Customer Reviews

Lords of the Ocean (Revolution at Sea 4)

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

 

 

As an officer in the United States Navy, I was often frustrated with modern naval fiction. The great writers, O'Brian and Forrester wrote about the Royal Navy and mentioned the US Navy only in passing. Thank God for James L. Nelson! Now American readers can be proud of their own great naval heritege which Nelson truly brings to life! I couldn't put Lords of the Ocean down. Filled with action,intrigue, and historical accuracy, Lords of the Ocean is a book that I will be recommending to commanding officers to put on their command reading lists.

James Nelson takes his fictional hero, Captain Biddlecomb, into new realms of adventure in the fourth book of his revolution-at-sea series. The first chapter is a riveting account of Washingtons retreat from Long Island, in which our hero plays a key role. In keeping with historical fiction, the book borrows from the privateering escapades of Jean Paul Jones and the European political activites of Benjamin Franklin. Privateering is always perilous but more so when raiding the shipping of a country that considers the raiders nothing more than renegade subjects. This is a good read, but only four stars because politics [even historical politics]is a subject that I read to get away from. The book changes venues often, but stays with events of history. Nelson can be incredibly creative and at times you get the feeling that here is a period fiction writer that is staying too close to historical facts. Of course, if he was writing period fiction, someone would complain that he doesn't follow the facts closely enough. Buy the book and decide for yourself..

I really enjoyed this book. I think it's probably his best work since By Force of Arms. Nelson is doing even better at character development, which makes this book a highlight for me. Not only does he bring Biddlecomb across as a very human sort of hero, he also paints a very vivid picture of many of the remaining cast of characters. His description of the on sea actions remain, as they always have been, superb. I would not have thought that a book centering around getting Benjamin Franklin to France would have been all that interesting, nor would I have thought you could work a lightning rod into a good sea story. Nelson, however, pulls both off admirably.

I love history, but I love it even more when I can get it in such a fast paced, absorbing, fictional account. From the trials and tribulations of George Washington and the Continental Army trapped on Long Island(?), to sailing the high seas with Ben Franklin and privateers led by the imaginary Capt. Biddlecomb, it doesn't get any better. I was gladly transformed back in time -- with my heart pounding, and my nostrils filling with the smells of the cool salt air, burning gunpowder and splintering pine -- as WE fought to gain just one more prize. And, oh ... don't forget the political intrigue. I've since read the other three volumes, all of which are great, but this remains my first tue love. In addition, you'll find any of these sea-faring novels much easier to read than O'Brien's. Try it.

The American Revolution and YOU ARE THERE! A fine, fast paced novel of an area little written about, the politics and adventure in luring France into the war.

The trilogy now becomes a "saga" with the fourth in the series of The Revolution at Sea as Nelson continues with his perspective on the American Revolution, mostly from the quarter deck of various ships. In this case it is, for the most part, the US Navy brig Charlemagne commanded by Capt. Isaac Biddlecomb. The choice of that name for a hero is of interest, as such a name sounds as though he might be happier laboring over ledgers in some accounting firm. However, Biddlecomb is a name known by many of the British officers who have crossed his path and all of whom would love to see him swinging from a yardarm or run through by their blade. Early in the book he helps General Washington out of a tough spot by providing sufficient boats (from the British Navy) to allow him to escape from a certain pounding on Long Island. It seems that Washington's bacon is often being saved by Biddlecomb in these stories. Following that, he receives an order to transport Dr. Benjamin Franklin to France. In order to do that, he must cross the ocean eluding the British Navy, following which he finds himself free to raise a bit of hell off the coast of England. The predicaments that he finds himself in are well wrapped in the historical context of the times. We all learn a bit more about Franklin's work to bring the French out of neutrality on the side of the United States and we also learn that while a cat may have nine lives, Biddlecomb has far surpassed that.

Nelson writes with a sure hand about the little things of sailing in those days as well as the grand sweep of history and the reader is carried along with an intriguing look at those very important times.

The author uses a writing style that winds parallel plots together. Therefore the story moves back and forth between individual players who, from time to time, come together. The story has a main plot about Captain Biddlecomb, United States Navy, who is on assignment during the early years of the American Revolution, this time to France with a chance to earn prize money as well as carrying an important passenger. Biddlecomb's commerce raiding matches what historically took place during that time period. A sub-plot concerns Captain Hynson, an American who sought his fortune spying for the British. A lesser sub-plot concerns the activities of Ben Franklin in his role as an American Commissioner to France. Overall, it is well written, and some events follow real history. However, the author tends to leave loose ends (what happened to the crew of the Swallow, and how was a captured Royal Navy brig sailed into a neutral French port? What happened to the money Biddlecomb personally received for the first two prizes?) and sometimes forgets details from one point to the next (a ship's name CARVED into a board, simply painted over to change the name). Some sections of plot seem to be a replay of ploys used by previous authors. The book also makes some presumption that the reader has read previous books in the series, but generally includes enough information to fill in necessary details. The book has an American bias.

I thoroughly enjoy this series of books. I like the characters and the time period. The book is just plain fun to read.

Set in the 9 months following the Declaration of Independence, the story follows American Navy Captain Issac Biddlecomb as he escorts Ben Franklin to France to discuss an alliance with Britain's old adversary. While waiting for results, Issac is allowed free rein to prey on British merchants, which he does to devastating effect, making him the single most wanted man on the high seas. Greed and over-confidence prove to be Isaac's undoing and things go wrong in a big way, but the ever resourceful Isaac has ways of dealing with it. Meanwhile, skulduggery and espionage is afoot in France, with Isaac, as well as American hopes for assistance in France, as the target.
All this makes for a thrilling read, as certain capture is turned into escape, daring moonlight raids are almost foiled, and bold-as-brass deception sticks it right in the eye of the British.
Based on historical facts and real characters, this is a good as O'Brien's best and definitely the best yet in the Revolution at Sea saga.
Once again, the author's notes give us the history behind the fiction, and a glossary of terms, plus map and diagrams of rigging and ship layout, make this a very enjoyable read.