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Thomas Paine Kydd is press-ganged in Guildford, and is wrenched from his safe profession of wig making to join the crew of the 98-gun line-of-battle ship Duke William. We have been treated to the horrors of the below-deck life of the common seaman before, but Stockwin renders these scenes as exuberantly as any of his predecessors. He is also particularly good at delineating the changing character of his hero, as Kydd comes to admire the skills of the seamen and (of course) becomes a true sailor himself. Although, at times, the book has the feel of the setting up of a new series, it's none the worse for that. Stockwin can command your attention with ease when his writing has such unyielding power as:
The boatswain's mate advanced, taking the cat-o-nine-tails from the bag. He took a position a full eight feet away to one side, and drew the long deadly lashes through his fingers, experimentally sweeping back to ensure that there was enough clear space to swing it. Kydd stared across the few yards of empty deck at the man's pale, helpless body. At the instant it flew downward the drumbeats stopped, so the sickening smack of the blow came loud and clear. Donelly did not cry out, but his gasp was high and choked. The nine tails not only left long bruised weals, but at every point where they landed, blood began to seep.--Barry Forshaw --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Browse and search another edition of this book.
"The Honorable the Member for Molton." Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Remarkable sea tale...,
By A Customer
This review is from: Kydd: A Naval Adventure (Paperback)
As a first novel, this book is impressive. Sometimes the story line seems a bit implausible, but the characters are vivid and realistic. Readers who don't know much about naval fiction will feel right at home, as Kydd is a young man who has been press-ganged to sea and must work his way up on his first ship, experiencing firsthand the beauty and horror of the sea. Having read 'Artemis' and 'Seaflower', the sequels to Stockwin's first novel, I have come to appreciate 'Kydd' a lot more. Disappointingly, I feel that Stockwin had a wonderful capability and his books were promising, but have not found his proceeding books as engaging as this one. So read this book and appreciat it - you can't always find other ones as rewarding, even by the same author.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Hornblower fan,
By John Keenan (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Kydd (Hardcover)
I'm a Hornblower fan, but unlike so many others, I've never enjoyed Patrick O'Brian's naval books. (They are fine books, I know; for some reason, they just don't click with me.) So I was delighted to find "Kydd," a Napoleonic seafaring adventure, capturing my interest almost from the first page, as the hero is unhappily pressed into service in the Royal Navy. Unlike Hornblower, Kydd is a rankless landlubber, which enables Stockwin to provide a new and interesting perspective. Like the C.S. Forester novels, though, "Kydd" is fast-paced and interesting. This is a promising start to what one hopes will be a long series.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic action and characters!,
By
This review is from: Kydd: A Naval Adventure (Paperback)
This is the first naval adventure novel I've ever read. Now I want to read them all and compare! If the rest are as good, or only near as good, as this one, I won't be wasting my time. "Kydd" is an intense read. I could only manage one chapter each sitting, for the most part, because each chapter has a remarkable storyline in and of itself, usually culminating in something highly emotional and vivid such as cannons firing back and forth. The battle scenes are rendered with no details spared so prepare yourself for some blood and gore. I could also *feel* the chill of the wind, taste the awful food and the warming relief of the grog. I enjoyed Kydd's character very much as he adapts to his new life and finds he actually loves it, but I liked his best friend Renzi even better. The two make a perfect pair of buddies - Kydd is fresh, young, unschooled, and Renzi with his haunted past and intellectual musings on life, together make a whole person you just have to appreciate. I don't know many of the sailing terms but it did not stop me from enjoying the story one bit. I've visited the author's website, and there are links to glossaries there. I appreciate the way the author explains some things but lets others slide, so you never get bogged down into details. This story moves fast and yar. I added this book to my list of "great reads."
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