Man of War (The Bolitho Novels) [Hardcover]

Alexander Kent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004 | Series: The Bolitho Novels (Book 26)

In 1817 every harbor and estuary in Antigua is filled with ghostly ships, superfluous in the aftermath of war. In this uneasy peace, Adam Bolitho is offered the 74-gun Athena, a notoriously "unlucky" ship, and as flag-captain to Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Bethune he once more follows his destiny to the Caribbean.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kent's descriptions of ships under sail . . . crackle with realism." -- Library Journal

About the Author

Alexander Kent, pen name of Douglas Edward Reeman, joined the British Navy at 16, serving on destroyers and small craft during World War II, and eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant. He has taught navigation to yachtsmen and has served as a script adviser for television and films. His books have been translated into nearly two dozen languages.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 318 pages
• Publisher: McBooks Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590130669
• ISBN-13: 978-1590130667
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,925,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Bolitho emotions, September 2, 2004

By 

tertius3 (MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man of War (The Bolitho Novels) (Paperback)

This volume in the Bolitho series does not need, or deserve, a long review. If you like the series about "we happy few," then you may want to read this, too. This is certainly not the place to start, as many references to earlier characters and situations of "the Bolitho legend" are oblique in the extreme: suitable for constant readers but hardly explaining the rushes of sentimental emotion among them that Kent offers here. Although this Capt. Bolitho, son of the revered admiral of earlier books, is young, he is not involved in much action because Napoleon has been finished off. Instead, the British are now pursuing American slave traders in a rather secretive fashion, and Bolitho has found a girl, another lost soul, to agonize upon. So, this is far from a sea-going swashbuckler of the sort found in the first ten or so books of this now-26 volume series. However, with its greater emphasis on manly sentiments among aging and retired sailors and their women on shore, this story is likely to appeal to a broader spectrum of readers of historical romance fiction than naval fiction is wont. This book is in a way of a love story between Adam and the lovely Lowenna, and also between Kent and his characters.

Many of the scenes are interior, either in offices, homes, or inside the characters feelings. Kent makes it easy to tell good officers from bad: if the lieutenant knows his men's names he's good, if he don't he ain't. In fact, however, there's very little of the conflict between ranks that is a staple of nautical fiction (and powering whole books earlier in this series). This, despite the fact Adam Bolitho is now a flag captain and under the potentially oppressive thumb of his admiral. But Admiral Bethune has too much respect for the revered Bolitho name! In fact, this book lacks tension or much suspense due to its pervasive sense of nostalgia and a scarcity of open conflict, either at sea or in the halls of Admiralty.

In the few scenes of life at sea, Kent is usually more careful than here to give wind and sailing directions so you can imaginatively follow the maneuvering. I think his mind was on other matters, a different kind of sea tale. As always, McBooks Press does a nice job of the somewhat antique typefaces, while avoiding the crowded little text of yore.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars it's Time To Retire The Bolitho Legend, January 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Man of War (The Bolitho Novels) (Hardcover)

I've read all 26 books in the Bolitho series and thoroughly enjoyed the vast majority. Alas, "Man of War" stands alone as the weakest offering in the series. Foremost among the literary casulaties is the carefully perpetuated overarching series theme "We happy few". Sadly, it is overwhelmed in a pea soup fog of never-ending, tedious-beyond-words introspections by a proliferating cast of characters. Absent too are a compelling, coherent plot and the expected ration of expertly described naval engagements. Indeed, for those readers who "live" for the battles, be forewarned: you'll have to endure almost 300 pages of (pardon the pun) navel gazing to reach the only engagement in this 318 page book; and even then the reward is slight when compared to other books in the Bolitho series.To be fair to Reeman/Kent, the Bolitho series has arrived at a point in the history of the British Empire and the Royal Navy where there's not all that much exciting to write about. Still, he presses on; and it would seem there are enough loose ends in "Man of War" to suggest at least one more book is in the offing. If "Man of War" is a window on what the future holds for this mostly enjoyable series, it's time for Reeman to bring it to a merciflul end and let the Bolitho legend enjoy fair winds and following seas into a well deserved retirement.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars very slow going, December 26, 2006

By 

lordhoot "lordhoot" (Anchorage, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man of War (Hardcover)

For some time, I thought Alexander Kent was slipping a bit. His books have become more tedious and soap-opera like in concept and content. In this book, Man of War, the author filled the pages with non-action. The dead hero, Richard Bolitho is never far from the minds of the major characters in the book and so it appears in the mind of the author as well. While the time period was one of peace and hunting slavers seem to be a major letdown from fighting the French, the author could still add some excitment to the story. But instead, we are treated with a lot of talk, a lot of emotional repression and by the book characters. This is a very slow going book where many things are said but very little take place. The author is no longer the same man who wrote the initial books of the series that was filled with swift tale of action, seamanship and interesting characters, good and bad.

This book is still readable and for any Bolitho fan, it should provides several hours of interesting reading regardless of its overall quality. But if a first time reader of Bolitho series start off with this book, such a reader probably won't touch another.

In my humble opinion, the series should have ended with the death of Richard Bolitho since the series as it is, cannot let go of him.