1793 *In the seas of revolution . . .

A farmer, a bloody farmer! Knee-deep in dung and fathoms from the nearest port, Alan Lewrie, swashbuckling naval warrior turned family man, longs for battle. And when it comes, a battle royal it is! Called to the H.M.S. Cockerel, a sleek frigate captained by a malaria-stricken tyrant, First Officer Lewrie soon vaults to command, taking Cockerel from the lush pleasures of the Kingdom of Naples to a smoking cauldron called Toulon. There, an outnumbered coalition of former enemies is being drawn into a terrible land-sea battle against the revolutionary French *in a siege of blood and terror that will send shock waves around the world. . . .

Bad news: Long passages of history and culture research crammed into the narrative.
Good news: Alan Lewrie continues developing as a multi-faceted character, hold-your-breath excitement in battle scenes as only Lambdin can write them.

Fewer exclamation points, thank heaven!

Good read. On to the next one in the series! ( )

Landed for four years of peace-time, Alan Lewrie has been applying himself as gentleman-farmer, home-owner, father of three and loving husband with nary an adventure in sight and pure as a choir-boy. Can this idyllic state last long for ol' Ram-cat? Of course not. War is rumored and the Admiralty calls. Lewrie can refuse to go, after all, he was forced to sea at 17 and never wished for glory and death and deprivation, but... even with no irate husbands chasing him to sea this time, Lewrie can't resist going back to the one thing he knows he is good at (or, rather, one of the more admirable things he knows he's good at).

One of the fun elements in this series is that life doesn't run smoothly for Lewrie. His first assignment is hazardous, but not in the way he wished for, and when he finally gets a break to go as First in the H. M. S. Cockerel, things are less than ideal as well. At least the ship is a goer and there's the possibility of sea action. Lewrie has to negotiate more treacherous seas aboard ship than against the enemy as England gears up for war with Revolutionary France, but as with previous books, the pacing is steady and eventful, even during long cruises and being shifted to land action trying to keep a foothold in Toulon. And as before, war brings danger ashore for Lewrie in the form of bold and attractive women. Balancing these wild adventures are Lewrie's fears that he is a sham as a leader (flawed, he may be, but we know he is a more-than competent leader, which adds to the interest), and his amusing, somewhat feeble attempts to behave himself morally. He does mean well, though, so he remains an engaging hero both despite and because of his failures and triumphs.

I continue to be entertained and thrilled by these adventures. At this point, I am dedicated to the enjoyment to be found in reading every Lewrie book that has been and will be written, since I have not been disappointed in any way thus far. The depiction of life at sea, the battles, the sense of period, the politics, the danger, the adventure and the personalities of all involved are exquisitely laid out in a wonderful feast for any reader who wishes to essay it.

The series should be read in order if possible: 1. The King's Coat, 2. The French Admiral, 3. The King's Commission, 4. The King's Privateer, 5. The Gun Ketch, 6. H.M.S. Cockerel. ( )