Cindy Vallar's Blog, page 19

Review of Lyle Garford's The Sugar Sands

The Sugar Sands by Lyle Garford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Cashiered from the Royal Navy after being found guilty of trumped-up charges of thievery, Owen Spence vows that one day there will be a reckoning with his accuser, a member of the same family that ruined his father. Until then, he must find a new path in life, preferably one involving the sea. A beautiful innkeeper, with whom Owen has an affair, helps in this endeavor, and he soon commands a sloop ferrying cargo and passengers for a plantation. The brutal treatment of the slaves disturbs him, but he is in no position to intervene and desperately needs money to survive. The monotony of his work has him wishing for another job – a real possibility when he happens upon his uncle, whom he hasn’t seen in years.

Alan Giles runs a successful trading company and is seeking a new captain for one of his vessels because he wants to spend time with his family on Barbados. Happening upon his nephew is pure luck, but the more they become reacquainted, the more Alan believes that Owen might be just the man to replace him. And not just in commanding the ship. With his naval training and sea experience, Owen could also surreptitiously gather information for the Foreign Office. After all, Alan’s trading ventures extend from Boston to Porto Bello, and the news he has acquired leads himself and spymaster Sir James Standish to believe that war is in the offing. Should that happen, it would be devastating to the West Indies where more sugarcane is produced than foodstuffs.

This first title in the Owen Spence trilogy takes place between 1772 and 1775, but the series will cover the entire span of the American Revolution. The opening scenes involving Owen and the Royal Navy are quite visual and easily capture the reader’s attention. Once he’s dismissed, the novel serves to set the stage for the forthcoming books. There is some action, as well as an additional romantic angle – both draw readers into the story and make them care about the characters – but the majority of the book involves gathering information and run-ins with a shadowy French ship with an American first mate, who is related to the same radical family that drove Owen’s first mate out of Virginia. This setup promises that when the final confrontation comes between Owen and his crew versus the Frenchmen, more than sparks will ignite. Equally propitious is the expected comeuppance of the family that destroys Owen’s naval career.

Much of the story consists of dialogue, but where action, such as the raid on Bermuda or the confrontation in a Boston tavern where rebels meet, takes center stage Garford keeps the reader riveted. What makes The Sugar Sands different from other stories of the Revolutionary War is its perspective. It unfolds from a Caribbean colonial viewpoint, one rarely covered in works of either fiction or nonfiction. Garford also ably demonstrates how the laws and tariffs that England institutes set the colonists on a war footing. The story is more land-based than sea-based, but incorporates thought-provoking topics – slavery, taxation, conflicting loyalties – that remain relevant today.




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Review of James Boschert's Storms of Retribution

Storms of Retribution by James Boschert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


All is right in Talon de Gilles’s world. He, his family, friends, and retainers live at Kantara, a fortified castle perched atop a Cyprus mountain. Until the day a messenger delivers a reminder of a long-ago pledge. The request to visit Count Raymond reintroduces chaos into Talon’s life and the lives of those he holds dear. No matter his personal inclination, honor demands fulfillment and he and Reza, his best friend, set sail for Tripoli.

The initial crack quickly widens into a chasm when pirates attack Talon’s ships. But he and his men are not the easy targets the sea raiders expect. Talon’s acumen, coupled with his men’s skill and a surprise weapon, wins the day and he acquires two valuable hostages with ties to Sultan Salah Ed Din. Still, one pirate vessel escapes the conflagration, earning Talon an acrimonious enemy.

Although glad to see his old friend, Talon is disquieted by the events Count Raymond relates. The boy who ruled Jerusalem has died and two factions arose to vie for the throne. The new king is weak and easily led by others, especially two men who see Talon as an enemy: the Grand Master of the Templars and Reynald de Châtillon. The former has no tolerance for Arabs and their world; he is there to make certain the Holy Lands remain under Christian dominance no matter the consequences. De Châtillon, a greedy and violent marauder, commits an egregious act that tears asunder the fragile peace between Arab and Latin forces. Now, Salah Ed Din is intent of taking Jerusalem from the infidels and punishing them.

