Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "london"

Remarkable Rascal by Kevin Charles Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Clinging to the top of a ship’s mast with sharks circling below doesn’t bode well for William “Echo” Eden. Faced with such grim prospects for his future, he opts to examine choices made and the consequences that ensued. His journey into the past begins with his first memory, the death of his parents in 1695, which left him and his younger brother totally unprepared for the cruel world that lay beyond their door. Taken in by their great uncle, a retired deacon who works at a basilica, they do the majority of the cleaning, which includes ridding the basilica of its detested rat infestation, because of their uncle’s failing eyesight. They also have to answer a daily riddle – their uncle’s way of educating them. Echo excels in acquiring knowledge and a host of skills, but one particular talent is an innate ability to mimic voices and sounds. Toby, however, fails to master anything, which makes him the perfect target of a bully named Scarf Rockingham.

At night, the brothers frequently venture into the streets where Echo acquires additional knowledge that later serves him in good stead. His inventiveness eventually leads the brothers to become so adept as ratters that they gain employment at Slugger O’Toole’s Sport Emporium. Their search for rats for the fights there eventually takes them farther and farther afield until they find themselves at London’s docks where the ships at anchor provide an ample supply of contestants. They also meet a disabled ship’s cook who enthralls them with tales of his younger days at sea.

One night, Toby disappears, their uncle is killed, and Echo must flee England aboard the Amafata, where his only friend is the ship’s cook. As they sail to the Caribbean, Echo’s encounters bring him face-to-face with the reality of sea life, the brutality of punishment, spinning yarns, ghosts, sea hazards, ingenious games, Voudou, pirates, slavery, superstitions and witches, first love, and duels. His many talents and knowledge elicit the friendship of some and the enmity of others.

Remarkable Rascal, the first entry in the Bilge Rat, Pirate Adventurer series, is a rollicking tale of adventure, romance, and life in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries for a lad in his teens. Although cited as a book for young adults, the violence and gruesomeness make me question whether all readers of this age group are mature enough to handle some of the covered topics. Throughout the narrative some words are italicized, although the purpose for being so is never given. Some can be found in the glossary, others cannot.

Well-researched, this novel deftly captures the essence of this period. The author, a gifted storyteller, uses a first-person perspective to suck readers deeper and deeper into a whirlpool that, at times, is as violent as a maelstrom or as serene as a halcyon day. Rather than recount every detail of Echo’s young life, he weaves together a series of vignettes that introduce the main character and provide the framework that allows Echo to accomplish all that transpires both in London and the Caribbean. Along the way readers meet a host of unique and memorable characters – some scary, others who bring smiles, all easy to picture.




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The Trafalgar Chronicle: New Series 4: Dedicated to Naval History in the Nelson Era by Peter Hore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The annual journal of The 1805 Club shares the latest research into Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson and his era. Each issue has a central theme, and this, the twenty-ninth such offering, focuses on his friends and contemporaries. The majority of those depicted in this volume come from families that remained loyal to the British Crown, during and after the American Revolution, even though their members lived in the American colonies at the outbreak of hostilities. Others opted to follow the road toward independence. These twenty-one essays also cover a breadth of distance, extending from Honduran islands to Australian shores and several places in between.

John Lehman’s “The Decaturs, the Lehmans and the Privateers” examines the American privateers during the Revolutionary War with particular emphasis on Captain Stephen Decatur, Senior of the Fair American, and his ship’s surgeon, George Lehman.

“The Summer Before Trafalgar” is Susan K. Smith’s survey of Benjamin Silliman, a college professor from America, who visited England in 1805. He kept a journal of his travels and special events, such as his opportunity to see Admiral Nelson and what happened when news of his final victory and death reached London.

With numerous connections to Irish officers, some of whom were mentors and others who were friends and colleagues, one might almost claim “Nelson Was an Irishman,” as Des Grant explains in his essay.

