A Matter of Honor [Hardcover]

William C Hammond (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

The first volume in a series of maritime novels set in the early years of the United States, A Matter of Honor" is a dramatic account of a young man's coming of age during the American Revolution. Introducing Richard Cutler, a Massachusetts teenager with strong family ties to England, the novel tells his story as he ships out with John Paul Jones to avenge the death of his beloved brother Will, impressed by the Royal Navy and flogged to death for striking an officer. On the high seas, in England and in France, on the sugar islands of the Caribbean, and on the battlefield of Yorktown, Cutler proves his mettle and wins the love?and allegiance to the infant republic?of a beautiful English aristocrat from the arms of Horatio Nelson himself. "A Matter of Honor" is deeply researched and eloquently told. Sailors and historians will appreciate that author's attention to maritime detail, vivid sailing scenes, and dramatic battles.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Literary agent, amateur historian and sailing enthusiast Hammond sets his sprawling debut novel, the first in a series, in the crucible of the American Revolution. The maritime action follows the adventures of Richard Cutler, a young rebel who signs on as a midshipman aboard the Ranger, a sloop-of-war of the fledgling Continental navy captained by John Paul Jones. Cutler's motives are independence for his country and revenge for his older brother, Will, who was seized from a merchantman and flogged to death by the Royal Navy. Serving alongside Jones on the Ranger and later the Bonhomme Richard, Cutler fights in dramatic sea battles and meets many of the key characters in the Revolution, including Ben Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette and John Adams. He also shares his romantic interest in British beauty Katherine Hardcastle with a young British naval officer, but his capture off the British coast could mean he misses out on the war and the woman. Drawing on five years of historical research and a lifetime of sailing, Hammond vividly recreates an early chapter in American history. (Oct.)
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About the Author

Bill Hammond is a business consultant and literary agent who lives with his wife and three sons in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A lifelong student of history, he sails whenever possible on Lake Superior and off the coast of Maine.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing; 1st Printing edition (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581826095
• ISBN-13: 978-1581826098
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #380,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William C.Hammond is a novelist, literary agent, and business consultant. A lifelong student of history and a sailing enthusiast, he frequently sails on Lake Superior and off the coast of New England. He lives with his family in Minneapolis, MN. His first novel in the Cutler chronicles, A Matter of Honor, was published in 2007.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good naval fiction, November 9, 2007

By 

David W. Straight (knoxville, tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Matter of Honor (Hardcover)

We are, thank goodness, seeing a nice groundswell of naval fiction in the age of sail: A Matter of Honor joins Russell's fine novel Under Enemy Colors, and there are many other books to choose from as well--some memorable, some not so memorable. Most of these books feature officers in the Royal Navy: the RN was certainly the largest and most active fleet of any nation. Unlike, say, the French fleet, often blockaded by the RN, the British ships were usually at sea, and thus had plenty for a protagonist to do. A Matter of Honor features Richard Cutler aboard ships of the Continental Navy. This is a natural handicap for any author insofar as it certainly limits the scope of action compared to a Hornblower, for example. So the interesting thing is to see how the author handles this literary handicap.

Cutler starts off as a midshipman under John Paul Jones and later rises to acting lieutenant. Cutler has had plenty of seagoing experience aboard his father's merchant vessels--but not in a role of giving orders, not in a warship-type chain of command. Hammond is fine with the naval details of the ships--there's a fine authenticity here. What does not ring quite as true is Cutler's role as a midshipman--it just doesn't feel quite right--as if the uniform were two sizes too small or something. For example, before the start of the first cruise, when the officers are assembled, Jones asks Cutler's opinion about the rigging and balance of the ship, and Cutler notes that among other things, the masts are straked too far forward. Even though it's not the RN and though Cutler has spent time at sea, it seems out-of-place. I was trying to imagine a 20-year-old new ensign on a US Navy WW II destroyer being asked that same type of question by the destroyer captain. I also didn't get a sense that Cutler was learning. A midshipman is in training to become a lieutenant: you need to learn to command. I think that the problem is that authors like their protagonists to protagonize, so to speak, to influence outcomes, to have a good degree of control, as opposed to being fully in the control of others. Frigate captains are very popular protagonists--lots of room for glorious independent action.

When Cutler becomes an acting lieutenant, that role seems to fit him much better: I was delighted to see him threatening a green midshipman with kissing the gunner's daughter. He fit well in that role, unlike when he was a midshipman: the chain of command seems proper here. There are well-described sea battles: the author has a good feel for these. The scenes ashore are not as interesting, however, but I'm not sure that with the US Navy at that time long, near-continual sea-duty (as in the RN) would be realistic.

It's unusual for an author of naval fiction in the age of sail to have the hero start as a midshipman. In many ways, however, this should be perhaps the most interesting part of a naval hero's career--it's where he learns from mistakes, learns command from the bottom, learns patience and perseverance. Hornblower, too briefly, is a midshipman. Dewey Lambdin's excellent Lewrie series starts Lewrie as a midshipman who must--literally--learn the ropes, and a lieutenant's threat of making him kiss the gunner's daughter sounds most appealing to him. There's a fine sense of the learning process. I didn't get that same sense that Cutler was learning, and I cannot recall any mistakes that he makes. But it's good to see someone start this way, and Matter of Honor is a fine first novel.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Less Than Outstanding, October 2, 2007

By 

Sarah D. Krug (Royal Oak, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Matter of Honor (Hardcover)

What a great read! From the first page to the final page, I was engrossed in both rich history and wonderful story. I found myself reviewing American History and being reminded of tremendous feats of courage and honor that were carried out in the time of the Revolutionary War. At the same time, the storyline keeps one turning the pages, and I truly was unable to put this book down as I needed to see what would become of the various characters. My only problem will be having patience while I await the second book in Hammond's series. MATTER OF HONOR is truly an excellent work; it is nothing less than outstanding!

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average at best, March 18, 2008

By 

David Wilkin (La Habra Heights, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Matter of Honor (Hardcover)

He's not Hornblower
He's not Jack Aubrey
He's not Bolitho or Ramage or Lewrie

Cutler, our hero in this story is just plain not...

Not heroic or exciting. He is wordy and he is so fortunate as to meet and be a part to great events. He meets and has intimate dialogue with John Paul Jones and gets to become a worthy companion so as to get to the French Court and meet notables there. He has strong ties to England so he can do a turn there and meet Nelson. (Both sides of our heroes bread is buttered it would seem.)

He witnesses the end of the war of the revolution. As an American, since we won't have another war until 1812 (30 years later) perhaps we will be spared seeing him again. Since 50 is the now 80's what with medicine and the hardships of life in the late 1700's... Something tells me though that every little provocation that the US is involved in will have this hero, or his descendents involved.

The author ruins a good read with too many coincidences of being involved in the great events of the day. Then making our lowly midshipman capable of giving long paragraphs of what should be short dialogue. The genre that so many worthy others have tackled has more adventure and less preaching by the protaganist to establish their characters. More show, less tell perhaps is the rule.

The hero is supposedly going to war over the death of an elder brother but there seems little emotion over that except as the briefest overlay. He falls for a daughter of a British Post Captain in the course of a few weeks one summer while in his early teens. That daughter can turn her back on Sovereign England for the cause of the Rebels just because they are so in love.

Just can't believe it. Which further makes our hero that much harder to accept. Cutler the hero is too much favored by providecne to be believable and thus the whole tale is weakened by it.