What Talon expects to be a short visit turns into a much lengthier time away from Cyprus where evil forces are stirring. The catalyst that sets them in motion is the Byzantine emperor’s ambassador, whose covert mission is to track down the gold that mysteriously went missing from the royal treasury. One man who suspects the ambassador is Zenos, the Chief Information Gatherer of the island, who craves even more wealth and power than he currently has. Although a mutual agreement is reached between the two men, each has his own agenda and goal. To achieve success, Zenos enlists two potent allies who have their own reasons for participating. Their objective? Kantara, and those within have no idea what forces have been unleashed or that each has a deadly goal that will forever alter the lives of those inside Kantara.

Storms of Retribution is the eighth book in the Talon series. It takes readers to a variety of locales during the year 1187 – a time that proves catastrophic for the Christian cause. Boschert weaves a complex story that mesmerizes readers, yet unfolds in a way that allows them to clearly keep track of who’s who and what’s what. Each side has its own agenda, which creates dire consequences for more than one character at a time, each seeming to be more insurmountable than the previous episode. This tale incorporates a lot of backstabbing, revenge, land and sea battles, sieges, spies, and assassins; it is also spiced with tidbits of humor, the return of old friends and enemies, and the introduction of new ones.

The title, Storms of Retribution, perfectly encapsulates what this story is about. These may involve individuals or be set on a much grander scale, but Boschert ably demonstrates the wisdom of learning cultures foreign to one’s one and the devastating folly of individuals who think their way is the only way –topics that are relevant even today. The narrative could use a bit more proofreading, as there are a number of misspellings and extra words or letters scattered throughout the book. That said, this is a masterful retelling of the battles for the Springs of Cresson and the Horns of Hattin, as well as the Siege of Tyre – events that most readers won’t be familiar with, but that are important for knowing what happened in this region of the world during the Crusades. Not only does Boschert ground the reader in time and place, but he also transports readers there, allowing them to experience firsthand the sounds, smells, horrors, and futility of war.




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The Flower Boat Girl by Larry Feign -- A Review

The Flower Boat Girl: A novel based on a true story by Larry Feign

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Zheng Yi Sao or “wife of Zheng” – this is how history remembers this 19th-century woman. But who was she? How did she go from lowly prostitute to leader of a pirate confederation? These are questions that Larry Feign answers in his retelling of her story.

The first seven years of Shek Yang’s life are unremarkable. She is the daughter of a boat couple, a family that lives and works on the water. Her mother raises her to be a good daughter, one who will eventually marry and raise a family of her own. Her father teaches her the ways of the sea, since he has no sons. But life changes when her mother dies in childbirth. Her father incurs debts that necessitate the selling of Yang into slavery and she becomes a flower boat girl. Her beauty and skills at pleasuring men bring her sufficient sums to buy her freedom. Her shame continues into adulthood, for she knows no other trade and has vowed long ago never to marry or to have children.

In the sixth year of Emperor Ka-hing’s reign, seedy junks with tiger eyes upend Yang’s world. Boat people and villagers flee for the safety of the temple, but those who live on land look down upon Yang, slamming the door before she can enter. Taken by the pirates, she knows exactly what will become of her. She will be sold back into slavery because there is no one to pay her ransom. Death seems a better option, but she refuses to succumb without a fight. Her defiance disrespects Cheng Yat, leader of the pirates. Rather than putting her to death, he takes her as his own and she becomes his possession to do with as he wishes.

Yang hates the sea, but it is now the world in which she must survive. Boredom is a constant companion. As Cheng’s wife, some pirates show small overtures of acceptance. Others see her merely as a usurper. She finally decides she must do something to occupy her days. The powerful and essential, but neglected, guns rouse her curiosity and she convinces the master gunner to teach her all he knows even though these weapons are the domain only of men. During a battle, one of the assailants attacks the master gunner. Yang slays the attacker. The act gains her more acceptance among her fellow pirates, but forever alters her soul. She is now a pirate, a killer, and there is no going back.

As the days pass, she also observes that Cheng is being cheated and that there must be better ways to make money than constantly hunting for prey. His fleet of five junks preys upon the same vessels all the other pirates seek. Grand ideas and dreams of forming a pirate empire begin to emerge, but implementing them will require time and the wisdom to convince Cheng that her way is the right way – a reality that leads to contention. Sometimes, the consequence of a wish granted is the payment of a dear and often unforeseen price.

