Ramage and the Rebels [Import] [Paperback]

Dudley Pope (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fontana / Collins; 1st Edition Pbk Thus edition (1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006154344
• ISBN-13: 978-0006154341
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,248,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More freebooters in the Caribbean, August 24, 2001

By 

tertius3 (MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ramage & the Rebels (The Lord Ramage Novels) (Volume 9) (Paperback)

In #9 Capt. Ramage continues his Caribbean cruising, now out of the Jamaica Station under a purely political Admiral (i.e., one with no practical experience or understanding). This is the first book in several with any gory slaughter in it, here either privateers' victims or a long, running fight ashore. By planning--glimpses of which we get to see and guess their purpose--and always by surprise, Ramage avoids taking losses and instead metes them out to his enemies. Still, Ramage manages several more of his special bloodless surprise conquests that earn him citations in the Naval Gazette. As his conquest of another beautiful foreign lady who falls within eyeshot would not! The theme of this novel is honour, what it is, who has it, and what it requires. We get to see Ramage as a diplomat on his own--a role not previously seen even when he was "Governor" in Book 4. Plain to see is the difference between honorable and dishonorable conduct as the situations between the Dutch, British, and French--and various privateers or rebels--suddenly alter, and then shift again. The key is that governments are never honorable and steadfast, only some of their "regretful" citizens. Curiously, the one map doesn't name the islands featured here, the Dutch Aruba and Curacao, leaving readers as blind as if we were chartless in shoal water! The book's wrap-around cover art is different from that shown above on amazon.com (= picture from #8), but no more sensical (a frigate in pursuit with no headsails set?). As ever, Dudley Pope is precise and accurate in his descriptions, although it certainly helps in following the ship manuevers if you know the difference between starboard and port tacks and remember where Pope says the wind is from.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Invincible Ramage, December 2, 2005

By 

George Aubrey (Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Ramage & the Rebels (The Lord Ramage Novels) (Volume 9) (Paperback)

This novel in the Ramage series provides another twist to the exploits of the good Captain. While sent to patrol and seek out pirates and privateers in the souhern carribean, he captures a French frigate and discovers a tempting opportuntity
on the Dutch island of Curacao. Finding the island on the verge of anarachy, threatened by angry privateers and rebellious locals, he accepts the surrender of the island so that he may try to save it from disaster. The story moves quickly and maintains interest right through the treacherous conclusion. One of the better novels in this series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Misplaced history, October 27, 2002

By 

Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Ramage & the Rebels (The Lord Ramage Novels) (Volume 9) (Paperback)

This novel, written as No. 9 in the series, is based on historical events occurring in 1800. It follows No. 6 (Ramage & the Guillotine) which seemed to be set in 1801, and is one of the sequels to No. 7 (Ramage's Diamond) which seems to be set historically in 1804. Dudley Pope seemed to have a major problem setting his later novels in proper historical order. Readers continuing the series should be aware of that problem. The novels must be read in numerical order for development of Ramage's career, love life, etc., but after No. 7 they seem to drop back to circa 1799 and then progress forward again to 1804. Among other things, the series puts the frigate Calypso in continuous service with the same crew from circa 1799 to 1805. The frigate and crew become caught in a time warp. The novels are OK to read in numerical order if one ignores the technical and historical glitches.

The present novel has an interesting plot, starting with discovery of French brandy in the ship's water casks. Ramage is sent off to deal with privateers operating out of the Dutch island of Curacao. As in other novels in the series, Ramage replaces a real life Royal Navy captain, in this case the captain of the frigate Néréide. He continues his extraordinary exploits, destroying enemy frigates, capturing privateers and, in fact, capturing an island. There is enough action thrown in to keep the novel interesting, but I sometimes wish for a more believable character. In contrast, Richard Woodman's novels in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series are diligent in correctly following historical events (Woodman provides dates on his chapter headings), and Drinkwater is a much more believable hero.