Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "nathaniel-drinkwater-series"

1805 by Richard Woodman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater and his crew sail in search of the Channel Fleet. They are to help with blockading the French, preventing the enemy from leaving their home ports. It is a tedious duty, but essential. It prevents Napoleon from invading England. There are interludes where Drinkwater’s participation in the blockade is interrupted, episodes that make his life more interesting and dangerous. One involves conveying a high-ranking French duke into enemy territory. Another requires him to rescue a British agent who may be behind a plot to assassinate Napoleon.

A third instance involves a meeting with the prime minister and Lord Dungarth, who heads the Admiralty’s intelligence network. They seek Drinkwater’s thoughts on a French invasion, something that has been occupying his thoughts of late. Evidence shows that the French are embarking troops, and should the French fleet join with Spain’s, he is certain they will attack. But the invasion won’t be a direct one. He believes they will come through a backdoor, which will provide them with a slim chance of success.

Gales provide the French with the perfect opportunity to elude the British blockade. Although Drinkwater cannot stop their emergence into open waters, he is determined to keep sight of them. But that is easier said than done, especially when he must battle enemy ships at sea during a snow storm. When word arrives that France and Spain have combined forces as he feared, Drinkwater must warn his superiors.

This sixth book in the Nathaniel Drinkwater series is divided into three parts: Blockade, Break-out, and Battle. It opens in 1804, when a midshipman rouses Captain Drinkwater from the depths of sleep just as HMS Antigone is about to wreck on a dangerous shoal near St. Michael’s Mount, and ends with the Battle of Trafalgar. Maps are provided to orient readers. Sea battles are riveting, while scenes aboard Drinkwater’s vessel provide vivid snapshots of life at sea. What makes this tale different from others that depict this victorious, but tragic affair, is that Drinkwater is not aboard a British ship at the time of the battle. Instead, he is a prisoner aboard a French ship of the line and the battle is poignantly experienced through senses other than sight.




View all my reviews