Rating: 
Summary: The continuing adventures of Richard Bolitho
Review:
Bolitho is promoted to Rear Admiral and given command of a squadron assigned to the Baltic, where the Tsar of Russia is trying to create an alliance with the scandinavians, and simultaneously make an alliance with Napoleon. Bolitho meets a relative of his late wife, who bears a close resembland to her, and loses his heart to her.
This is another great Kent novel, set in 1800 from the viewpoint of the British Navy. This is the 13th book out of 26 in the Bolitho series, and they are all exciting depictions of life aboard ships of His Brittanic Majesty's fleet. Like the rest of them, one gets the feeling that the period is accurately depicted, with sufficient detail and character development to make you feel that you are a witness to history. I must admit that I am a fan of Alexander Kent (a pseudonym) and his naval fiction. He seems very knowledgeable about square riggers, their armament, and the problems inherent in naval warfare with only the wind to provide propulsion. Do I recommend these books? Absolutely! Joseph (Joe) Pierre, USN (Ret)
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books
Rating:
Summary: Superb treatment of a Napoleonic Sideshow
Review: Alexander Kent has chosen an interesting theme for the Inshore Squadron, the British expedition against Denmark. It is a fine choice of topics and allows for a great deal of character developement.
Richard Bolitho, now a flag officer himself, is thrust into the frontlines of nautical diplomacy. He is discovering that it takes more skill running the gauntlet of politics than it ever took in a broadside to broadside action. Now he is given the overall mission and learns that if he succeeds, no one will know and if he fails, he will be relieved of duty without a moments hesitation by the Admiralty. In the midst of this hazardous assignment, he meets a woman that he is drawn to. Belinda is the cousin of one of Bolitho's former officers, who was also his brother-in-law and whos sister, Bolitho married only to loose her later in a coach accident. They meet coincidently when her coach is in an accident and Bolitho's coach is first on the scene. Deja vu? The relationship builds but not smoothly. Belinda knows of Bolitho's first wife in fact vaguely resembles her. She knows this and doesn't want to be seen as a replacement for his first wife. It is this undercurrent that follows their relationship and you wonder, if in fact, she is right. Adam Bolitho is now a lieutenant and we start to see that he is more his father's son then his uncle's nephew. Dueling rears it's ugly head again for Bolitho. His brother fled to America after killing an officer in a duel and it seems like Adam is riding down the same road. Thomas Herrick is back again as flag captain. He has matured as a captain and also has a grounding influence on Bolitho. He grows in his role of falg captain and is no longer looking over his shoulder for Bolitho's approval or sanction. All these charecters are thrust into the campaign to neutralize Denmark and the threat it would be to communications between the UK and Russia. The combat between the Royal Navy and Royal Danish Navy is brutal and no-holds barred. One would think it would be no contest but the Danes don't fold after a token resistance, they are in the fight to the bitter end. The Danish Navy is shattered but it is not without cost to the Royal Navy. Thanks to Bolitho the operation is a success, but if he had failed, it might have gone the other way, with incaluable damage to Britain's ability to combat Napoleon. All together, this is a well written book with interesting and absorbing plot twists and charecter developement. One of the scenes that stays with me now, is Bolitho riding through Copenhagen, during his diplomatic mission, and wondering what it would be like to explore this very interesting city in peacetime. Maybe Bolitho is getting tired of the non-stop sea war has faced since he was a teenager, 30 years before. Hmm. I highly recommend this book as a valued addition to any Kent library and it is a fine reference to details of the little known and regarded 1st Battle of Copenhagen.
Rating:
Summary: Superb treatment of a Napoleonic Sideshow
Review: Alexander Kent has chosen an interesting theme for the Inshore Squadron, the British expedition against Denmark. It is a fine choice of topics and allows for a great deal of character developement. Richard Bolitho, now a flag officer himself, is thrust into the frontlines of nautical diplomacy. He is discovering that it takes more skill running the gauntlet of politics than it ever took in a broadside to broadside action. Now he is given the overall mission and learns that if he succeeds, no one will know and if he fails, he will be relieved of duty without a moments hesitation by the Admiralty. In the midst of this hazardous assignment, he meets a woman that he is drawn to. Belinda is the cousin of one of Bolitho's former officers, who was also his brother-in-law and whos sister, Bolitho married only to loose her later in a coach accident. They meet coincidently when her coach is in an accident and Bolitho's coach is first on the scene. Deja vu? The relationship builds but not smoothly. Belinda knows of Bolitho's first wife in fact vaguely resembles her. She knows this and doesn't want to be seen as a replacement for his first wife. It is this undercurrent that follows their relationship and you wonder, if in fact, she is right. Adam Bolitho is now a lieutenant and we start to see that he is more his father's son then his uncle's nephew. Dueling rears it's ugly head again for Bolitho. His brother fled to America after killing an officer in a duel and it seems like Adam is riding down the same road. Thomas Herrick is back again as flag captain. He has matured as a captain and also has a grounding influence on Bolitho. He grows in his role of falg captain and is no longer looking over his shoulder for Bolitho's approval or sanction. All these charecters are thrust into the campaign to neutralize Denmark and the threat it would be to communications between the UK and Russia. The combat between the Royal Navy and Royal Danish Navy is brutal and no-holds barred. One would think it would be no contest but the Danes don't fold after a token resistance, they are in the fight to the bitter end. The Danish Navy is shattered but it is not without cost to the Royal Navy. Thanks to Bolitho the operation is a success, but if he had failed, it might have gone the other way, with incaluable damage to Britain's ability to combat Napoleon. All together, this is a well written book with interesting and absorbing plot twists and charecter developement. One of the scenes that stays with me now, is Bolitho riding through Copenhagen, during his diplomatic mission, and wondering what it would be like to explore this very interesting city in peacetime. Maybe Bolitho is getting tired of the non-stop sea war has faced since he was a teenager, 30 years before. Hmm. I highly recommend this book as a valued addition to any Kent library and it is a fine reference to details of the little known and regarded 1st Battle of Copenhagen.
