Sloop of War [Paperback]

Alexander Kent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1984

The year is 1778, the ship is the 18-gun HMS Sparrow, England's finest sloop of war, and the Captain is Richard Bolitho, sailing his command into the fury of battle. The American Revolution has turned the Atlantic coast into a refuge for privateers and marauding French warships, and it is up to young Bolitho to fight the colonial rebels, to stave off the treachery of a beautiful woman, and to overcome the dangerous incompetence of a senior officer before it is too late.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This trio, published in 1972, 1973, and 1968, respectively, offer more of the briny adventures of Richard Bolitho as he sails the seas during the late 18th century. LJ's reviewers found Sloop to be a "rousing novel" (LJ 12/1/72), while Kent himself was praised as the "worthy successor to C.S. Forester" (LJ 7/68). For all collections that like their adventure stories served with a pinch of salt.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"Keeping a firm hand on the helm throughout the book, author Kent exercises an admirably terse style, revealing a comprehensive knowledge of seafaring and his period." -- Best Seller --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Jove (October 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515079758
• ISBN-13: 978-0515079753
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,205,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Privateers Interdicted for young Bolitho, June 26, 2000

By 

Bill Mac "hmcs_kenogami" (windsor, ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sloop of War (Richard Bolitho Novels) (Hardcover)

Wow! Sloop of War was written at a time when Alexander Kent could deliver top notch naval action. The novel contains more broadsides, swordplay and general action per page than any of his contemporaries could deliver. I read Sloop of War after completing O'Brian's HMS Surprise. Since the two novels were published within a year or so of each other and are set in roughly the same period, one would expect some similarities. There are few similarities. While O'Brian's forte is his use of language, themes and detail, Kent's strength is action, pure and simple.

Sloop of War is set during the American Revolution and follows a format that Kent used as Reeman in HMS Saracen i.e. there are two separate and almost stand-alone parts to the novel. In Sloop of War the separation in time between the two halves is much briefer. The novel features the young Richard Bolitho with his first command as the captain of a sloop fighting the corruption of the Royal Navy and the English powers that be as much as the dastardly American revolutionaries and their French allies. Only on the open seas are things simple or are they? Treachery on land or at sea is to be expected.

I suspect that Kent probably knew that he might alienate American readers by having his hero fighting against the American Revolution. However, he deftly avoids having major conflicts between American forces and his own. Furthermore, he has an American first officer accentuating the sense of internal conflict caused by the revolution. The causes for the war are not discussed and one senses that Bolitho has some sympathy for the colonists although he is bound by duty to fight against them. Wisely Kent does not have Bolitho slaughtering large numbers of American sailors in sea battles.

Kent writes well of the sea and its changeable weather. He is very strong on the action. There are also some serious themes. For instance, the men in Bolitho's ship may be fighting for King and country but ultimately they are fighting for each other. Bonds formed in war are much stronger than bonds based on idealism. The men one fights with can be relied on more than the women one is attracted to.

I did have one bone to pick with Kent's historical accuracy involving Canadian scouts. Kent describes the Canadians in the way that I think of voyageurs or courier de bois. In fact, Canadians in 1778 would have been French. The few English speaking Canadians of that day would not have been the woodsmen that Kent describes. However, it's a minor nit-pick in a thoroughly entertaining story.

Reeman/Kent was at his peak in writing stirring yet grim and realistic action novels when Sloop of War was published. It is not great literature by any means but it's a damn entertaining read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to the series, April 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sloop of War (The Bolitho Novels) (Volume 4) (Paperback)

Sloop of War, by far, is the best book to begin with if you are a new reader to the Alexander Kent series about Richard Bolitho. The book covers his first true appointed command as Commander of the Sloop of War Sophie during the time period of the American Revolution.

The book is packed with action and intrigue from many different angles. Characters are introduced that make appearances again in later books. The writing is superb and often glues you to the pages as you keep reading just to find out how the characters are going to fare.

Alexander Kent weaves Bolitho into a true complete picture, a hero who isn't perfect, a man who isn't perfect. But he makes you care so much about him that as I read the novel, I feel like Bolitho has been a lifelong friend. Your emotions rise and fall with each turn of his life.

I highly recommend the entire series, but this book in particular is a great place to start if you aren't sure you'll like this kind of fiction.

In the world of nautical fiction Alexander Kent #1, C.S. Forester #2, Dudley Pope #3.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear for Action!, July 21, 2000

By 

Kevin F. Kiley - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sloop of War (The Bolitho Novels) (Volume 4) (Paperback)

Alexander Kent is undoubtedly the best writer of naval fiction on the market today. His books are packed with action, are accurate as to ships, armamment, and the interaction of the different ranks and classes in the Royal Navy of the period, with enough swashbuckling to keep the reader enthralled.

This book in the series, which tells the tale of our hero, Richard Bolitho, as a young naval commander in his first command, the Sloop 'Sparrow' during the American Revolution, is a tale of leadership, betrayal, intrigue, and fast-paced, bloody action. Ships, seaman, soldiers, and the sea all combine to give a fast-paced. grim and bloody tale of those men that 'go down to the sea in ships,' and put those ships 'in harm's way.'

Bolitho's First Lieutenant is an American Loyalist, and the relationship Kent builds for these officers, as well as the rest of the crew of HMS Sparrow is one of the highlights of Kent's novels. Kent knows men and ships, and it shows in his action-packed prose. Ships to him are living things, and his affection for them and the sea in general, is quite obvious. My own father was a professional seaman, which may be the reason these books are a favorite.

Better than the Hornblower series, as serious and grim as actual history, they are a pleasure to read, and to follow the fortunes of Bolitho from Cornwall and the colorful cast of characters that Kent has created. The Royal Navy during the period has been accurately described by a modern historian, and authority on the period, as 'man-eating' and Kent brings this out. His characterization of Bolitho as a humane officer is also compelling, for during this age thoughtful commanders took good care of the men they had to lead into the hell of combat.

Good book, excellent read, compelling characters, superb adventure-what else could you ask for?