Opening the cover of this book is like stepping into a vivid painting of a bygone era. Through visual imagery and melodic prose, Feign transports us back to the first decade of 19th-century China. He masterfully depicts the world of Asian piracy, in a way that is both familiar and foreign. Many pirates populate this tale, but each has distinctive qualities that make the character stand out in different ways. By book’s end, we feel as if we know the real Yang. We may not always like her, but we admire and respect her for what she’s able to achieve in spite of her past and the twists that fate dealt her.

Those readers familiar with the real Zheng Yi Sao or Cheng I Sao will not recognize the names Feign uses. Rather than use those names which come from Mandarin, he employs Cantonese versions since that was the language of the people who dwelt on the south coast of China. He also includes a character list, glossary, and map for readers.

The story unfolds from Shek Yang’s perspective, detailing her life from childhood to the day in which she becomes the leader of the pirate confederation. Feign artfully weaves festivals, a typhoon, war, superstitions, Chinese customs, ambushes, fireboats, and the pirates’ struggle with the navy into this tale. Perhaps the strangest custom involves Yang’s pregnancy. The most gut-wrenching scene is the one depicting Cheng’s disappearance. For history buffs, there is the Tay-Son Rebellion in Vietnam and the pirate captivity of John Turner. The Flower Boat Girl provides compelling answers to the mysteries surrounding Yang and Cheng. This haunting, yet eye-opening tale is as “Beautiful as a butterfly, fierce as a tiger.” (Loc 344 of 6794, Chapter 2)




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The Coffin Ship by Cian T. McMahon -- A Review

The Coffin Ship: Life and Death at Sea during the Great Irish Famine by Cian T. McMahon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Emigration from Ireland began long before the nineteenth century and continued after its conclusion, but during the potato blight that caused the Great Famine, there was a mass exodus of people from the country. They sailed on vessels that became known as “coffin ships,” because one in three emigrants died during the journey. This label presents a history of only one dimension and fails to provide a true understanding of the emigration process that these Irish men, women, and children endured. McMahon employs this term for the book’s title to challenge the established concepts of this diaspora and open up new venues of discussion and research that enlighten and expand on our understanding. He does so by sharing what the emigrants thought of and experienced during their journeys using their letters and diaries, as well as newspapers, government documents, and guidebooks of the period.

To best comprehend the context of the Great Famine, McMahon sets the stage with a brief look at what Ireland was like before the blight. This was a time when the majority of landowners were Protestant who leased their lands to tenant farmers. Many were poor, but their lives were enriched by the social community in which they lived. The blight struck first in 1845 and the mass exodus of Irish because of the resultant famine ended a decade later. This is the timeframe that McMahon focuses on here. At the beginning, Ireland had a population of 8,500,000, one million of which would die during the Great Famine. Two million chose to escape the dire conditions, but there weren’t enough ships to carry; this led to delays, additional expenses, and problems that the emigrants had to confront. So how did they cope?

He divides his analysis of this question into five segments: Preparation, Embarkation, Life, Death, and Arrival. Chapter one focuses on how the Irish gathered the necessary resources to leave Ireland. This was but the first step as chapter two shows by examining how the emigrants traveled to their embarkation points. Both of these illustrate that an intricate network of relationships existed to help them to acquire the tickets and items they needed for the journey and get to the port – most often Liverpool, England – where they could board a ship that would take them to their new homelands.

Chapter three concerns the ocean voyage itself, while chapter four deals with death at sea. What life was like and how the emigrants adapted are key components here, as is how their shared experiences dissolved old bonds of the past to form new bonds to cope with life and death at sea. The final chapter discusses what happened once the ships docked at their destinations, the challenges the immigrants faced, and the revamping of relationships tying them to their new homes in addition to the one of their birth.

Part of the Glucksman Irish Diaspora Series, The Coffin Ship includes an essay that discusses the sources McMahon consulted and his methodology. Graphs and illustrations are interspersed throughout the narrative. Endnotes, a bibliography, and an index round out this study.

Most histories concern the emigrants who traveled to America, but McMahon includes those who sailed to other parts of the world – Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand – and includes the convict experience as well. Through the use of poetry and quotations from primary documents, he breathes life anew into these individuals so that readers experience their emotions, joys, and sufferings. He also shows how the migratory process worked and consisted of reciprocal means that extended far beyond the national boundaries of Ireland to reconnect Irish immigrants with those left behind. We often think that emigrating is a solitary experience, and to some degree it is, yet McMahon also shows how helping hands existed all along the way, allowing social bonds to dissolve, reform, and reconstitute themselves. Even though his study focuses on the Irish diaspora, he connects it to current issues concerning refugees. This is an invaluable addition for any collection dealing with the Great Famine, the Irish diaspora, and the refugee experience.




