From Publishers Weekly
In his latest seafaring epic, de Hartog has brought back Martinus Harinxma, narrator and hero of the successful The Captain. Now 70, Harinxma is coaxed from retirement to act as a consultant onboard an ultramodern ocean-going tug that has been sold to a Taiwanese shipper. Longing for one last fling with the sea, Harinxma quickly discovers how wrong he was. The tugboat seems jinxed by a flaw that nearly causes it to capsize in heavy seas. Run by an incompetent captain and an inexperienced crew who speak only Chinese, the tug seems doomed until Harinxma decides he must see it safely through its voyage. Battling the elements as well as unscrupulous owners who may want to see the tug go down, Harinxma copes with unexpected problems at every turn. The book does not generate the excitement of de Hartog's previous nautical adventures, but his insight into character and thorough knowledge of his milieu lift the narrative well above the ordinary run.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In Hartog's The Captain, ocean-going tugboat captain Martinus Harinxma, aged 30, battled the Nazis in the North Sea. Now 70, Harinxma is hauled out of retirement to sail as advisor on a 30,000-ton tug equipped with the latest technology on the first leg of a 4000-mile journey to Taiwan. The "bitch killer" tug has driven off two captains already. Her Dutch owners have sold her to the Chinese in desperation; the new owner has staffed the ship with an inexperienced crew and an incompetent, possibly suicidal captain. Hartog is resolutely old-fashioned in his insistence on telling a good story. Populated with absolutely convincing characters and an appealing hero, The Commodore offers one hair-raising adventure after another; it is even funny at times. This is very high quality escapist fiction, with some serious thoughts to share on the nature of heroism and the shock of growing old. David Keymer, SUNY College of Technology, Utica
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