Since seamen faced many perils, it is no wonder that religion played a role in the everyday lives of the crew. Not all naval chaplains adhered to the stereotypical preacher, as The Reverend Lynda Sebbage discusses in “Sin Bo’suns in Nelson’s Ships.” One of her atypical examples is a chaplain who often found himself one step ahead of the authorities.

While men fought the conflicts, women also played their parts. Derek Morris and Kenneth Cozens look at what women of this era could and did do in “The Role of Women in London’s Sailortown in the Eighteenth Century.”

Harold E. ‘Pete’ Stark discusses “North America’s Seafaring Cities” in his essay of ports and how they evolved in North America, the Atlantic, and the Caribbean. Not all served the same purpose. Nor were they equal in importance to the Royal Navy. But all played a role in Britain’s maritime economy.

“Loyalist Mariners during the American Revolution” is Thomas B. Allen’s offering. He covers the often-neglected Whaleboat War and includes the perspective of the common sailors – such as Jacob Nagle, one of the few sailors who shared their experiences – who fought.

Tom S. Iampietro shares the story of “Admiral George Augustus Westphal,” who lived longer than any other officer who served with Nelson at Trafalgar. Wounded himself in the battle, he was with the admiral when he died. T. Jeremy Waters, on the other hand, looks at Westphal’s brother, “Admiral Philip Westphal,” whose career was overshadowed by his younger sibling.

The man who holds the record for longest naval service is “Admiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Parry Wallis.” Jeremy B. Utt outlines this man’s career from when Wallis’s name first appeared in a muster book when he was four years old to his time as Queen Victoria’s naval aide-de-camp.

Present at Nelson’s death, “Lieutenant Richard Bulkeley” was immortalized in Benjamin’s West’s depiction of the admiral’s death, as discussed in John R. Satterfield’s essay. He was a midshipman aboard Victory, where he spoke with Nelson before he died. His own life was cut short at the age of twenty-five.

Andrew A. Zellers-Frederick contributes two offerings in this volume. The first is about one of Nelson’s Canadian friends, “Admiral Sir Manley Dixon, KCB.” The second discusses “Rear-Admiral Thomas Tudor Tucker” of Bermuda, who survived the wreck of HMS Sceptre, participated in the navy’s experiment of adding citrus to grog rations, and was present when the Royal Navy captured the USS Essex, during the War of 1812.

Anna Kiefer reviews the career of “Captain William Gordon Rutherford, CB” of North Carolina, who enlisted in the Royal Navy more than once and also served with the Honourable East India Company. Barry Jolly reconsiders the career and life of “Rear-Admiral John Peyton” since he has often been confused with other family members. Rui Ribolhos Filipe’s “The Beach of the English Dead” considers the actions of Captain Conway Shipley, the first British officer to die in action during the Peninsular War. Rather than focus on a particular person, Mark West delves into the “Russians on the Tagus” and their connection to Portsmouth and the naval hospital at Haslar.

Anthony Cross analyzes the development of hot air balloons and their use during times of war in “Bringing Up Franklin’s Baby.” Anthony Bruce assesses another weapon in warfare, the navy’s use of “The Carronade.”

The final two essays return to the Caribbean. Rear-Admiral Michael Harris investigates the “Battle of St. George’s Cay, 10 September 1798,” which also has ties to British seafarers and buccaneers. Douglas Hamilton probes the extraordinary career of “Captain John Perkins,” a black officer and former slave assigned to protect British colonies involved in slavery.

In addition to these articles, black-and-white illustrations, tables, and maps are found throughout the book. There is also a section of color plates depicting ships, campaigns, and commentary involving the Royal Navy. While notes are included, no index is provided.

This latest offering of The Trafalgar Chronicles educates, clarifies, and demystifies the Nelson Era. Its focus is broader than some previous issues, but this serves to immerse readers in a wider swath of topics that might otherwise be missed. The fourth volume in the new series is a compelling review of the variety and depth of research being conducted and readers will meet people and visit places that are more often than not forgotten in history books.




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