Customer Reviews

Under the Black Ensign (Stories from the Golden Age) (English and English Edition)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Originally published in the August 1935 issue of "Five Novels Monthly" magazine, L. Ron Hubbard's thrilling "Under the Black Ensign" has been beautifully reprinted in this quality paperback by Galaxy Press as part of their ongoing series of Golden Age stories. "Under the Black Ensign" is especially fascinating because it represents the swashbuckler, a genre now extinct. But at the time this short novel was published the swashbuckler was very much alive in Hollywood and in the dozens of pulp magazines that flourished during the 1930s. Errol Flynn was wooing audiences in "Captain Blood" (based upon the novel by Rafael Sabatini) and the pirate novels of Col. Prentiss Ingaham were being reprinted to great success.

Hubbard's writing career had taken off like a rocket. He demonstrated no fear in tackling every genre the market demanded - westerns, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, air adventure, spy and international intrigue, and sea adventure tales. Hubbard was prolific from the start and his extraordinary talent is apparent on every page.

There's not a dull paragraph to be found in "Under the Black Ensign." Of course, the same can be said of all of Hubbard's golden age stories. The tale recounts the adventures of Tom Bristol who is pressured into joining the crew of the HMS Terror where he experiences firsthand the cruelties of the British navy. When the Terror is overtaken by pirates Bristol life takes a dramatic turn when he is marooned on an island only to be saved by a beautiful girl. Here he plots his revenge and...ah, but here's where you need to stop reading this review and order the book to find out what happens next.

Hubbard was a man of ideas and I was fascinated that "Under the Black Ensign" contained a racial subtext for Tom Bristol is a character that will have nothing to do with racism. After freeing the captives of a slave ship Bristol informs two staid British seamen, "These men are free men, not slaves. I don't happen to be of your stamp, gentleman. When I take lives I use a rapier, not the whipping post and starvation, and yet I am a pirate, while you and your brothers are supposed to be civilized beings."

Bristol, like many of Hubbard's characters, espouses an ideology of freewill, fair play and equality. It was a theme Hubbard returned to time and again, and it adds depth to his adventure tales. As always, the writing is crisp, vivid, and loaded with action.

Each Galaxy Press edition of Hubbard's stories is introduced with a short essay by Kevin J. Anderson and concludes with a biographical profile. "Under the Black Ensign" also includes a glossary of nautical terms and other phrases and a diagram of a full rigged sailing ship. Better yet, you get story previews of forthcoming editions. All of this is inexpensively priced at $9.95 and the Galaxy Press website offers special packages that you won't want to miss. Most of these stories have not been previously reprinted. These are beautifully produced books and I intend on reading them all. And so Avast, you lubbers! Spread the news that Hubbard is back, and fans of the classic era of pulp adventure stories will be thrilled by these magnificent books!

Great sequence and pacing, loved it. Would make a great back story for games like Sid Meier's Pirates, or Tortuga. The detail and visuals are way beyond most pirate stories, probably because the author actually knew his way around ships!

Under the Black Ensign was one of those really great swashbuckling, action packed, good versus evil type stories. I listened to it on CD and I could feel the warmth my parents have told me of the old radio days. I can't wait to listen to my next Hubbard pulp fiction!

"Under the Black Ensign"
by L. Ron Hubbard
Multicast performance
Produced by Galaxy Audio (2008)
Approx 2 hours.

Back when I first started listening to these audio book productions of tales from the days of Pulp Fiction, or Stories from the Golden Age, I was only interested in the Science Fiction and Fantasy tales, but soon I was curious to hear some of the other genres because of the high quality of performance and production put into these books.

Galaxy Audio produces each story from the days of pulp fiction magazine into phenomenal performances that will remind you of the early days of radio. The characters created by Hubbard are already well rounded and over the top and the voice actors bring each character to life, each one sounding like a character from the mid-20th century, just like the high drama and suspense stories that were on the radio at the time. The vocalizations, the sound effects and the original music all come together to bring you a true theater of the mind performance.

