The Flying Squadron (Mariner's Library Fiction Classics) [Paperback]

Richard Woodman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mariners Library Fiction Classic | Publication Date: October 1, 1999

While desperate to stem the encroaching tide of Napoleon's French Empire in Europe, the British government in 1811 is equally anxious to avert war with the emerging power of the United States. Yet the Americans, who have their own ambitions in Canada and in trade with France, are becoming increasingly outraged at the forcible boarding and searching of their ships by British naval officers.

In this tense atmosphere of international acrimony, Capt. Nathaniel Drinkwater is ordered to the Chesapeake Bay in a last-ditch effort to heal the rift between London and Washington. Quite by chance, on the banks of the Potomac, he discovers the first clue to a bold plan by which the United States could defeat the Royal Navy, collapse the British government and utterly destroy the British cause.

When Drinkwater, amid personal crises, takes command of a squadron sent against the Americans, he risks his reputation and commission with the audacity of his actions. Finally, during a climactic confrontation in the South Atlantic, he comes face to face with the unmitigated horror of an interminable war.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Woodman has sailed in a variety of ships serving in ranks from apprentice to captain. Besides the Nathaniel Drinkwater series, he has written nautical fiction about tea-clippers and cargo liners. He remains a professional sailor, commanding an offshore support vessel, and is a member of the Society for Nautical Research.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater hauled himself up the companionway against the heel of the ship and stepped on to the quarterdeck. Clapping one hand to his hat he took a quick reef in his billowing cloak with the other and made his way into the partial shelter of the mizzen rigging. 'Morning, sir.' The third lieutenant approached, touched the fore-cock of his hat and added, quite unnecessarily, 'A stiff breeze, sir.' 'Indeed, Mr Frey.' Drinkwater stared aloft, at the whip of the topgallant masts and the flexing of the yards. The wind had veered a touch during the night and had hauled round into the north-west quarter. He knew from the tell-tale compass in his cabin that they were making a good course, but he knew also that the shift of wind would bring bright, squally weather. The first rays of the sun breaking above the cloud banks astern of them promised just such a day. 'Let's hope we've seen the last of that damned rain and sea fret,' Drinkwater said, turning his attention forward again, where the bow swooped, courtseying to the oncoming grey seas. Two days west of the Scillies, clear of soundings and with a fine easterly wind giving them the prospect of a quick passage, the weather had turned sour on them, closed in and assailed them with a head wind and sleeting rain. 'Treacherous month, August,' Mr Wyatt the master had said obscurely. In the breaks between the rain, a thick mist permeated the ship, filling the gun and berth decks with the unmistakable stink of damp timber, bilge, fungus and human misery. The landsmen, yokels and town labourers, petty felons and vagrants swept up by either the press or the corruption of the quota system which allowed substitutes to be bought and sold like slaves, spewed up their guts and were bullied and beaten into the stations where even their puny weight was necessary to work the heavy frigate to windward. In his desperation to man the ship, Drinkwater had written to his old friend, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard White, bemoaning his situation. You have no idea the Extremities ot which we are driven in Manning the Fleet Nowadays. It matches the worst Excesses of the American War. We have every Class of Person, with hardly a Seaman amongst them and a large proportion of Men straight from Gaol. . . Sir Richard, quietly farming his Norfolk acres and making the occasional appearance in the House of Commons on behalf of a pocket borough, had written in reply, My Dear Nathaniel, I send you Two Men whom you may find useful. Though both should be in Gaol, the one for Poaching, the other for Something Worse. I received your Letter the Morning they came before the Bench. Knowing you to be a confirmed Democrat you can attempt their Reformation. I thus console my Guilt and Dereliction of Duty in not having them Punished Properly according to the due forms etc, etc, in sending them to Serve their King and Country. . . Drinkwater grinned at the recollection. One of the men, Thurston, a former cobbler and of whom White had insinuated guilt of a great crime, was just then helping to hang a heavy coil of rope on a fife-rail pin at the base of the main mast. About thirty, the man had a lively and intelligent face. He must have felt Drinkwater's scrutiny, for he looked up, regarding Drinkwater unobsequiously but without a trace of boldness. He smiled, and Drinkwater felt a compulsion to smile back. Thurston touched his forelock respectfully and moved away. Drinkwater was left with the clear conviction that, in other circumstances, they might have been friends. As to the crime for which Thurston had been condemned, it was said to be sedition. Drinkwater's enquiries had elicited no more information beyond the fact that Thurston had been taken in a tavern in Fakenham, reading aloud from a Paineite broadsheet. Sir Richard, not otherwise noted for his leniency, had not regarded the offence as meriting a prison sentence, though conditions in the berth deck were, Drinkwater knew, currently little better than those in a gaol house. Thurston's natural charm and the charge imputed to him would earn the man a certain esteem from his messmates. Prudence dictated Drinkwater keep a weather eye on him. Drinkwater watched the bow of his ship rise and shrug aside a breaking wave. The impact made Patrician shudder and throw spray high into the air where the wind caught it and drove it across the deck to form a dark patch, drenching Thurston and the party of men with whom he went forward. Frey crossed the deck to check the course at the binnacle then returned to Drinkwater's side. 'She's holding sou'west three-quarters west, sir, and I think another haul on the fore and main tacks will give us a further quarter point to the westward.' 'Very well, Mr Frey, see to it.'

