Midshipman Bolitho: The Richard Bolitho Novels, Vol.1 (Paperback)

The grammar is poor. Sentence fragments abound.
The stories are ok, but there is no cleverness to the writing.

For a more literary experience and better stories, in a seafaring vein, try

1) the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forrester
or
2) Master and Commander, by Patrick O'Brien.

These are both wonderful, prolific writers, who write on the same subject as Mr. Kent, with much more style and elegance.

Alexander Kent is a pen name, and this series also holds great promise, judging from this book, Midshipman Bolitho, who was born in Falmouth, in Cornwall, and the story picks up in October, 1772. This book actually contains two stories, beginning with the 16-year-old Midshipman Richard Bolitho's assignment to the British 74 gun ship-of-the-line Gorgon, on a peacetime assignment to patrol the West African coast for pirates and slavers. Bolitho, who started his naval career at the age of 12, is a veteran, at 16, as the story starts and is already looking forward to his lieutenant's examination. He comes from a naval family, numbering a father who is a post captain, and a grandfather who was a rear admiral. His family's history is the cause of friction between him and his division lieutenant, a gouty, bad-tempered character named Tregorren.

The second story is closer to Richard's home, in Cornwall, while he is on leave, and concerns smugglers and wreckers who lure ships on the rocks for their cargos in the dead of night.

Altogether, the stories kept my interest to the end, with good suspense, lots of action, and great descriptions of nautical scenes, ship's maneuvers and good research into the period (end of the 18th century). Dialect and usages used in the dialogue rings true and are well done

I intend to continue with the series, and have ordered the next two books in the series, Stand Into Danger and Gallant Company. I really enjoy these stories of wooden ships and iron men. I have some speaking acquiantance with the sea and sailing; I was in the merchant marine at the age of 16 myself, as a fireman on an 8,000 ton frieghter, joined the navy on my 17th birthday (from which I am retired), and built and sailed my own ketch, the Wild Goose, on the Pacific with my family.

I love good sea stories, and grew up on Howard Pease's books about the merchant marine. He was largely responsible for my hitchhiking to San Francisco and shipping out at a tender age.

This is a good series. I recommend it to you, if you love to read adventure stories about the sea and the men who go down to her in ships.

Thanks again, Dr. John!

Joseph (Joe) Pierre...