Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "british"

Fletcher and the Flying Machine by John Drake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Nothing normal happens to Fletcher (also known as Sir Jacob Fletcher or Jacky Flash). Unless you’ve encountered one of his previous escapades, the names probably mean little, so who is he? He’s the illegitimate son of a knight of the realm, who never wanted to be in the Sea Service, but was impressed into the navy upon the devious scheming of the one woman who abhors him – Lady Sarah Coignwood, his stepmother. He also has a particular interest in the latest technology of the time – 1803 to 1804 in this case – and the more radical the concept the better. This encounter involves aerial navigation and a flying carriage.

When our story opens, Fletcher is on the outs with the Admiralty in spite of the country being at war with France. To pass the days, he’s spending time with his sister in the countryside, where he encounters ingenious neighbors. A young boy named Arthur Bayley and his grandfather are flying a kite, but theirs is no ordinary flying machine. This one is big enough and strong enough to carry a man. His fascination piqued, Fletcher immediately befriends them and, during the ensuing days, learns that he’s going to be recalled into active service. Arthur, who is struck by a bit of hero worship, requests that he be allowed to go to sea with Fletcher – a boon that Fletcher grants even though he’s wary of ever regaining the Admiralty’s favor.

Of course, he does, but hasn’t a clue as to why. The assignment initially seems enticing until he discovers no one else wants it. Why? Because the Sea Service is unable to provide all he needs to carry out his mission, which is protecting the whole of Ireland from a French invasion. The Irish, who are forever at odds with themselves, have united in hopes of gaining Bonaparte’s assistance in rising up against the English and tossing them out of Ireland. The British have no intention of allowing this, but there are many things that can go wrong, which makes Fletcher just the man for the job. He will either sink or swim and, should he sink, he’s the perfect scapegoat.

Setting Fletcher up to take the fall isn’t that unusual. His knack for out-of-the-box thinking has saved his life and those of his men, as well as the honor of the Sea Service and the country, more than once before. Being kept in the dark about certain matters puts Fletcher on his toes and he adeptly manages with what he’s got and each and every man under him gives his all, including Bayley. A ship fire, a lopsided sea battle pitting Fletcher’s meager squadron against French warships, a fractious alliance between Irish rivals, the captivating Irish woman (deemed a witch by some) who keeps them united, and a haughty, by-the-book dragoon lead Fletcher on a merry, but bloody, escapade that eventually lands him in jail. But machinations – both good and bad – are afoot to once again employ Fletcher in an impossible scheme to extricate a Russian grand duchess from a Baltic castle that’s been under siege for two years. If the honorable and esteemed Edward Pellew couldn’t manage it, how in the world will Fletcher?

This is my first foray into Admiral Sir Jacob Fletcher’s memoirs, but this seventh book in the series is a rousing romp. Drake expertly crafts a serpentine labyrinth that neatly combines the improbable with the outlandish in a manner that is both believable and compelling. There are moments of levity, but Drake tells it as it is, neither sugarcoating the violence nor avoiding compromising situations of a more intimate nature, which is why this book is for mature readers. He includes a gripping depiction of why seamen fear fire, and historical details and navy life are seamlessly interwoven into the story.

Fletcher is an “enormous” character – both literally and figuratively – who is larger-than-life and charismatic in ways that endear him to the common man even though he stands on the quarterdeck, otherwise known as officer territory.
The majority of the story unfolds from his first-person perspective with occasional interludes to provide readers with a fuller account of what transpires. The Rev. Dr. Samuel Pettit, who transcribes Fletcher’s twenty-five-volume memoirs, inserts intermittent bracketed comments that chastise or contradict Fletcher. Third-person scenes share background glimpses of the story that Fletcher has no way of knowing but are key to fully understanding what transpires.

Fletcher and the Flying Machine is riveting, complex, preposterous, and entertaining. Whether you’re a diehard fan of Jacky Flash or a newcomer like Arthur Bayley, Drake will soon snare you in an audacious adventure that eagerly has you waiting for another madcap adventure.

(Review originally posted at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/JDrake.htm...)



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Shipwrecks in 100 Objects: Stories of Survival, Tragedy, Innovation and Courage by Simon Wills

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A rosary from the wreckage of the Mary Rose, which Henry VIII witnessed sink. “The Shipwreck,” William Falconer’s poem based on his experience aboard the Ramillies as a midshipman. A letter placed within a bottle from an officer who thought he and his family were about to die. The life jacket that saved one man’s life when his comrades, who wore none, died. The anchor of a ship that sank in 1878 but has been seen several times since then.

These are a few of the items showcased in this book about shipwrecks. They do not represent the 100 worst shipwrecks in history nor vessels other than British. Instead, the author seeks to touch our heartstrings, to make us care about the lives lost, the living, and the aftermaths of such tragic occurrences. To guide him in achieving this goal, Wills asked himself two questions: “is there a notable personal story to tell” and did the shipwreck contribute “something to the overall narrative of ancestors’ experiences at sea across centuries”? (13)

While tragedy abounds within these stories, there is also hope. Mention “shipwreck” and our thoughts immediately turn to the men, women, and children on the vessels at the time of the sinking. Or perhaps to their loved ones who bear the grief and adjust to severe changes in their circumstances because of the losses suffered. But there are also those determined to survive or to help, such as Grace Darling, who helped her father, the lighthouse keeper, rescue stranded victims.

Wills, perhaps better than another author, is the best person to write these stories. His family has gone to sea since the time of Queen Elizabeth I and some experienced the wrecking of their ships firsthand. As a result, Wills’s abiding respect for the sea and empathy for victims, survivors, and rescuers are evident in each tale.

