Filled with high-seas intrigue and sharp tensions, this nautical novel takes an intense voyage into the heart of Napoleonic-era Africa. The year is 1819 and Captain Adam Bolitho has been sent on an urgent but risky mission to make a fast passage from Plymouth to Freetown, West Africa, with secret orders for the senior officer stationed there. Due to the slave trade being declared illegal, ships in every harbor are waiting to be scrapped and officers have been cut loose without hope of future commands, thus Adam soon finds himself the object of envy and jealousy. In Africa he discovers unexpected allies and faces an enemy far more powerful and ruthless than any he has known before.
Review
βKent exercises an admirably terse style, revealing a comprehensive knowledge of seafaring and of his period.β β Kirkus Reviews on the Bolitho Novels
βAction is frequent and intense, and the color and excitement of 18th century sea battles are vividly depicted. Best of all, Bolitho will be remembered as a hero who is both human and humane.β β Library Journal on the Bolitho Novels
βFollow the wake of Hornblower into 18th-century seas . . . a salty testament to the mystique and the brutality of the square-rigger.β β New York T imes on the Bolitho Novels
About the Author
Alexander Kent is the pen name of Douglas Edward Reeman, who joined the British Navy at 16 and eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant. He has taught navigation to yachtsmen and has served as a script adviser for television and films. He is the author of the Bolitho Novels series.