- Paperback: 312 pages
- Publisher: McBooks Press (April 1 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0935526544
- ISBN-13: 978-0935526547
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #242,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"In The Eighteenth Captain, Nicolas Nicastro gives us a nuanced, insightful and thoroughly believable portrait of an American hero that few know beyond his saying "I have not yet begun to fight" which, in fact, he probably did not say. Nicastro does what the artist can do and the historian cannot; probe the inner mind of the historical John Paul Jones, guess who he really was from the empirical evidence, and then present that portrait in words and deeds that are on the one hand often fiction, but on the other true to the spirit of Jones. And he does it very well, showing us our American Tragic Hero, great but flawed, a conqueror brought down by his own faults. The Eighteenth Captain is beautifully framed by the fall-out of the French Revolution which represented the end of much that Jones loved but was a consequence in part of Jones' own actions, a lovely metaphor for the man's life and deeds. Carefully researched, accurate in tone and detail, The Eighteenth Captain is an insightful portrait of a man, a hero and his times, and what each of those things, in their essence, truly mean." -- James L. Nelson, author of the Revolution at Sea Saga
"Nicastro takes you by the scruff of your neck and yanks you into the action of history. From the moment the spine is creased, you are there, on board the ship, like Jim Hawkins in the apple barrel listening to Long John Silver's most secret plan. . . . Kudos to Nicholas Nicastro and even more kudos to McBooks Press for adding this finely wrought novel to their armada of Maritime literature!" -- Eric Machan Howd, Ithaca Times
"This maritime historical novel fairly shimmers with furtive lustiness and wry humor. Embellishing John Paul Jones' early naval intrigues and sexual liasons, Nicholas Nicastro preserves the true spirit of a mercurial and moody hero." -- Jill B. Gidmark University of Minnesota Professor of English
"Nicastro takes you by the scruff of your neck and yanks you into the action of history. From the moment the spine is creased, you are there, on board the ship, like Jim Hawkins in the apple barrel listening to Long John Silver's most secret plan. . . . Kudos to Nicholas Nicastro and even more kudos to McBooks Press for adding this finely wrought novel to their armada of Maritime literature!" -- Eric Machan Howd, Ithaca Times
"This maritime historical novel fairly shimmers with furtive lustiness and wry humor. Embellishing John Paul Jones' early naval intrigues and sexual liasons, Nicholas Nicastro preserves the true spirit of a mercurial and moody hero." -- Jill B. Gidmark University of Minnesota Professor of English
Book Description
Told in the voice of a fictitious American officer, the story conjures up a vivid cast of high and low characters among racy cameos of well-drawn historical figures, and steers them through a rich landscape of rousing adventure and telling period detail.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
This sexy adventure teems with rich historical detail., Sep 2 1999
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Eighteenth Captain (Paperback)
Gripped by the flawed bravado of John Paul Jones, I was further pulled in by the book's clever framing device--a bet that revolves around a potential menage a trois. Nicholas Nicastro delivers an amusing historical tale that takes the reader in directions one would never expect from a book about America's first naval hero. Though the author presents the virtues of his character he seems to take greater relish presenting the character's flaws--a tactic that only adds to the reader's enjoyment while giving flesh and blood to an, up-until-now, dusty figure in American Revolutionary lore. Forget about high school history books that describes Jones in one paragraph with the inevitable quote "I have not yet begun to fight." Did he actually say this? Who cares seems to be Nicastro's answer as he departs from this tired question, and doesn't even bother with that particular battle, when it was supposedly stated. Nicastro instead takes us into lesser known, choppier waters--more day to day battles that Jones fought as an imperious gnat leading an almost non-existent American navy against the powerful seafaring British. Jones's incursions against the Brits, as amusingly described in this book, amount to strange, even funny, misadventures.
The book also gets into Jones's post-war hobnobbing in France with such dignitaries as a very randy Benjamin Franklin.
As a lover of history and very human adventures I was only disappointed that the book wasn't longer. This fan waits with excitement for Nicastro's second book. If the author actually reads these, he should know that he's building a fan base.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A blind date with a boat, Sep 22 2004
By Dotty Parker "Constant Reader" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Eighteenth Captain (Paperback)
John Paul Jones, I've learned, is passionate, sympathetic, kind, and merciful. John Paul Jones also possesses the horrifying qualities of a dictatorial and cruel son of a bitch.Jones's autocratic, over-the-top actions fit with the history we know. Mr. Nicastro does an amazing job of placing the distressingly human characteristics of this captain into the structure of facts that often resist personality. Reading about his two main characters felt like being on two enduring first dates. There were times when John Paul Jones charmed me. I wanted to fall in love with his tales of battle and conquest. My other rendezvous, however, was with the narrator, Severence. Gentler and possibly more worldly, he edged out the competition with observations that rewrote John Paul Jones into an authority figure who was less than authoritative although sympathetic.
The novel's sexiness, while truly sexy, often sassy, and on occasion very naughty, serves to do more than satisfy adult appetites. Sex creates a physical tension between key characters that mirrors the political tensions Jones was trying to overcome. It also more clearly draws Jones as a man seduced by all kinds of success.
A brazen reviewer might suggest that Nick Nicastro considers that possibility a quiet truth for every character he's created.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
highly recommended, Nov 25 2004
By Thalia - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Eighteenth Captain (Paperback)
In all, enjoyable, readable, and sometimes surprising. There is an afterword acknowledging the embroidery of the truth.A raised eyebrow about the details prevents me from applauding the historical veracity of this novel. Nevertheless, the story told more than adequately compensates for this. As it is not meant to be a history, but historical fiction, the book succeeds admirably and is highly recommended.
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