Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "england"

The Dutch in the Medway by P G Rogers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


First published three years after the tercentenary, Rogers’ account of the Dutch attack in the River Medway received worldwide praise. He wrote it because previously English works failed to provide a historical perspective of the raid. His contacts in England and the Netherlands, which provided access to both countries’ archives and published works, also permitted him to provide a more informed account from a fair and impartial point of view. On the 350th anniversary, Seaforth has republished this detailed history so new readers can gain a better understanding of the events leading up to, during, and following the June 1667 attack.

To the Dutch the raid is the tocht naar Chatham (trip to Chatham). To the British it remains one of the worst military and naval defeats in the United Kingdom. But to best understand how this event came to be, one must first go back in time to an earlier period in each nation’s past. The opening chapters recap these countries’ historical development, explain how they became interconnected, and examine their maritime and commercial rivalry that ultimately led to the Anglo-Dutch Wars. Rogers also discusses the English and Dutch navies, problems plaguing the Chatham Dockyard, and the battle-readiness of England and the United Provinces of the Netherlands prior to the raid. He introduces the key participants, such as Raad-Pensionairis Johan de Witt, King Charles II, and Michiel de Ruyter, who was commander-in-chief of the Dutch fleet.

The second half of the book focuses on the raid itself. This is where Rogers’ familiarity with the geography shines through in such detail that readers can easily visualize these events as they happened. The end result of the raid was the capture of Sheerness Fort, the Royal Charles, and the Unity; the destruction of other Royal Navy vessels; and the panic that spread through Britain. Its effect on British morale, the assessment of blame after the raid, what happened to the key participants, and the lessons learned round out this volume. A postscript summarizes what occurred at the tercentenary to which the Dutch were invited.

The Dutch in the Medway is a well-rounded, easy-to-read, and comprehensive presentation of the attack. The use of sources from both countries a non-biased account, and the insertion of quoted passages from primary documents adds to the recounting’s immediacy. Maps, footnotes, a list of sources, the index, and color plates depicting the attack and the people involved further enhance the reading experience. This book is also an invaluable addition to any collection on English, Dutch, and naval history.




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The Pirate's Duchess by Katherine Bone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A suicide in 1806, a vow to his father, and an assassin’s attempt on his own life in 1807 compel Tobias Denzell, the sixth Duke of Blackmoor, to abandon his beloved wife Prudence and assume a false identity. The Black Regent, a notorious smuggler and pirate, allows him to protect his wife, assist those who have suffered devastating losses at the hands of a greedy swindler, and help out-of-work miners in Exeter, England. His sole aim is to bring about the downfall of the Marquess of Underwood, a curmudgeon obsessed with wealth who will do whatever is necessary to acquire others’ inheritances.

For two years Tobias attacks Underwood’s ships until he is on the verge of bankruptcy. But then his wife decides to marry Underwood’s son and shows her future father-in-law a survey map of the Blackmoor estate. It shows the location of a rich vein of copper – a fact that puts Prudence in grave danger. Once Underwood gets his hands on her dowry, her worth will be nil. The only way to save her life is for Tobias to come back from the dead, but she may never forgive him for betraying their love. Not to mention that his sudden reappearance will endanger his life since Underwood will assuredly attempt to murder him again, and someone may connect him to the Black Regent, which will earn him the hangman’s noose. The lynchpin in his plan to finally bring about his nemesis’s downfall and keep Prudence safe requires the help of Underwood’s son, but Tobias is no longer certain he can trust his longtime friend.

It’s taken two long years for Prudence Blackmore to shelve the memories of the horrible night when her husband died, but with the Earl of Marwick’s help, she is finally ready to move on with her life. She’s no longer the timid widow, but a strong woman who can stand on her own feet and take whatever life brings. Although still in love with Tobias, a dead man can’t give her the companionship and family she desires, so she accepts the earl’s proposal. Standing at the church altar, she’s unprepared for her husband’s resurrection. Anger and hurt play tug of war with her heart, and the winner is by no means a certainty.

This historical romance novella is the first volume in a new series, Regent’s Revenge. Bone’s imagery is vivid and readily transports readers back to the 19th century, and her characters are memorably drawn. It’s a short, fast-paced read with only a small portion of it taking place on a ship, but it adeptly sets the stage for future adventures.




