Touch and Go [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Cyril Northcote Parkinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1978

With his Royal Navy commission in hand, Richard Delancey is posted to Gibraltar to command the sloop Merlin for convoy protection in the Mediterranean. Overcoming problems with his crew, Delancey quickly proves his mettle during the siege of Valletta and during the battle at Cadiz.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

First published by the brilliant Parkinson in 1977, Delancey's exploits are just as compelling some twenty-six years later. -- The Historical Novels Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Born in the north of England shortly before World War I, Cyril Northcote Parkinson pursued a distinguished academic career on both sides of the Atlantic. Before he ever turned his hand to fiction, he became famous for unveiling "Parkinson’s Law," the widely known assertion that work expands to fill the time allowed for its completion. Parkinson wrote many books on British history and economics, and his Richard Delancey novels have drawn favorable comparisons to Forester and the Hornblower stories. Parkinson’s first fictional effort, a "biography" of Hornblower, has enjoyed considerable acclaim. C. Northcote Parkinson died in Canterbury, England in 1993. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 523 pages
• Publisher: G K Hall & Co; Large Prnt Edition edition (June 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816165920
• ISBN-13: 978-0816165926
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,512,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Action in the Mediterranean, January 19, 2002

By 

Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Touch and Go (Hardcover)

This is the fourth novel, chronologically, in the Richard DeLancey series. The first, "The Guernseyman," covered the beginning of his career in the Royal Navy. The next two, "Devil to Pay" and "The Fireship," covered his service as a lieutenant. The present novel starts with his promotion to command the sloop Merlin in early 1799 after serving 16 years as a lieutenant. Some officers were promoted due to connections and influence (see Frederick Marryat's "Frank Mildmay or the Naval Officer"), some by surviving and being at the right place when someone was needed (see Frederick Hoffman's "A Sailor of King George"), and some like the fictional DeLancey or Forester's Horatio Hornblower for exceptional action against the enemy.

The Merlin is assigned to dreary convoy duty and carrying dispatches, but eventually sees action with the fleet at Malta in the capture of Valletta (see Showell Styles "The Malta Frigate" for more details about Malta). That is followed by further action and a brief meeting with Commander Lord Cochrane. DeLancey makes a side excursion which takes him to a slave market on the North African coast, before eventually arriving at Gibraltar in time for Rear Admiral Saumarez's attack against the combined French and Spanish fleets in July 1801 (a fictional account of that action will also be found in Patrick O'Brien's "Master and Commander," where he has replaced the real life Cochrane with the fictional Aubrey). Ordered home to England, DeLancey makes a detour for his own profit with some help from his old smuggler friend Sam Carter.

The cover illustration, for unknown reasons, shows what appears to be a single masted cutter which seems to play no part in the story. There are a few technical glitches. The sloop Merlin is described as having 121 men and 24 guns, but later is said to have 9 men in each gun crew.

As an added note, W. P. Gosset's "The Lost Ships of the Royal Navy" shows Commander Lord Cockrane's brig sloop Speedy was captured by the French fleet under Rear Admiral Linois on 3 July 1801, and taken into Algeciras two days before the British attack on the anchored ships on 5 July 1801 during which the Hannibal was lost.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As good as O'Brien, Pope, or Kent. Not to be missed!, March 30, 2000

By 

Kenneth S. Smith (Goleta, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Touch and Go (Paperback)

This is the 3rd book in the Richard Delancy series by Parkinson. I had heard of these books for several years but until recently was not able to obtain one. Most of the action takes place in the Mediterranean Sea in 1799. Delancy, Captain of the sloop HMS Merlin, is sent on several escort missions, and encounters Lord Cochrane and his ship the sloop Speedy. Cochrane tries to enlist his aid in a little ambush of French sloops raiding British commerce...Not as epic in proportion to other books of this genre, but by all means a most excellent read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable read, October 22, 2007

By 

Robert M. Holroyd II (Navarre, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Touch and Go (The Richard Delancey Novels) (Paperback)

The fourth book of the Richard Delancey series has him with his own command (just a sloop, but enough) and there's plenty of action without dwelling on the frustrations of inept higher commanders. Great research and authenticity, a lesser-known sphere of action, and a great writing style.

A large number of books have been written in this genre, many by excellent authors, but this one stands on a par with the best.