Rating: 
Summary: All the usual ingredients plus a few new ones
Review: Bolitho has to come to terms with the realisation that he has enemies even within the English forces.Again superbly written and paced"equality Dick" is again at the great events of the age.Another cracker!
Rating:
Summary: Deja vú
Review: Ever humble in his sterling achievements, a popular hero cheered by his men, Richard Bolitho has been made rear-admiral. Bolitho has moved away from his more happy-go-lucky (but never sky-larking!) enthusiam of youth and turned towards introspection and the burdens of ever broader commands of, necessarily, ever more anonymous people (now grown to 3000). Kent seems increasingly interested in writing of the psychology and pressures of supreme command. We see the thinking of The Admiralty vying with the jealousies of admirals, or the uncertainties of information and of diplomatic choices. In the climactic battle for Copenhagen we see Bolitho make his first cold-blooded command decision to throw away a ship in favor of the survival of his fleet as a whole. This is an often grim story that jumps between English ports and the entry to the Baltic Sea, plots and battles, health and death, and points of view. As with the novels of Hornblower and Drinkwater, Bolitho's Baltic mission is intimately tied to Tsar Paul's potential (mes-)alliance with Napoleon in 1801, and the British attempts to prevent it. Britain was fighting the greatest threat to its existence in 800 years, struggling to keep any allies at all on the continent to face the totalitarian French juggernaut (Hitler's model). The secondary story is about Adam Pascoe, Bolitho's orphaned nephew, and his growth as an officer in the squadron through trying personal relationships and, finally, knowledge of his birth. Extraordinary coincidences threaten to repeat some of the dark episodes of earlier stories: a wound that again drives Bolitho out of his mind, Pascoe's involvement in another duel like his traitorous father's, a carriage wreck like that which killed his beloved wife, and someone providentially like her.... As a writer Kent doesn't include informative period asides so much as go for the jugular of battle or command tensions. In idle moments Bolitho indulges in reminiscence of people from earlier stories, of most meaning if you've already read them. As always, pay really close atttention to any sailing instructions (e.g., difference between wind veering and backing) if you want to visualize what's going on; at one critical point I thought two squadrons were approaching battle bow-on, when they weren't! I really missed a map of the intricate waterways at the mouth of the Baltic.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but not great.
Review: If asked about the Bolitho series, I always recommend them. Kent captures the essence of Naval Warfare 200 years ago and I'm looking forward to finishing the series. Yet, Alexander Kent, Bolitho, Hornblower, Ramage and the rest of them suffer from one overwhelming handicap. They live in the same fictional universe as Patrick O'Brian, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. I'd sleep well knowing that Bolitho, Hornblower, and Ramage were defending me, but let's face it. They are all a bit priggish. I'd sooner have Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin as friends. Jerry Schroeder Seattle, WA
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but not great.
Review: If asked about the Bolitho series, I always recommend them. Kent captures the essence of Naval Warfare 200 years ago and I'm looking forward to finishing the series. Yet, Alexander Kent, Bolitho, Hornblower, Ramage and the rest of them suffer from one overwhelming handicap. They live in the same fictional universe as Patrick O'Brian, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. I'd sleep well knowing that Bolitho, Hornblower, and Ramage were defending me, but let's face it. They are all a bit priggish. I'd sooner have Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin as friends. Jerry Schroeder Seattle, WA
Rating:
Summary: Admiral he's not!
Review: In Number 13, Bolitho becomes a rear admiral; Herrick is his flag captain, Pascoe is on board. Bolitho was an average midshipman, a good lieutenant and and excellent captain, although most of his more daring feats were ashore. Kent can't let go of this, and Bolitho improbably hangs his flag on a small frigate, to get that frigate action that Aubrey could never let go of. The best thing about this book in the series is the almost soap-opera relationship with Allday, Pascoe and Herrick.
Bolitho finds a new woman, a carbon copy of Cheney, in a most unbelievable way. We still do not get enough of either the wardroom or the lower decks, except from Dick's ever more removed view. I do not like Admiral Bolitho much, not as much as I liked him before he became an admiral; but he is still more likable than the irascible Nathaniel Drinkwater (Woodman). We lack the incompetent, malevolent superior, as Bolitho becomes the superior. A good enough read, however, to lead me into #14.
Rating:
Summary: One of Bolitho's best
Review: It almost gets repetitive, but this one rates with Kent/Reeman's best in a superb series. Good story, thrilling action, great scenes and exchanges between Bolitho and Herrick, Allday, & Adam. The usual excellent descriptive writing, this time of conditions in the Baltic during winter, was of great help when reading it in a crowded bus in San Francisco when the temperature was an unbelievable 103.
Rating:
Summary: One of Bolitho's best
Review: It almost gets repetitive, but this one rates with Kent/Reeman's best in a superb series. Good story, thrilling action, great scenes and exchanges between Bolitho and Herrick, Allday, & Adam. The usual excellent descriptive writing, this time of conditions in the Baltic during winter, was of great help when reading it in a crowded bus in San Francisco when the temperature was an unbelievable 103.
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