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Echo in the Wind by Regan Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Unlike many of women of the ton, Lady Joanna West has vowed to never marry, even though at twenty-five, her brother the earl believes it’s high time she wed. She also refuses to stand idly by why the villagers of Chichester starve from lack of work and the inability to pay high taxes. To that end she begins delivering food baskets to the poor, but now oversees the delivery of smuggled tea and brandy and makes sure the goods reach their proper destinations without alerting the revenue agents. One night in April 1784, her men row her out to meet a new partner, a stranger who could be a free trader or a spy.

Captain Jean Donet silently watches from the shadows as his new partner inspects the merchandise and haggles with his quartermaster. Before the Englishman departs, Jean suspects the stranger is actually a woman in disguise. But that possibility intrigues, rather than discourages him, for he, too, is more than he appears to be. Disowned by his father, he is a French spy, was a privateer for Benjamin Franklin during the American Revolution, and is now a successful smuggler with a fleet of vessels. He is also the comte de Saintonge, a title inherited after the untimely death of his father and older brother. He must finally return to the estate he left years ago, but first he must attend several events leading up to the christening of his new grandson.

Since her brother has yet to marry, Joanna serves as his hostess at a party honoring the new prime minister, who is determined to put an end to the smuggling that plagues England. Two other gentlemen in attendance also catch her attention, but for different reasons. One commands the sloop of war responsible for hunting down vessels engaged in this illegal trade. The other is a forty-year-old Frenchman who seems taken with her younger sister, who has just come of age. Joanna will do whatever is necessary to keep Tillie from becoming a sacrificial lamb.

While in London for the christening, Joanna accompanies a friend to the Old Bailey to attend a trial. But the experience leaves her shaken when the smuggler is found guilty and sentenced to hang. Her chosen trade has become too dangerous, so after one last run, she will find another way to help the villagers. Just as she is about to disembark from her partner’s brig, the revenue ship announces her arrival by opening fire and Joanna is badly wounded.

Jean immediately sets sail and, after successfully eluding his pursuers, attends his beautiful guest. Her best chance of survival is to get her as quickly as possible to a French doctor he trusts. But a storm brews in France. King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette continue to spend money, even though the country is badly in debt. The incident that killed his family may not have been accidental. And his mind wages war with his heart over his growing attraction for Joanna.

Echo in the Wind is the second book in the Donet Trilogy and takes place five years before the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution. As in the previous title, To Tame the Wind, Walker opens with a list of “Characters of Note” so readers can acquaint themselves with who’s who before the story begins. Aside from Chichester and London, she whisks readers back to eighteenth-century Lorient, Saintonge, and Paris to experience firsthand the discontent of the people and the callow disregard of the nobility. Walker also includes an author’s note where she discusses the history behind the novel.

Chapter one places readers in the midst of the action and shows great promise of suspense, but the pace slows thereafter and doesn’t pick up again until after page 100. Those pages focus more on character development, with only minor hints of possible adventure and misadventure. Yet stalwart readers who brave the trials and tribulations that they and the characters experience will be richly rewarded with a wonderful love story.




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A Vengeful Wind by James L. Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When longships bearing more Northmen land on the beach on the other side of Loch Garman, Thorgrim Night Wolf knows the delicate truce with the Irish has become unbalanced. All he wishes is to finish repairs to his own longships, obtain the sails that the monastery is making, and set sail; instead, he and some of his men row across the water to offer hospitality. But the offer is rebuffed because Thorgrim slew the newcomers’ leader months past over control of Vík-ló. Thorgrim and his followers return to their makeshift longphort, hoping to depart before the Irish learn of the new Vikings. The gods have other plans.

Once a man-at arms and now a monk, Brother Bécc hates the invaders and wishes to eradicate them from all of Ireland. The arrival of more such vermin provides the lynchpin necessary for him to once again take up arms, first against the newcomers and then against Thorgrim Night Wolf. Bécc and the local rí túaithe lead their men on a carefully planned night attack when the Northmen are drunk and asleep. Just as a rout is achieved, out of the darkness upon the sea come hideous monsters – longships crowded with men with Night Wolf at their head. Bécc’s anger at failing to achieve God’s will is such that he murders a man and then uses Thorgrim’s intervention to attack the longphort.

