Customer Reviews

The Only Victor

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This is by far the longest book in Kent's Bolitho series. Unlike most books earlier in the series Bolitho spends considerable time on shore iintimately nvolved with his illicit love, Catherine, and then when he is at sea again passionately longing for her. The brave stories of a scared little midshipman who eventually finds his courage, or the lieutenant who excels despite having lost half his face are nearly lost behind Bolitho's obsessive anxieties over his separation from the bold Catherine. Bolitho, now half blinded, is showing signs of tiring and retiring. The series has become a study in the accumulated effects of endless time at sea and in fighting sharp and desperate actions. Bolitho, always deeply concerned with his men, has progressively lost the closest colleagues on whom he had depended, "we happy few," an' that's no error. Still there are flashes of the old outer heroics while fighting the Dutch for Cape Town, on a secret mission to Copenhagen, and coming to the rescue of his troubled friend Herrick at sea.

I read the first 16 or 17 Bolitho books in a hurry, 4 or 5 years ago, and enjoyed them quite a bit. Recently I picked up this one and was very disappointed. Rather than a good story of action and history, that I had come to expect from the author, this recent edition was dedicated almost entirely to Bolitho and Catherine mooning about each other and lamenting their separations.

I have read the Hornblower series twice and the Aubrey/Maturin series three times and I looked forward to reading another Britanic Naval series when I began Kent's Bolitho series. The series began strong but towards the end (somewhere around "Success to the Brave") the series started running out of gas. It appeared to me that the publishers requested Kent to pad the books with inane story lines (or they themselves committed the sin) in order to extend the series (at nearly US$15/book) to increase their profit. I got to the point that when I read the one of many over used phrases, such as "blood ran from the scuppers as if the ship itself was mortally wounded", I put the book down in disgust. Futhermore, I would occasionally read a few pages that reminded me of the better written books that began the series, affirming my belief that a much less talented individual had a hand in the completion of the series. I suggest to anyone looking for another Aubrey/Maturin series to pick up O'Brian's "Master and Commander" and reread that series. However, if you do pick up the Bolitho series stop investing in the books when it becomes obvious to you that the publishers are padding the stories.

The story takes place four months after the battle of Trafalgar and the death of Lord Nelson. The main character is Vice Admiral Richard Bolitho, an aristocrat and one of the rising stars in the British navy. Bolitho is a complicated and compelling figure; with a heart as big as one of his ships of the line, he is also a ruthless and calculating warrior/officer ,seemingly capable of any action that will accomplish the mission. Bolitho is in society's disfavor because of his open liason with a married woman,( an obvious parallel with Nelson's obsession with Lady Hamilton) he is protected by his superior officers , at least professionally, because he gets results. This is the inner tension of the story and Kent handles the love interest with taste and flair. The supporting characters are fleshed out with the same detail as Bolitho, and are never predictable. Like most military leaders of that age, Bolitho leads by the strength of his personality, and no one is neutral in their feelings about him: they love him and will follow him into the worst hell or they will hate and envy him. Bolitho for his part is portrayed as almost the ideal of a best friend, you know he will literally die for you if neccessary. Having said this, Bolitho is also aware of his effect on others and is human enough to manipulate them if that will bring success to the mission. The battle scenes describing the almost point blank range these ships fought at are some of the best ever written (however, both O'brian and Kent are outdistanced by Forrester's single word picture of Hornblower frantically "striking" his colors after a battle in which 75% of his crew is killed; thats tops) and Kent's historical accuracy goes along way to put you there. The author is a member of the British upper class and the precision with which he speaks to us (even across the social spectrum from Vice Admiral to the most common "tar" ) has the other two main competitors O'brian and Forrester beat. The audio version of this title read by Michael Jayston is the perfect union of author and narrator. Jayston has that George Sanders type of inflection to his accent (slightly sinister ?) that transports you to Feb.1806. Most of these titles were written in the sixties and have been long out of print. Resurected with new interest, many are available through " MCBOOKS" in an elegant but expensive format. If your budgit allows it, these are fine produtions and easy to read (when I read all these books in the sixties and seventies I did not need glasses!). 5 stars for the book. 6 stars for the Audio version with Michael Jayston.....happy reading Cal Caligiuri

It's right after Trafalgar and the British admiralty appears to be concerned that Richard Bolitho is becoming another Nelson. Not only does he fight and win, he earns that admiration of his colleagues and subordinates, and he does not care about the love affair that is consuming him, leaving his wife and his lover's husband out in the cold. Oh, the scandal!

