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Product Description
Review
"Stockwin’s richly detailed . . . portrait of life on ship and shore in Britain’s oceanic empire is engrossing. He writes evocatively of shipboard routine, the panic and confusion of combat, and the terrifying approach of a storm at sea, and he knows how to stage enthralling action scenes." —Publisher’s Weekly
"Stockwin continues to display his talents in transporting his audience from the 21st century to the chaotic worlds of Kydd, Renzi, and their imperiled homeland." —Historical Novels Review
Product Description
In the 10th book of the popular series, rumors fly of Napoleon's planned invasion of England, and British naval commander Thomas Kydd is sent to liaise with American inventor Robert Fulton, who has created "infernal machines" that can wreak mass destruction from a distance. Fulton believes that his inventions, namely the submarine and torpedo, will win the day for the power that possesses them, and Kydd must help him develop the devices. Despite his own belief that standing man-to-man is the only honorable way to fight, Kydd agrees to take part in the crucial testing of these weapons of mass destruction, which just may decide the fate of England.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good book, but NOT as an introduction to the series, Jan 28 2010
By Warren Kelly - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Invasion (Hardcover)
Thomas Kydd is a commander in the Royal Navy, facing Napoleon's fleet across the English Channel. Invasion is imminent, and Kydd has been placed at the front of the action. Then, he's pulled off the front lines and asked to be the government liaison with an American inventor, one Mr. Robert Fulton. It's not steamboats that His Majesty's Navy is interested in, though -- it's Fulton's submersibles and his torpedoes - and how much he's told the French about them. Because the Royal Navy is outmatched, and Fulton's high-tech firepower may be what tips the scale back in their favor.Invasion is the 10th book in Stockwin's Kydd Sea Adventures series. Right there you know there's plenty of backstory that you don't get in this book. Add to that the fact that the reader is dropped right into the middle of the action in chapter 1, as Kydd is demanding a hearing from his commanding admiral, Sir James Saumarez, to clear his name of charges leveled in previous books. I spent most of the first couple of chapters totally confused, which is part of the reason it's taken me so long to finish this book (I got it back in September!). Add to that the thick dialect that much of the dialog is written in, and this one almost got put into the DNF pile.
But that would have been a shame, because the book is actually quite good. In a series as long-running as this one, you're not going to see much characterization in individual books, but you will see a fast-moving plot with a lot of action. If you love the age of wooden ships and iron men, you will enjoy this book -- and this series, for that matter. Stockwin, a former Naval officer himself, knows his stuff; if you don't know a lot about the age of sail, you'll learn from this series.
One of the abiding themes in this particular book seems to be the changing state of warfare at the time. We see some of this in the American Revolution, with the British constantly calling the American militia's guerrilla tactics "ungentlemanly" and "against the rules of warfare." In Invasion, we see this even more, as the Royal Navy debates the idea of using weapons that will essentially make warfare less personal, and probably less glamorous as well. The idea of using stealth to surprise an enemy was frowned upon back then; today, it is practically a requirement for any battle plan.
I am embarrassed to admit that I was ignorant of Fulton's role in developing submarines back in the 1800s; in fact, when I first requested a copy of this book, I though that it was an alternate history because of that. So I learned something in reading the book, which is always a good thing, as I've mentioned before.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Stockwin's losing his way.., Feb 28 2010
By lrrosen "ArmourAZ" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Invasion (Hardcover)
Having loved the earlier Kydd novels, I was disappointed with Invasion.Adventure has been sidelined. Julian S seems to have allowed his obsession with military design and development to intrude upon the normal flow and narrative of Kydd at sea, Kydd hellraising,Kydd with a comely wench, Kydd slicing an enemy's shoulder through with his cutlass...That's why most of us buy his books.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Series Pales, Dec 13 2009
By D. Farnham - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Invasion (Hardcover)
The initial several offerings in this series were great, but the characters are not wearing well. Kydd spends too much time worrying about achieving gentleman status while Renzi has become a borderline psychotic would-be philosopher. They both get sidetracked by churlish Robert Fulton, the not quite successful inventor of submarine and torpedo warfare. The hand wringing moralizing about unsportsmanlike killing of the enemy by torpedo doesn't ring true.
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