In Angel-cynn (which the Norse call Engla-land) in the town of Sherborne, the people who matter gather in the cathedral to witness the marriage of the ealdorman to Cynewise, daughter of a neighboring ealdorman. Just after the couple exchange vows, a minor thegn kills the groom and calls for others to rise up with him. The assistance he seems to expect comes to naught and the murderer is slain. Nothwulf is stunned at the death of his brother, and is intent on finding out the reason for the murder. He also hopes to step into his brother’s shoes and become the new ealdorman, for surely a wife of two minutes who is as distraught as Cynewise has no desire to take over her husband’s duties. Yet Cynewise is not as meek or frail as she appears; behind Nothwulf’s back she plots, plans, and garners local support to gain King Aethelwulf’s support in naming her as ealdorman. The only one in her way is her brother-in-law, but with the help of the shire reeve who slew her husband’s murderer, Cynewise soon deals a crushing blow to Nothwulf . . . or so it seems until news of Norse ships landing give Nothwulf an unexpected advantage.

The opening of the eighth book in the Norsemen Saga is a bit slow as readers are introduced to a new storyline that involves a new land, new characters, and new words. Thorgrim’s tale continues in the second chapter, and thereafter, what happens in Ireland is intertwined with events in England. Only after a riveting battle between the Northmen and the Irish does it become clear as to why this new storyline has been introduced. Equally enthralling is the fearsome voyage on stormy seas that easily brings to mind the words of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, “In this year dire portents appeared . . . and sorely frightened the inhabitants. They consisted of immense whirlwinds and flashes of lightning, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the air.”

There’s some discrepancy between the descriptive severity of Thorgrim’s wound and the quickness of his recovery, yet this is a minor aspect. What is compelling is his maturing character arc and some of the realizations he comes to as he enters his fifth decade. Harald Broadarm, Failend, Starri Deathless, and other familiar characters help make his life more interesting, as do the reappearance of several characters from earlier titles in the series. As always, Nelson includes maps, a longship diagram, and a glossary to aid readers in their journey with unfamiliar settings and vocabulary. He also selects quotations from contemporary writings to hint at what is to come in each chapter.

A Vengeful Wind is a well-crafted blend of historical fiction and intrigue that vividly recreates a time period centuries in the past. Nelson’s gift of storytelling transports readers to these strange lands to such a degree that the modern world is soon forgotten and we’re swept away just as the Northmen find themselves cast from the shores of Ireland.




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A Time to Fight: A Novel of the Battle of Goudhurst, 1747 by John Aubin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Once a Grenadier in the Royal Army, Will Sturt returns home to Goudhurst, England, after four years of fighting. Much has changed, but so has he. His ailing mother resides in the poor house. Smugglers terrorize the town. The law is either afraid or in the pay of the smugglers; the army is stretched too thin and dealing with a threat of invasion to the north. Will knows the troublemakers; the Kingsmill brothers, who lead the Hawkhurst Gang, tormented him as a child. After the murder of his friend’s father-in-law, he is no longer willing to back away from a fight. Not everyone supports his plan to end the rape, pillaging, and maiming and they urge him to stop riling the smugglers. Only a handful of brave, but untrained, men and women step forward. One is taken, tortured, and returned with a message: cease and desist or face the consequences in three days: 21 April 1747.

This fictional account of the Battle of Goudhurst encapsulates a mere ten days, yet what these courageous people achieve has real lasting effects. The story begins with an overabundance of description, but once the murder occurs, the pace picks up and the tale becomes a race against time. Story threads are neatly tied up, but the narrative contains numerous formatting errors, duplicate words, unnecessary repetition, and missing punctuation. The novel’s strengths are the arresting account of the preparations, training, fighting, and aftermath of what happened, and the way Aubin breathes life into the real people who defend their town. Perhaps most interesting is the afterword, which reveals the history behind the novel.

(This review originally appeared Historical Novels Review (Issue 103, February 2023) at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...)




