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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First novel chronologically in the series,
By
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This review is from: Sailor's Blood (Fox Series, No. 5) (Paperback)
This novel was also published (in the UK) as "Powder Monkey." The US publisher has seriously misled readers by showing this as No.5 in the series. Chronologically, it is the first novel in the series about George Abercrombie Fox, covering his early childhood and his early years in the Royal Navy as a ship's boy. It is a good account of both the poverty of the working class and the conditions before the mast aboard a Royal Navy ship. Fox goes out of the frying pan and into the fire. The story starts with the birth of Fox at Tyburn during the hanging of his uncle Abercrombie. There is a good description of a hanging fair (public hangings were a form of entertainment). This was circa 1768, and while many criminals were being transported to the American colonies, his uncle was hanged for being a highwayman (although unsuccessful, being caught during his first attempt). Fox spends his childhood in the rough and tumble working class environment where he had to scratch and claw to survive. Rolling drunks was a common practice. He learns to use a sling and a knife, and kills his first men when he is nine years old.
His naval service, starting as a ship's boy before he is 10, takes him to the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. There is a good description in the final segment of the book of a ship-to-ship action, including the terror and death aboard his ship. The British Army had Sharpe. The Royal Navy has Fox. It you liked one series, you should probably try the other. For some reason, Amazon does not recognize the last three novels in this series. Adam Hardy was a pen name for Kenneth Bulmer. It is unclear if the last three novels were written by Bulmer, or someone else using the pen name. The novels in this series were first published over 30 years ago. They are ripe for republication. At the moment, copies of some novels in the series are rare.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book on Royal Navy,
By Dr J (United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sailor's Blood (Fox Series, No. 5) (Paperback)
This is listed as the fifth book in the series--perhaps it was the fifth written, but it is the first chronologically. Our protagonist, George Abercromby Fox, is no hero. He comes from the gutter and has led a hard life, which greatly determines his character and actions. This guy is touted as "the meanest {...] on the high seas." He certainly is no Ramage or Hornblower. He's self-centered and dispatches people with little compunction. A very different character altogether.
Fox starts out as a powder monkey in the American Revolution. I particularly enjoyed the episode where is ends up on land fighting Indians. A nice change from the usual episodes in most nautical fiction books. The book itself is a very easy read. There's not a lot of detail and the book is very short, so you can move through it very quickly. The episodes are very interesting and they move along at a quick pace. I enjoyed this immensely and look forward to the next in the series. This book, however, is not for kids.
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