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The Sea of Silence by Seth Hunter -- A Review

The Sea of Silence: A Nathan Peake Novel by Seth Hunter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Twice before the man facing Nathan Peake has tried to kill him, yet now he offers what Nathan craves – command of a ship in time of peace. Even so, experience has taught him not to trust Gilbert Imlay, especially since what he reveals is often only a portion of what is necessary to know. His plan may seem to advance the interests of the Americans and the British, but their previous encounters have taught Nathan that, in reality, it promotes Imlay’s own. Trusting a spy is rarely a good thing. Imlay has the support of the First Lord of the Admiralty and Admiral Lord Nelson, who brings the two together. Instinct warns Nathan to refuse, but out of courtesy to his former commander, he listens to Imlay.

The current cessation of hostilities between England and France after many years of fighting is merely an interlude. Napoleon Bonaparte still rules, which means he has plans to expand his domain. Since the Royal Navy no longer enforces its blockade of the French coast, a French fleet of eighty ships carrying 20,000 troops has sailed for the West Indies. They intend to put down the slave rebellion on Saint-Domingue, using whatever means are necessary. Once peace is restored the island will be the staging grounds to launch an invasion on Louisiana, where Napoleon intends to establish a second empire. Imlay proposes, with Nathan’s help, to throw a wrench in those plans by running guns to Toussaint Louverture, the rebel leader. The longer he and his men can delay French forces, the less likely Napoleon’s grand scheme will come to fruition.

Rather than refuse outright, Nathan agrees to view the captured French corvette. She’s relatively new and well-manned. The sea calls and Nathan is torn. Better to think things through overnight. As he places greater distance between him and the vessel, Nathan resolves to decline the invitation . . . until a trusted friend visits him with news. One of their acquaintances has been arrested – an unforeseen complication with a resolution that alters Nathan’s decision to work with Imlay. What could possibly go wrong?

This is the seventh novel in the Nathan Peake series, but can be read as a stand-alone novel. It takes place early in the first decade of the nineteenth century and combines intrigue with smuggling, a sea chase and sea battle, mass murder, and treachery. It features two of Napoleon’s siblings, as well as General Charles Victor-Emmanuel Leclerc and Touissant Louverture. Several other historical personages make cameo appearances. Fans of Peake will enjoy this addition to the series. Several scenes involve thrilling action or unbelievable horrors, while the tidbits about the past may entice new readers to discover the earlier titles of Nathan Peake’s adventures.




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Revolutionary War Law and Lawyers by Thomas J. Shaw -- A Review

Revolutionary War Law and Lawyers: Issues, Cases, and Characters by Thomas J. Shaw Esq.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In school we learn that in the late 1700s American colonists rebelled against the injustices England imposed on them. Representatives from the thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, after much debate, declared independence and established the United States of America. An army was formed, George Washington became its commander, and battles were fought. Sounds fairly simple until you read Thomas Shaw’s Revolutionary War Law and Lawyers. He takes you behind the scenes to show us, from a legal perspective, that our founding fathers did far more than just declare themselves no longer subject to British rule. They did not just snap their fingers and we became a new nation. Many different matters were taken into account and weighed in order for them to risk all that they held dear to make this new country viable enough to succeed.

Chapter 1 is concerned with legal issues that prompted the rebellion and led to independence. These are divided into three categories: how funds were raised, what rights individuals had, and what steps were taken to give this new nation a voice. Some of the laws and issues discussed here concern the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, taxation without representation, forcing civilians to allow troops to live in their homes, smuggling, freedom of speech, seizing individuals against their wills, the Intolerable Acts, the Continental Congress, and declaring independence. Some of the cases and documents that illustrate and define these legal issues are John Hancock’s smuggling, the Boston Massacre, the Gaspee Affair, the Boston Tea Party, pressing American sailors to serve aboard British ships, Common Sense, Letters of Marque, and the Declaration of Independence.

The new nation also had to show it was a legitimate entity and define what powers it had versus what rights the states had. Since the states were no longer colonies, each had to create a new political framework in which to operate. The break with England necessitated new allies had to be forged. Money was essential to wage war, yet the newly-formed United States had no national treasury and no national currency. These key concepts are discussed in chapter two. Clarification of these legal issues is demonstrated through studies on Virginia, Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, the Howe Peace Initiative, the Carlisle Peace Commission, taxation, protests, and loans.