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The Lion and the Fox: Two Rival Spies and the Secret Plot to Build a Confederate Navy by Alexander Rose

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When civil war comes to the United States, the Union possesses forty-two warships of various sizes. The Confederate States of America have one. Their attorney general, Judah Benjamin, wants to change this and he knows just the man to accomplish this, James Bulloch is not your run-of-the-mill sea captain; in addition to the usual skills of an officer, he is knowledgeable about the latest nautical technology (steam) and has helped to build ships. More importantly, he is least likely to be seen as someone the Union should be leery of. He works for a Northern steam company. He’s a civilian. He has no land in the South. He seems innocuous, because he keeps personal opinions to himself. In reality, he is Southern born and bred and he possesses just the right traits to make him the right man for the job: guile, cunning, restraint, and obscurity.

Late in 1861, Thomas Dudley and his family arrive in Liverpool, England. It is a city with a vicious and volcanic reputation, teeming with people of ill repute. It is the last place the devout Quaker wants to be, but he has little choice. He is the new American counsel and is determined to do whatever he can to abolish slavery. One of his tasks is to doggedly pursue Bulloch and prevent him from carrying out his mission for the Confederacy.

Lacking the necessities to build their own navy, the Confederacy must go overseas to gain a fleet of modern, deadly vessels. To that end, Bulloch and Benjamin devise a three-point plan. Bulloch’s first objective is to purchase blockade-runners that will smuggle in needed weaponry and ammunition. Then he will acquire commerce-raiders capable of harassing Union merchant ships to such an extent that President Lincoln will have to reassign vessels currently on blockade duty to hunt down enemy ships. Finally, Bulloch will design and have built two ironclad warships capable of causing untold damage and confusion to the United States Navy. The ultimate goal is to gain British support as a Confederate ally. He and Benjamin think these are highly achievable outcomes. There is just one flaw: the Union knows the who and what. They just don’t know where Bulloch is. But Dudley is determined to thwart them no matter what.

This book contains a few pictures of key people and ships, as well as a double-page spread showing 1860s’ Liverpool. Notes, a bibliography, and an index are also included. Readers get to see how Bulloch operated and how Dudley finally pierced his “wall of secrecy.” The final chapter explains what happened to each principal player.

Readers familiar with the history of the Confederate navy may know about some of the ships that Bulloch acquires. After all, one of them is the most famous and successful commerce raider CSS Alabama, captained by Rafael Semmes. What may be both new and illuminating are the behind-the-scenes sly scheming and artful trickery, or the Union’s diligent pursuit of Bulloch. Rose deftly weaves together characters and elements to craft a true account of espionage and counterespionage: a quintessential maverick, a lace-and-chandelier front man, a private investigator, a mole in the Foreign Office, a drunk captain who runs into a coal brig, a rooster that crows at a critical moment, legal manipulation, arms trafficking, racism, phantom ships, mutiny, a sea duel, bigamy, and betrayal.


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




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Armada / A Little History of the World by Colin Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In late July 1588, two fleets engaged off the coast of England in what has become known as the Spanish Armada. It was King Philip II’s attempt to invade England and return her people to the Catholic faith. Queen Elizabeth and her ministers took the threat seriously, and all understood the stakes should England lose. To Philip, this was an operation blessed by God and He would not allow Spain to fail. But the endeavor did fail and the reasons for that failure were many, as Martin and Parker deftly show.

The authors explain the historical background, starting with King Henry VIII’s setting aside his wife, the Spanish Catherine of Aragon, in favor of Anne Boleyn through to Queen Elizabeth’s execution of her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. We meet the key players on both sides of the conflict, including the monarchs and their ruling styles, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the admirals, the navies, and the ships. Also shared is information gleaned from exploring the shipwrecks and artifacts that have been found.

This book is divided into four parts: The Fleets Assemble, God’s Obvious Design, “It came, it saw, it departed,” and The Aftermath. It contains more than 155 illustrations and six tables, as well as a glossary, a chronology, notes, a bibliography, and an index. There is also a URL to a downloadable digital file that contains five appendices. The majority of illustrations are in color – some artifacts are black-and-white renderings, rather than photographs – and these are spread throughout the book rather than in separate sections.