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574090771
• ISBN-13: 978-1574090772
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #866,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great character development, but light on action, March 24, 2000

By 

Roger Lee - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flying Squadron (Mariner's Library Fiction Classics) (Paperback)

This is the first book I have read by Mr. Woodman and, for the most part, I was impressed. This book is very serious and ambitious for a sea novel. Some serious philosophical ideas are presented, as Drinkwater tries to resolve these issues in his mind. I particularly liked how Mr. Woodman informs the reader on the military, political and economic situation in England and America during the War of 1812. The plot of the novel moves along fairly quickly, however, with only brief time-outs for the serious ideas and the history lesson. The quality of Mr. Woodman's writing is very high, unlike some other writers I have read in this genre. I have only one complaint, and that is the lack of action. There are not many battle scenes in this book and they are not described in very much detail. Also, as an American, it is impossible to root for the English in this war. Still, on the whole I was impressed and I hope the rest of this series will be reprinted.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sails slowly at first, then flies, January 9, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: Flying Squadron Hb (Hardcover)

Richard Woodman's Nathaniel Drinkwater series is my favourite from the age of fighting sail. Beginning with the brilliantly Gothic Eye of the Fleet set during the American Revolution and through 20 plus years of the Napoleonic wars Woodman has rounded out the flawed but fundamentally decent Drinkwater. In The Flying Squadron Drinkwater faces some of his most difficult challenges to date.

The year is 1811 and the reader, with the benefit of historical hindsight, knows that Napoleon's reign is nearing its end. However, the situation appears far the opposite to Britain. Napoleon's Continental System has severely damaged trade and unemployment in England is rampant. To make matters worse war with the United States of America is looming; a war the embattled Royal Navy neither needs nor wants. As usual the reader can count on Woodman to produce a unique perspective on the times.

The Flying Squadron is constructed in three parts; the first set in 1811 as Drinkwater supports a peace envoy to the USA, the second set in 1812 after war is declared with Drinkwater patrolling the American coast and the third set in 1812-13 where the naval action takes place. It is very much in keeping with the series; covert actions leading to a climactic naval encounter at the conclusion. In my opinion The Flying Squadron is one of the series' best entries.

American readers may find this work difficult to read as the USA is portrayed as the enemy in the novel, especially when the reader sees in the first part that the English envoy is attempting to find a peaceful solution and that London is willing to meet Washington's terms. However, like men of other nationalities who Drinkwater has fought, the Americans are portrayed fairly with one possible exception. Woodman points out that war is a waste and the tragedy of America and Britain fighting while a tyrant rules Europe is subtly made. Perhaps Drinkwater's most effective statement in the first part is his referral to an atrocity from An Eye of the Fleet. I found its reference more shocking in The Flying Squadron than the act was in the original. Woodman savages the idea of a war of gentlemen played out like a schoolyard game.

The first part has a number of lyrical passages where Woodman gets his pen rolling. He can write well and exercises his writing in a number of philosophical areas. A reader expecting more action will be disappointed although there is much dramatic tension. Drinkwater commits an uncharacteristic betrayal and is tortured by his conscience. Perhaps after becoming fond of the Drinkwater character over the last few years, Drinkwater's problems become much more serious than any naval battle. The reader can appreciate the toll on Drinkwater after nearly 20 years spent away from home and family.

In the second part Drinkwater returns to the American coast as the Commodore of a Flying Squadron with open-ended orders. The briefer second section brings to a conclusion some of the events of the first. The action is similar though being more cloak and dagger or cat and mouse. This is the area where Woodman has carved his niche for Drinkwater, in covert actions. There is always more going on than meets the eye and Drinkwater eventually figures it out.

In the third part Drinkwater is off to the South Atlantic fresh with insight from his two previous trips to the USA. In this section we see that his insight has paid off leading to a climactic naval battle. We also get the big picture of the war.

The historical perspective of The Flying Squadron is fascinating and one gets a new angle on that war. However, I don't think a couple of the characters' reflections are accurate. For instance, before war breaks out the view is expressed in the English quarters that they should be able to hold onto Canada for some period of time. I doubt that reflects the realities of the situation at the time. Also, at the novel's conclusion in March 1813 the word from Canada is not good. Historically it was. By March 1813 Fort Michilmackinac had been captured, Detroit had been captured and Americans pursued into Ohio, and the Americans repulsed in Niagara albeit with the loss of the brilliant General Isaac Brock. Woodman might want to consider a revision in any reprinting.

The Flying Squadron may not be to everyone's taste. The vocabulary is such that some of the passages are on the level of O'Brian's in his Aubrey/Maturin series. It could be challenging in a way that one wouldn't expect in this type of historical novel. I'm looking forward to Woodman wrapping up the series if he can maintain his writing at this level.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More espionage on the high seas., May 14, 2003

By 

A. J. Watson "Bones" (Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Flying Squadron (Mariner's Library Fiction Classics) (Paperback)

Richard Woodman has spent most of his life at sea, is an eminent Naval historian and the author of several books on Naval history, plus many fictional books. This background and a superb command of the English language make his books a joy to read. His intimate knowledge of square-riggers takes you inside the ship - you are THERE with the crew, battling the elements or the enemy, feeling each blow.

This book expands on the theme of the struggle against Napoleon, plus the new threat from the fledgling United States.
Nathaniel Drinkwater, now Captain, is increasingly involved in espionage and subversion as the Secret Service draws on his special talents to undermine Napoleon's empire-building. It is apparent that Lord Dungarth is grooming Nat as his successor, which lies uneasily on Nat's uneven shoulders.

After a few months R&R, Nat finds himself in command of a crack squadron with a remit to dissuade the US from assisting France. This involves some dissembling on Nat's part - incidentally assisted by an amorous interlude - which causes Nat a torment of conscience, and his colleagues to have doubts about his sanity. The subsequent astounding success of the mission restores his colleages' faith in his uncanny ability to correctly analyse a confusing array of facts and supposition.

This book is in 3 parts, and each could stand alone, but the constant US thread running through them ties it into one story.

As usual, excellent descriptions and tension-building make the pages fly by - and the author's notes fill in the facts behind the tale. A series to read, savour and re-read.*****