Chapter three focuses on traitors, espionage, and supplying the army with what it needed. Not all the colonists sided with the rebels. Some remained loyal to England, which created problems for the new government. It also had to address concerns regarding the logistics and administration of military supplies. Among the legal issues represented in this chapter are: war profiteering, military stores, oversight, proving loyalty, defections, sedition in both the United States and Great Britain, capturing spies, abetting a spy, and sabotage. Cases that illustrate these issues include regulating the quartermaster and ordnance departments, bills of attainder, treason in Virginia and Pennsylvania, banishing Quakers, John André, John the Painter, and Bathsheba Spooner.

Americans and Britons weren’t the only ones who participated in the Revolutionary War. Frenchmen, Spaniards, Germans, Canadians, and Native Americans also played significant roles. Chapter four pertains to the land war: armies and militias, military regulation, and conduct of the war. The legal issues involve raising militias, building an army from scratch, impressment, rules of military conduct, courts martial, oversight, and prisoners of war. Among the cases examined are African American and Native American recruits, conscientious objectors, caring for the wounded, articles of war, treatment of prisoners, martial law, trials at Valley Forge, mutinies, theft, and murder.

While the majority of battles took place on land, naval forces also played significant roles. This is the focus of chapter five. At the time, the United States had no navy and had to build one from scratch to fight a veteran enemy with warships that globally protected British interests. The states had some vessels to protect their waters, privateers played a significant role in waging war at sea. Legal issues discussed include fitting out ships, rules of engagement, mutiny, corruption in naval administration, commissions, articles of enlistment, deciding the legality of captures, courts of admiralty, owners suing captains, Crown rights versus Admiralty rights, surrender, and claims against the government. The cases and documents studied here include navy rules, privateering rules, the Battle of Block Island, Dudley Saltonstall, the Warren, Admiral Augustus Keppler’s and Vice-Admiral Hugh Palliser’s courts marital, the Gloucester, the Resolution, the Hibernia, Fort Washington, Saratoga, Charleston, and Yorktown.

Scattered throughout the book are short profiles of prominent lawyers and judges who were involved with the cases discussed within each chapter. Some are well-known, others aren’t. A short sampling of these men is Patrick Henry, William Blackstone, John Dickinson, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Josiah Bartlett, Silas Deane, Charles Carroll, William Cathcart, Caesar Rodney, Timothy Pickering, Samuel Chase, Stephen Hopkins, Nicholas Biddle, William Paca, James Marriott, James Madison, John Jay, John Marshall, James Monroe, and Alexander Hamilton. An inclusive list of these men can be found in the appendix as well. The book also has footnotes and an index.

This is Shaw’s third book in a trilogy that examines 200 legal issues pertaining to global conflicts in which the United States participated. He brings together major legal issues, cases, and people who were involved in them in a single volume, but not with the intent of being either a history book or a legal monograph. Rather it is a book that gives readers a unique perspective on the war and the statutes and cases surrounding it. He also demonstrates that there are two sides to every issue with his inclusion of British laws and cases in addition to those of the United States. In his introduction, Shaw writes, “My intent with this book . . . is to entertain, educate and inform readers . . . .” (xvi) In this endeavor he succeeds. He deftly shows the complexity of war and the founding of a new nation while doing so in a manner that engages the reader.




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Inside the US Navy of 1812-1815 by William S Dudley: A Review

Inside the US Navy of 1812-1815 by William S. Dudley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Near the end of this book, Dudley writes: “The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the importance of logistics for the US Navy in the War of 1812. Logistics were important in all the far-flung campaign areas, and it was as true for the British forces as it was for the American. Those in charge had to have a proper grasp of logistics in order for the navy’s operations to succeed. Logistics included all the elements of naval war except the fighting – administration, communications, finance, shipbuilding, acquisition of timber, hemp, and sailcloth, recruitment, training, supply (requisitions, provisions, and material), transportation, ordnance (guns, powder, related equipment), medical necessities, and competent leadership.” (290)

When President Madison declares war in June of 1812, the United States is ill prepared. Six months earlier, the US Navy numbered just over 7,000 men. Comparing the number of their ships with those of the enemy is akin to a goldfish confronting a whale. Dudley, by viewing the war through a different lens, masterfully succeeds in demonstrating how and why administration and logistics were so key. He draws on period documents, some of which are quoted within the text, to showcase how Paul Hamilton and William Jones, the two civilians who hold the post of Secretary of the Navy during this period, do their jobs without sufficient staff and with limited funds. The task before them isn’t easy and each has his own challenges to deal with, but in spite of some losses and failures, the US Navy holds its own against a battle-hardened, veteran maritime force. By the time war ends, more than 15,000 men serve and the navy is on a far better footing than when hostilities began.