This new edition of Armada, which was previously published in 1988, has been revised and expanded. At over 700 pages, it is a comprehensive and highly readable account of this well-known event. Written by an underwater archaeologist and a historian, it incorporates artefacts and contemporary documents to entertain, enlighten, and separate reality from myth. Archives around the world have been searched to provide the most comprehensive account of the events and people involved in this historical milestone.

What also makes this a compelling read is that the authors allow the participants to tell the story without relying on the myths and nationalistic fervor that have colored many previous histories of the Armada. In addition, the authors explore the failures on both sides, the aftermath of the attack, who should take the blame, lessons learned and not learned, survivors’ stories, what if’s, how England and Iberia remember the Armada, and what we might learn in the future. For those seeking an informative account of the events that occurred in the summer of 1588, Armada is well-worth the read and a bargain since readers are left with a clear understanding of who was involved, what happened, and why it unfolded as it did without needing to undertake the depth of research that Martin and Parker have.


This review was originally published at Pirates and Privateers (http://www.cindyvallar.com/Martin-Par...)




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Invasion by Julian Stockwin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Having cleared his name, Thomas Kydd returns to his beloved Teazer albeit with a new first lieutenant who is reliable but neither ambitious nor innovative. Orders return them to the coast of France to search for enemy vessels. These are to be destroyed or taken in any way possible, for Napoleon is preparing to invade England and the Royal Navy is the country’s first line of defense. Upon encountering an enemy escorting a British prize, Kydd attempts a night boarding to retake the ship. The unsuccessful bid results in Nicholas Renzi, Kydd’s longtime friend and ship’s clerk, to suggest an alternative. The risk is high, but Kydd takes the chance. The result makes Admiral Saumarez realize that Kydd and Teazer are needed elsewhere where they can be used to better effect.

Kydd’s new orders assign him to Admiral Keith’s Downs Squadron, situated near the English Channel and close to the action. A brief meeting with his commanding officer makes it clear that on this station, Kydd’s first duty is to destroy the enemy no matter what. First, though, he must learn exactly what he faces and how dire the situation is for his country. This takes him to London where he becomes privy to closely guarded information about Napoleon’s plans and capabilities, as well as English plans to thwart the invasion. The newspapers are also rife with rumors of all sorts of strange inventions that the French emperor will use to achieve his goal of conquering England. Kydd’s secret meetings reveal that anything, even the most preposterous idea, may indeed be possible. Before long, he discovers the reality of this and the dilemma it poses to the way naval wars are fought.

During this time, Kydd returns home to visit his family. The experience makes him realize just how much he has changed since he first departed Guilford as a wigmaker. He decides if he wishes to go any further in his career, he must reenter society. To that end he hires a special tutor to turn him into the gentleman he must be to hobnob with those with power and influence.

Renzi, on the other hand, is summoned to a secret tête-à-tête to which not even Admiral Keith is privy. He is asked to participate in the negotiations for a prisoner exchange, although this is merely a cover for his real purpose. The cartel ship will get him into France and while there, he is tasked with finding an inventive American and persuading him to work for the English, whom he detests, instead of Napoleon. Otherwise, Renzi must kill him.

This tenth installment of the Kydd Sea Adventures provides a rousing fresh perspective about the invasion threat that England faced during the Napoleonic Wars. Stockwin draws the reader in with danger and possibilities and then clearly shows the personal struggle that seamen faced as new ideas threaten duty, morality, and traditional rules of engagement. Woven into this excellent tapestry are elements of everyday naval life, such as the savagery of sea combat and hand-to-hand fighting, searching for an AWOL crew member, and edge-of-your-seat lifesaving gambles. At the same time, readers glimpse life in Paris during the war and what it’s like for an enemy to openly walk the streets there. Equally compelling are the scientific inventions that are introduced, the conflicts they arouse, and how personal experiences can be melded with new ideas to provide alternative ways of achieving goals. Along the way, readers meet such historic people as Robert Fulton, William Pitt, Admiral Keith, and Captain Frances Austen (Jane Austen’s brother). Invasion is a thought-provoking experience filled with exploits to interest fans of historical fiction, nautical fiction, and even steampunk.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Stockwin.h...)




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