So, to remove the admiral from the poisoned looks and talk, they send him to support the invasion of South Africa. Of course, Bolitho takes a very active role in it and only barely stops himself from leading the attach in a fire ship launched from a schooner - this from a 50 year old vice admiral!!! Once that mission is over, he comes back to England, spends time with his love, and is again sent out. This time he goes to Denmark on a mission that is completely unclear. I understand why a diplomat is sent out, but why send Bolitho - a fighting admiral - to this place with nothing to command or fight? Oh, did I forget to mention that there is a battle that takes place when he leaves Copenhagen?

Another interlude at home, and then Bolitho gets to his new flagship and is out supporting the invasion of Denmark as a subordinate. So, of course he goes off and manages to pick up a sea fight against a stronger ship. This marks the only plot line that is resolved from the series as a whole as the ship he meets up with is the same ship that sunk his beloved Hyperion.

The majority of the book is concerned with Bolitho's love affair and how great it is. Unfortunately, the rest of society has different opinions on it and the turmoil extends to Bolitho's family. We have side stories of an abused midshipman who is rescued by acts of heroism taken by him and by those around him; a disfigured Lieutenant whose career is revived by Bolitho; and references to several other minor characters; Even Tom Herrick makes a comeback and he is still conflicted about his relationship with Bolitho and the ending of the book implies that the rift between these two best of friends is now complete and maybe cannot be mended.

All in all, this was a different book than most as there was little real action. The focus is on Bolitho's love affair and the three short action stories that are folded into this one book are really not a part of the story arc. Could it be that this was originally a compendium of short stories that were pulled together? Or, maybe the author is still figuring out how to write love stories in a naval setting so he added the action sequences to ensure that he does not lose his core constituency?

If I had not read the other books in the series, this one would have turned me off it altogether. As it is, I will probably read the next ones to see if they start improving.

Sir Richard Bolitho, Vice Admiral of the Red, must carry the news of Trafalgar to South Africa and assist the British army in reclaiming Cape Town from the Dutch. Bolitho is still reeling from the loss of his beloved Hyperion, and he is also trying to adjust the rest of his life to his open liaison with another man's wife - Lady Catherine Somervell, who now waits for him in the Bolitho home in Falmouth. Meanwhile, Bolitho's legal wife, Belinda, lives in style in London; and Bolitho never sees his only child, their small daughter. His dearest friend, Vice Admiral Thomas Herrick, cannot accept Bolitho's relationship with Catherine. Nor can Felicity, the Bolitho sister who now returns a widow after decades spent with her soldier husband in India; nor can many others. Yet Bolitho is necessary enough to the war so that his superiors protect him, and continue to use him. His loyalty to his life's work remains unswerving, but he worries about Catherine and he fears learning the truth about what will eventually happen to his damaged eye. Can he carry on and lead those under his command as effectively as ever, in spite of these personal difficulties? Which soon include a nephew, Felicity's son, serving aboard his flagship and not exactly bringing glory to his uncle's name.

This is a more introspective book than many of the other Bolitho novels, but it still has plenty of adventure and some gripping sea battles. It is far more a character study, though, and it does an interesting job of testing Bolitho the man against the customs and constraints of his time in English history. An affecting read for Bolitho fans, although I do wonder what reaction it might get from a reader not already familiar with the character.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Granite Island"

I had not heard of Alexander Kent until I complained at a book store that they had no copies of Patrick O'Brian's books. The owner said, "Have you read any of Alexander Kent?" I had not, and that began a wonderful new adventure. Kent writes naval stories about the same historical time period as O'Brian, but Kent often has more action scenes, which I thoroughly enjoy. If you like O'Brian, you will love Kent.
Prentice Kinser III, D.Min., Author of:Limitless Living, A Guide to Unconventional Spiritual Exploration and Growth