Paul Hamilton is Madison’s first Secretary of the Navy, serving as such from March 1809 until the end of 1812. His background – serving in the Revolutionary War and South Carolina’s legislature, as well as being governor of that state, and his knowledge of finances and having congressional friends – provides administrative experience, but he lacks actual expertise in ships and sailing. William Jones, on the other hand, is a former privateer during America’s first war with Britain, has sailed to a number of foreign ports as captain of merchant ships, and personally knows officers who serve in the navy.

The book is divided into fifteen chapters that interweave the logistics and administration of the navy with what occurs in the war. What follows is a summary of what each chapter encompasses.

“The Resources for Naval War” discusses the infancy of the US Navy and the establishment of the Navy Department, its participation in the Quasi-War with France and war with Tripoli, initial aspects of logistics – navy yards, ships, personnel, pay, rations, and weaponry – and contentious encounters that are harbingers of the War of 1812 (the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair and the Little Best Incident).

Paul Hamilton’s tenure as Secretary of the Navy is the focus of chapter two. Aside from medical needs of the navy and Jefferson’s gunboats, Hamilton’s interactions with his staff and Congress, Isaac Chauncey’s command of the navy yard at Sackets Harbor, and naval patrols between June 1812 and April 1813, are explored.

“William Jones’s Challenge” shows how he is chosen to serve as the chief administrator of the Us Navy and how he reforms his department. One quandary he has to face is that of a second front. Not only do his ships and men sail the seas, they also have to fight on the Great Lakes, including participation in two joint amphibious operations (York and Niagara).

Oliver Hazard Perry, the Battle of Lake Erie, and the Lake Huron Expedition are the primary foci of chapter four. The logistics of manning the navy’s ships, competition with privateers, and where munitions are obtained in order to arm naval vessels are discussed in the fifth chapter.

“The British Blockade of 1813-1814” analyzes the enemy’s experience with and effect of blockading American seaports along the Atlantic coast. Additional topics include smuggling and the cruise and loss of the USS Essex.

Supplies, provisions, agents, pursers, and medical needs on ships at sea are spotlighted in chapter seven, while the subsequent chapter focuses on innovation and inventions, especially Robert Fulton and his experiments in undersea warfare.

“Chauncey’s War on Lake Ontario” returns to the Naval Base at Sackets Harbor and campaigns on the Great Lakes during 1814, as well as plans for continued fighting in the new year. Afterward, Thomas Macdonough’s activities on Lake Champlain, smuggling, and the two opposing naval forces are discussed in chapter ten.

The spotlight on the war moves from the Canadian theater to that of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington in chapter eleven. Primary emphasis is placed on Joshua Barney and the US Navy’s Chesapeake Flotilla, but the British invasion of Washington, the ransom of Alexandria, the successful defense of Baltimore, and the Royal Navy’s withdrawal are reviewed.

After the attacks on the nation’s capital and Baltimore, attention shifts to the southern seaports in chapter twelve. Particular attention is placed on Britain’s new objective – capturing New Orleans and controlling the Mississippi River – and the role the US Navy plays in protecting the area both before and during the Battle of New Orleans.

To better understand what it is like to serve on navy ships during this time period, “Sailors’ Life and Work” examines everyday life at sea, discipline and punishment, and casualties. Also covered are Blacks in the US Navy and what happens when sailors become prisoners of war.

The last two chapters – “War Finance and the Blockade” and “Renewal of the US Navy” – pertain to Albert Gallatin and the country’s war debts, the impact of the Royal Navy’s blockade, peace negotiations, Washington in the aftermath of the British invasion, William Jones’s legacy, demobilization, and the final naval engagements at sea.

