To Glory We Steer: The Richard Bolitho Novels [Paperback]

All of Alexander Kent's (a pen name) Richard Bolitho series are well-written. This one, they say was written first, but I suggest you read them in the chronological order of the protagonist's (Richard Bolitho) career. beginning with the one titled, Midshipman Bolitho. In that order this is number four, in which he is given command of a frigate, the Phalarope, his second command. Bolitho's naval career starts at the tender age of 12, but the first book in the series picks him up at the age of 16--already a veteran midshipman.

Kent is a first rate story-teller. His main concern is the story, rather than a mass of technical detail about ship's rigs, sails, etc., which are of interest to some of us, but of less interest, perhaps, to those who simply want to get on with the story. None of his stories drag. There is action a-plenty, including lurid descriptions of men getting their heads blown off and their limbs amputated. Hand-to-hand combat is common in boarding parties and on dry land expeditions.

I have some personal experience with sailing vessels, having built and sailed my own ketch-rigged sailboat on the Pacific with my family, and so far as I can tell Kent's sail handling descriptions, although necessarily abbreviated for the sake of the story, are technically accurate. I am more familiar with fore and aft rigs than square riggers, though.

This book concerns the end period of the American Revolution. Bolitho's Phalarope is operating in the West Indies. It is refreshing to see that war through the eyes of a British naval officer, and it rings with truth. The final battle, pitting the French Admiral De Grasse against the British George Rodney and Hood, at the sea battle known as the battle of the Saintes, in the Caribbean, ends in glory for Bolitho.

Bolitho is called upon to command the Phalarope after the death of a harsh captain who drove his crew to the edge of mutiny, and to make matters worse, his complement was filled out with rogues who were not wanted by other ships of the fleet, by an admiral who disliked him.

This is a very good book, which, if you are like me, you will enjoy and find it hard to put down.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre, USN (Ret)

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Kent is great on fighting action, each novel having three or four battles at sea, and often one overland. Bolitho is "lucky" in this as well as his success, because I'm sure real captains, even Lord Cochrane, could hardly have had so many in a full career, With these two powerful novels, Sloop and Glory, Kent becomes a real contender in naval fiction. Interestingly, they are among the first written in the series. After tour de force novels like these, it's difficult to imagine how Kent will keep it up for the rest of the way in this very long series (now pushing $400 to buy, if you become hooked).