/after every decision to be annoying.

Long, very long winded speeches about possible strategy based on little facts reminded me of a very bad episode of CSI Miami. Lewrie appears to have everything figured out after the first action.

There are some highlights in this book and some funny moments, but on the whole, it is a book which can be summed up in a few sentences and skipped.

Just as Alan Lewrie has gotten much better at this Royal Navy thing, Lambdin has gotten better and better at writing novels about him. From a feckless 17-year-old midshipman, Lewrie has advanced in this seventh in the series to an experienced, competent commander of his own ship-sloop, . . . though he's sometimes equally feckless. If only he could keep his breeches buttoned, his life would have a lot fewer problems in it. But even with a loving wife and three kids back home, he still finds himself involved, willy-nilly, with the lovely young Phoebe Aretino from the previous installment. He won't keep her, though, which is just as well for him. On the professional front, having been posted off to the Med, Lewrie finds himself participating in a small way in that spectacular victory over the Republican French navy known as the Glorious First of June. Then he's off to join Hood's fleet and to participate in the conquest of Corsica as a colleague of Capt. Horatio Nelson -- and to be caught up in the machinations of Mr. Twigg, the spy from his time in the Far East, as well as Choundas, the French captain and pirate who has good reason to hate him, . . . and of whom Lewrie admits well-justified fear. The author seems to have gotten under control his penchant for over-writing and over-reliance on period slang, and his ability to clearly describe naval actions and ship-handling have progressed from occasionally shaky to considerably above average. But most important, Alan Lewrie, filled with self-doubts and a full realization of his own shortcomings even while he repeatedly proves his courage and his worth to the navy, is a fully realized human being of whom the reader can develop some understanding and about whom one cares -- even when he does something personally stupid.

I've read the Hornblower and OBrien, but this series by Lambdin is truely the best! Historical accurate gritty, real, and loads of fun usually. This is truly a great adventure serie. I keep checking for his next book.

Planning to cut loose from poor Phoebe with a cash settlement, Lewrie finds that is easier said than done. So off they go, with a surprising collection of her recent acquisitions, to find her accomodations in Corsica, Phoebe's homeland and Lewrie's next naval assignment. Once again Lambdin has done excellent research to cover a segment of the early Napoleonic Wars that has been neglected by most authors. The book develops as an excellent historical novel, mixing realistic accounts of well known historical figures with Lambdin's fictional characters. And what of poor Phoebe? The Contessa Aretino, a sharp businesswoman with a knack for turning a profit and a Corsican nationalist to boot? Well, now... And Le Hideux, an enemy from Lewrie's past reappearing to match wits and guns, will this be his end as Lewrie hunts him down? As with the other Lambdin books about Lewrie, the plot stands well by itself but, in this case, the previous book, H.M.S. Cockerel, should probably be read first as a King's Commander is an obvious continuation of a tale. The ending of the tale is a little unfinished and leads into a necessary sequel. Read Jester's Fortune for the continuation.

Mr. Lambdin has done it again. "Our hero" as Mr. Lambdin sometimes refers to his primary character continues the maintenance and, yes, love of his engaging Corsican mistress (Phoebe) while remaining wholly in love with his wife, Caroline. He concludes that it is possible to love them both, but is consumed (from time to time) by a horrendous and heavy guilt and self -loathing at the fact. This does not stop him from admiring and entertaining lascivious thoughts of other women who cross his path. When not feeling guilty, he is Commander of HMS Sloop Jester, which he manages with much success. The people he encounters (Captain Horatio Nelson) and others, are people you come to know and care for because of Mr. Lambdin's remarkable ability to create and develop characters that jump off the page at you. His storytelling is first class, his plots are fascinating without being contrived, and his sense of humor sets him apart from others of the genre. It is clear that he is at pains to be accurate in the slang and colloquialisms of the time, and he is equally accurate in the technicalities of sailing, without letting those technicalities overwhelm the reader. His sense of the historical is made clear by his notes at the end of the book noting where he deviated slightly from what is possible, historically speaking, or elaborating on an historical character in the story by explaining why he attributed the personality to them that he did. This is altogether a superb book, written by a master storyteller, who clearly commands his craft. This is great stuff.

After flirting with being in command of a ship at times in the past, Alan Lewrie finally gets his own ship, the HMS Jester, a prize he'd won in the last book. The war is heating up and Lewrie sails into the battle of the Glorious First of June, then on to the Mediterranean, where under Hood and along with Nelson, he's at the taking of Corsica. But then Admiral Hood is replaced by Hotham, and Lewrie chafes under his over-cautious leadership. But old acquaintances and enemies from the past appear to, naturally, cause trouble for Lewrie. And he is asked by British agents to give his all--including an assignation with a particularly well-endowed and alluring female spying for the French.

I continue to thoroughly enjoy this series. I love Lewrie, with his insecurities, flaws, and his nautical abilities. Yes, O'Brian's series is brilliant, but I never mind comparisons and enjoy these books on their own merits.

Lewrie has almost more action this time in bed than in command of his ship. This is a great series that takes you back to the days of Wooden Ships and Iron Men but adds a fair blend of humor and lechery as well. The scene where Lewrie gets his uniform chewed off (figuratively) by a angered Nelson is very well done. Someday some clever producer will realize that with computer advancements you could film any of the Hornblower, Bolitho, Ramage or Lewrie series and make some splendid movies. If you like Hornblower you'll probably enjoy this series and check out the hard to find Dudley Pope series and the Alexander Kent series as well. I was greatly relieved to see that the story I'd heard that the series was over was false and am looking forward to the next one

Clearly a quickie knock-off on the Patrick O'Brian series, about the only thing these books seem to have going for them is that the "hero" is so frightfully obnoxious the reader keeps hoping Alan "Lurid" Lewrie will get his just rewards. Literally stuck on an island will little choice in reading material, I'll admit to reading two in the series...the second (A King's Commander) in the hopes that something would rattle the prick's marbles sufficiently to make him semi-interesting. Don't bother with this garbage; get the master in historical naval fiction, Mr. O'Brian.