Dudley includes illustrations, maps, and tables that help to put a human face on the US Navy in the second decade of the nineteenth century. Notes, which include full source citations, and an index complete the study. The only drawback in this addition to Johns Hopkins Books on the War of 1812 series, is the font; if it was larger or darker, it would cause readers less eye strain.

Inside the US Navy of 1812-1815 serves a vital function, illuminating an aspect of the war that is often glossed over in other studies. Dudley makes a compelling and engaging argument for the importance of administration and logistics, which, in turn, makes this book an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the second war between the United States and Great Britain.




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Spanish Galleons vs. English Galleons -- a review

Spanish Galleon vs English Galleon: 1550–1605 by Mark Lardas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Galleon. The word conjures a specific image in our minds, even though it represents the epitome of a fighting ship from a bygone era. This beautifully illustrated book explores the design and development of the galleons, their technical specifications, and the differences between their armament and the men who manned them. Lardas also examines and analyzes three specific engagements – Golden Hind’s encounter with Nuestro Señora de la Concepción, San Mateo during the Battle of Gravelines, and Revenge against five of Spain’s Twelve Apostles – to show how these warships were used and their effectiveness as fighting machines. However, to fully grasp their significance in world affairs, it is first essential to understand the relationship between Spain and England in the sixteenth century.

Spain stands at the zenith of her power. England, on the other hand, is just beginning her long trek to dominate the maritime world and become a superpower. Spain’s reach extends far beyond its European borders and the riches of its colonial empire entice other countries to seek their own wealth and property in distant lands. The need to protect and the yearning for great treasure requires shipwrights to devise vessels that can travel far distances, carry large cargoes, and defend themselves against raiders.

These must-haves lead to the galleon, a new class of warship that can cross oceans and deliver broadsides to any who dare attack them. What distinguishes a galleon from her predecessors is that she has multiple decks, including a lower gun deck, and three or four masts capable of carrying square and lateen sails. She has high fore- and sterncastles, but she is not always a large ship. Each is financed by a syndicate, rather than a navy, and she is built to carry cargo even though she is well-armed and has the power to seriously damage an opponent’s hull. Spain’s galleon and England’s race-built galleon are sturdy vessels that can survive tumultuous seas and weather, but hazards and shipboard life remain dangerous to a man’s health. Magellan leaves Spain in 1519 with 270 men; when his ship returns home, only eighteen remain alive, but Magellan is not one of them. Drake’s 1577 expedition consists of 150 men, of which only about one third survive.

This comparison between Spanish and English galleons concludes with a brief summary of why they faded from use and how we pay homage to them today with replicas. In addition, Lardas provides a bibliography, index, and chronology of historical events from Christopher Columbus’s landfall in the Bahamas in 1492 until Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa’s death in 1608. Contemporary artwork, color photographs, paintings, maps, and diagrams are found on nearly every page, while special highlights are scattered throughout to provide further investigation into specific subjects, such as cannon, how a galleon maneuvered, navigation, and two ships – the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción and the Golden Hind – and two captains – Sir Francis Drake and Sarmiento de Gamboa.

Most books about galleons focus on Spanish vessels, but Lardas provides a clear, concise, and well-encapsulated overview of the differences and similarities between both nations’ ships. The narrative is enlightening, easy to read, and engaging. The highlighted engagements between the ships are an added bonus that provide readers with a good understanding of the differences in fighting techniques and the dynamics of their evolution. This is an excellent introduction to galleons, as well as a first-class addition to any maritime collection.




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Captain Redlegs Greaves -- a review

Captain Redlegs Greaves - A Pirate by Mistake by Juliet Mofford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Victors inflict harsh changes on those who lose. Such is the fate for more than 7,000 Scots – men, women, and children – following the Battle of Worcester in 1651, when they are transported to Barbados. Although the law guarantees them light at the end of seven years, a dead Scot is far better than a live one and they are treated so harshly that few of these exiled Royalists – who become known as “redlegs” – ever regain their freedom. This is the tale of one who did.

The concept of liberty is foreign to fourteen-year-old Daniel Greaves, who has only known servitude, but freedom is a dream that his father refuses to surrender. This is why the pair are on the run when the story opens in 1663. The hope is to get aboard a ship that will take them to Scotland. But plantation owners are notorious for not surrendering property, especially the cruel and heartless Reginald Pickett. When caught, Daniel suffers ten lashes. His father’s punishment is far worse, for this is his third escape attempt, which means he is branded a fugitive traitor in addition to being flogged. Infection sets in, which combined with the loss of hope, leads to death. Before his father succumbs, Daniel promises to one day gain his freedom. He keeps a low profile, while watching and waiting for that day to come.

