Uncommon Valour [Paperback]

John Stevens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2005

THE FRIGATE CAPTAIN:

February 1779, the war in North America does not go well for Britain. At sea the strength of the Royal Navy has been blunted by a war of small fast ships, while on land the corruption and incompetence of the military government have allowed a handful of rebel troops to hobble an army. John Sinclair is a senior captain, a man well used to service in difficult conditions, but haunted by past demons. William Mason is a young loyalist commander determined to do his duty to King and Country. Tara is the beautiful young woman that connects them both. When the two men meet in the North Atlantic, their lives become intertwined by a web of French intrigue. A web that threatens to destroy all that both hold dear. But duty is still duty and whether in London's squalid back alleys or the blood stained New York countryside, it demands no less than the fullest measure of devotion that they have to give.

BROAD PENDANT:

May 1779, still stinging from losses suffered in the southern colonies Britain is faced with a new danger as combined Rebel/French raiding squadron continues to plunder the trade lanes defying the powerful ships of the Royal Navy. Into this seething cauldron sail John Sinclair and William Mason on a mission to end their trepidations once and for all. But first Mason, newly posted to the 26-gun frigate Vanessa, finds himself trapped between family and duty, while Sinclair must defend himself against a charge of treason at a time when his country needs him most. But when the beat to quarters sounds all past doubts and fears must be put aside as the fate of the nation may rest on the decisions they must make in the awful heat of battle.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A self-taught naval historian and life-long New England resident, John Stevens began toying with writing while still in High School. From those beginnings he moved on to writing amateur movie scripts, which he and his friends would then film. A largely chaotic work schedule forced him to give up filmmaking in the early eighties and he turned his creativity to a related area: role-playing. For many years Stevens ran several history-based campaigns in various role-playing groups, these led to his writing several articles for magazines and websites devoted to the hobby. Eventually these led him to writing fiction around the characters that he played, from these short stories came one that took on a life of it’s own. That short story grew to become The Frigate Captain and it’s sequel Broad Pendant.

Product Details

• Paperback: 680 pages
• Publisher: Jada Press (June 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976411555
• ISBN-13: 978-0976411550
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,928,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars John Stevens' opening salvo in a new series., August 7, 2005

By 

Donald R. Campbell "wearship" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncommon Valour (Paperback)

This is a very interesting Age of Sail story set in 1779 during the American struggle for independence. The two main characters are John Sinclair, Royal Navy Captain from a wealthy family in Britain, and William Mason, Royal Navy Commander and Loyalist American. William's part of the Mason family has been forced from their colonial homes to Halifax, Nova Scotia to escape the sometimes violent political schism between Loyalists and Rebels. This conflict is mirrored by the same division in his own extended family.

The two men are joined in a number of important ways, not the least of which is the relationship between Mason's sister and Sinclair. There is even a humorous connection using a pair of shipboard cats. There are some very strong women characters, some involved in a very dangerous game of espionage, which is not the norm for such novels. The sea action picks up quickly in the second half with Sinclair, now the Commodore of a squadron that is hunting a group of French and Rebel frigates preying on Loyalist shipping. The fact that Mason is a captain of one of Sinclair's squadron and one of the opposing frigates is commanded by his own Rebel cousin adds to the drama of the sea battles when they occur.

For a first time writer, John Stevens has created a believable set of characters with a rich and complex relationship between the two families and their friends as well as their numerous enemies. While there is a definite climax, both personal and naval, to this novel, readers can readily sense that there are a number of additional story lines just waiting to be explored.

One character that I'm looking forward to learning more about in any sequel is Sir David Rothburne. While guiding Sinclair's privateer fleet (very unusual for a RN Captain), Sir David assists the Admiralty's spymaster as a sort of early "Q" from the Bond novels. I am eager to see what future gadgets he "invents" for those in this deadly spy game (which appears frequently as a sub-theme).

One of the other unusual aspects of this book is that the author gives the back-story for the main characters in his introduction and the final fates of each at the end of the book. This created a continuity for me that is missing in many books.

This is a large novel (676 pages) so be prepared to track a large number of characters with their own histories. I made a chart for my own reference and I re-read the introduction several times during the course of reading the book to keep everything orderly in my mind.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Debut, June 20, 2007

By 

Joseph Geer (Milford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncommon Valour (Paperback)

Although I am not given to normally read historical fiction-based stories, I decided to read this one. The story concept intrigued me.

This was such an enjoyable read, and has got me wondering what I have been missing all these years. I had always heard of authors like C.S. Forester (author of the Horatio Hornblower series), Alexander Kent (whose real name is Douglas Reeman, and author of The Richard Bolitho series) and Patrick O'Brian (author of the Master & Commander series) I had seen motion pictures derived from their respective works... but had always been reluctant to read them.

Personally, I have always liked my historical reading to be, well... historical.

This two-in-one volume has gotten me to reconsider my thinking, and to look deeper into the realm of such works of historical fiction. It's a relaxing read, and a great escape from the worries of the day. This was such a pleasure to read, and a welcomed addition to my collection.