Once I had listened to all the sci-fi and fantasy stories I started then listening to the back issues of these audio pulps, and no matter what genre I heard, I was entertained and enjoyed the great story. Hubbard wrote many stories during the time of the pulp magazines and in many genres. This time around we dive into a sea adventure, but even more exciting (I was especially looking forward to listening to this one) a pirate adventure.

Originally published in "Five Novels Monthly" August, 1935, "Under the Black Ensign" could be called the perfect swashbuckler romance. Set in the Caribbean of the 17th century this story blends piracy, British men-of-war, a girl of aristocratic birth disguised as a boy, and an officer unjustly stripped of rank.

Tom Bristol's career as first mate of the Maryland bark Randolph abruptly ends during shore leave when he is press-ganged into serving aboard the British HMS Terror. Back in the day the crews of naval vessels were the underlings and treated as such. One day onboard the Terror Bristol drops his marlin spike while working aloft and it nearly falls on a Lord who is on his way to take over a fort and prison in the Caribbean. The Lord, being the hoity toity well-to-do royalty type, thinks Bristol was attempting to assassinate him orders Bristol to be given 100 lashes (a punishment that would bring death.

Just as Bristol is about to receive his lashes, the vessel is overtaken by pirates and after the melee Bristol is seen to be tied to the mast and given the opportunity to join the pirates. Bristol is one of the valuable few that understand navigation on the high seas.

When Bristol is confronted by another pirate that wants to commit mutiny he kills the mutinous scalawag. His new pirate mates desert him quickly after he's found guilty of killing a mutinous pirate and unwittingly harboring a woman on board. The woman was actually Lady Catherine who escaped the Spanish by disguising herself as a boy. Bristol is then marooned on a deserted island, with nothing but a small supply of water, a gun and just enough bullets to kill himself.

The woman is put off toward more civilized confines but she steers her boat toward the island where Bristol is alone and they set up camp to decide what to do. As fate would have it Bristol watches a Spanish ship battle a Dutch slave ship and abandon the Dutch ship and its cargo. Bristol and the lady row out to the ship and free the slaves, who are sailing men themselves. Bristol now has a crew and they manage to seize a ship through trickery and he sets out for revenge against the pirates and the British on his own vessel sailing under the black ensign.

Great swashbuckling, pirates, battles, and dames what more could you ask for. This story beats any Pirates of the Caribbean story you'll find.
http://gilwilson.wordpress.com

Loved it! Took the long drive with my kids from SF to LA and even thought it was Christmas, I felt hot and sweaty and waterlogged. The kids can follow the story because it's really a radio show, not just an audio book. There was no whining and complaining, the story is compelling and interesting enough for me and exciting enough to keep the kids attention. Woohoo!

This story actually gives factual information about the pirates and how they came about as a result of a very cruel and malicious British Navy. There are so many wonderful plot twists, not knowing how the hero is going to get through and succeed. The part about the rescue of the slave ship was one of my favorite parts. The imagery is great, the story line, action and message are strong, like so many of the stories Hubbard wrote back in the pulp era. It's fun and captivating, I highly recommend!

The 2 CD set is a nearly word-for-word performance of the original story (from the August 1935 issue of Five Novels Monthly). Marisol Nichols is featured as Jim/Lady Jane Campbell. The story is a fun swashbuckler. The hero, Tom Bristol, relies on the help of African warriors freed from a slave ship, and Hubbard portrays the black fighters with dignity and respect. Hubbard had sailed the Caribbean on a masted ship in 1932, so the nautical details of the story rang true. I thought that the ending was too "deus ex machina" and I never bought Bristol's accent, so I couldn't give it five stars. Still, this audio book is a lot of fun for ten bucks.

Don't have much to add to this, except it's a quick, solid adventure story that goes above the kind of thing I read back when I was 10-13. Didn't know Hubbard actually had worthwhile works prior to his Battlefield Earth stuff, so I've found a new source for pulp reading.

It was filled with faced paced excitement and adventure and was far deeper in it's content than most pulp stories.

This is a rambunctious wild ride. The pace is fast and you get a feel for the culture of the time period. Lots of fun and the good guy wins.. it all!