The selected objects include artifacts, medals, images, writings, charts, memorials, music, and buildings. Some are as intangible as storm clouds or sea monsters. Of particular interest to readers interested in maritime piracy are William Dampier’s giant clam, a Jolly Roger (representing pirates, like Samuel Bellamy who died in a shipwreck or Edward Teach who wrecked his flagship), and a first edition of Robinson Crusoe, the lone survivor of a fictional shipwreck who survived on an island for twenty-eight years before being rescued.

Wills arranges the entries in chronological order, beginning with 1539 and ending in 2012 when two Titanic museums opened 100 years after that ship sank. Both an index and a table of contents that identifies and dates each object allows for easy access to individual shipwrecks.

This book is an eclectic collection of objects that introduces us to shipwrecks we probably may not know about but should. Wills hopes these intriguing stories spur us to learn more about the vessels and the tales they have to reveal.


(This review was originally posted at Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpirat...)



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British warship losses in the age of sail, 1650-1859 by David J. Hepper

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


(Note: This review is for the latest edition, published in 2024.)

Loss is inevitable in a time when wooden ships sail the seas. Charts aren’t always accurate, which results in ships running aground or foundering on unseen rocks or reefs. Weather plays a role sometimes, as happens in October 1744, when storm-tossed seas bring about the demise of HMS Victory and the deaths of Admiral Sir John Balchen and nearly 900 others. Additional causes stem from collisions, engagements with the enemy, and navigational errors. Fire is perhaps the most-feared danger, not only because there is nowhere to flee if a ship catches fire but also because the flames may eventually reach the powder magazine. The loss of Queen Charlotte in 1800 is just such an example. Another contributing factor is mutiny as happens aboard HMS Bounty and HMS Hermione.

Hepper’s goal is to provide a comprehensive compilation of vessels lost over a period of 211 years. He begins in 1649, which is the year when the last Royalist ships depart British waters and a new navy is established under the Protectorate. The list ends in 1860 with the launch of Warrior, a ship with an iron hull that is powered by steam.

A brief introduction precedes explanations of the various types of vessels and nautical terms readers will encounter. Entries are chronological and divided into specific time periods.
1649-1660: The Interregnum: Dutch Wars and Expansion
1660-1688: The Restoration: Wars against the Dutch and Barbary Corsairs
1689-1714: Invasion, War and Union
1715-1739: The Long Peace
1739-1748: The War of the Austrian Succession (‘The War of Jenkins’s Ear’)
1749-1754: A Brief Peace
1755-1763: The Seven Years War
1764-1771: Growing Tension in North America
1772-1783: American Independence
1783-1793: A Period of Peace and Political Agitation
1793-1802: Revolution and War
1803-1815: World War
1816-1859: Empire and Expansion
A bibliography and an index of lost ships are also provided.

Each chapter begins with a brief recap of the period as it pertains to history and the navy. Each entry provides the vessel’s name, as well as that of her commanding officer at the time of the disaster. Other pertinent details – ship classification, tonnage, launch place and date, origins, dimensions, and guns carried – are included prior to a summary of what happens to her. When the number of casualties is known, this is also given. The presence of women aboard is noted. If the commanding officer doesn’t survive, that is recorded, as is the main source of the information given in the entry.

All the information has been culled from years of sifting through primary documents, such as courts-martial records in The National Archives. Other material comes from contemporary sources, such as newspapers, Parliamentary journals, Steel’s Navy List, and notable histories such as Schomberg’s Naval Chronology, James’s Naval History, and Gold’s Naval Chronicle.

Entries include such notable losses as the grounding and burning of Gaspée in 1773 (a prelude to the American Revolution); the battle between HMS Serapis and USS Bonhomme Richard in which fifty-four men lose their lives and one captain is knighted for his bravery; HMS Guerrière’s duel with USS Constitution in 1812, and Boxer’s encounter with Enterprise the following year; and the mid-century losses of the ships participating in and searching for Sir John Franklin’s Arctic expedition.

Few readers will have heard of most disasters within these pages. For example, in 1695, the fourth-rate Nonsuch is escorting a convoy of merchant ships home to England when a French privateer attacks. The men on Nonsuch make repairs from the running battle during the night, but the fighting recommences the next day. After losing two masts and her captain, and unable to use her lower tier of guns, Nonsuch lowers her flag in surrender. At the ensuing court-martial, the deceased captain is partially blamed as is the lieutenant who fails to take command upon the death of Nonsuch’s captain. He is dismissed from the navy and serves six months in prison. Three others are cashiered for “ignorance and ill conduct” in surrendering the ship instead of continuing to fight.

With her hull leaking like a sieve and most of her crew dead from scurvy, HMS Gloucester is set afire in 1742. Her loss leaves one surviving ship from Commodore Anson’s squadron, which had set sail two years earlier. The dispatch cutter Cassandra encounters a squall in 1807. She rolls over but soon rights herself, only to heel over a second time. Thirteen drown, including a woman and a child. Eighteen years later, the remains of Lady Nelson are discovered on Babar Island, where Malay pirates attacked the brig tender and killed her crew. The losses even include HMS Diamond Rock, an island near Martinique and one of the navy’s first stone frigates used to harass the enemy.

Similar in scope and format to Jean Boudriet’s earlier book, which appeared in print three decades ago, Hepper retains that framework but has greatly revised, corrected, and added to it, making this volume more complete. Some entries are short paragraphs; others are considerably longer. The print is small, by necessity, to keep the book’s length manageable. Hepper also includes two sections of color and black-&-white plates. The artwork depicts damaged ships, shipwrecks, sinkings, and battles.

This book isn’t meant to be read cover to cover. It’s an invaluable and essentially new reference work that belongs in any collection on naval history. It can be used just for research purposes, or readers may enjoy random visits to learn about the hazards that men face daily during the Age of Sail.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Hepper.html)



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