Fortune shines on Daniel when Pickett sells him to a new owner. William Chandler, a kind man in need of an apprentice for his shipping business. Daniel is treated more like an adopted son than a slave, and he becomes adept in his new trade. As he comes of age, he falls in love with Clarissa, Chandler’s daughter. He also befriends a cabin boy from a mysterious ship that sometimes visits the island. Daniel teaches him to read in exchange for learning to tie knots. When a tragic loss leads to debts which leads to more tragedy, Daniel learns he is to be sold back to Pickett – a situation he cannot and will not tolerate. Left with no other choice, he bids a poignant farewell to Clarissa, who promises to wait for him, and flees the island. But the ship on which he stows away isn’t a merchant ship. Nor is she bound for Scotland. It is the cabin boy’s vessel and when the mean-spirited captain, who is often drunk, discovers him, Daniel can either be thrown overboard or join the pirates.

This biographical novel tells the story of Captain Redlegs Greaves, a gentleman pirate who is an ancestor of the author’s husband. Greaves has a moral compass that influences his choices as a pirate and eventually leads him to retire a rich man, who takes the king’s pardon. Before then, he finds himself embroiled in a mutiny, commanding a pirate ship, facing the hangman’s noose, experiencing the sea quake that decimated the first settlement on Nevis in 1680, and serving aboard a New England whaler.

The author achieves her goal of depicting a pirate tale based on fact rather than romance. The epilogue reads more like an author’s note, letting readers know what happens to Greaves after he reunites with Clarissa, but fails to identify what elements of Daniel’s story are fact and what are fiction. The reader isn’t always fully engaged in the story because information dumps occasionally interrupt its flow and the dialect in dialogue is sometimes difficult to decipher. No explanation is given as to how Greaves manages to meld back into society while retaining his real name throughout his life. Clarissa also seems to get over her horror of his piracy too easily.

In spite of these shortcomings, Mofford’s depiction of what Greaves endures and how he overcomes the hurdles he encounters is commendable. She pulls no punches, yet entwines a thread of hope compelling readers to keep turning pages. The potency of this tale that makes it intriguing is her use of a pirate protagonist often overlooked in histories of Caribbean piracy. This book may be fiction, but it is based on facts that have rarely been shared with others, which is why it is worth reading.




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Review of Andres Resendez's Conquering the Pacific

Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery by Andrés Reséndez

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


One great desire of the sixteenth century was to find a faster passage to Asia in hopes of dominating the European trade of exotic spices and goods. Ferdinand Magellan and his men made significant inroads in accomplishing this when they circumnavigated the world for Spain, but this accomplishment created a dilemma. That journey took about two years to accomplish and only eighteen of the original 270 voyagers make it home. Surely, with all her American colonies, there had to be a way to greatly shorten this timeframe and the Spanish king was determined to find the elusive pieces to the puzzle that would allow his galleons to travel from the East Indies to Mexico, where the cargoes could be offloaded, shipped across to the east coast, and embarked on galleons bound for Spain.

The dilemma sounds easy to solve, but at the time, no European knows where to find the winds and currents that will allow ships to sail from west to east. The Pacific Ocean complicates this because it is so vast that it can accommodate every continent and island the world has if gathered together in one spot. Or, if one is foolhardy enough to swim across this blue expanse from one continent to another, it will take fantastical luck and a swimmer willing to go twenty-hours a day, every day for six months to accomplish the feat.

Conquering the Pacific is the story of finding this west-east route, how it was accomplished, who was involved, and what the aftermath of opening this passage meant for the men involved and for future generations. In 1557, a cluster of ramshackle abodes dotted the landscape near a lagoon and bay on the west coast of Mexico. Secluded Navidad is a good place to build in secret, yet its remoteness makes it a logistical nightmare for getting necessary supplies and people there and the location isn’t the healthiest. Don Luis de Velasco, the viceroy of Mexico, is tasked with carrying out King Felipe II’s plan. It’s a monumental undertaking for someone with no nautical expertise; nor is he without faults. Two men, both of whom have crossed the Pacific Ocean prior to this endeavor, serve as advisors: Juan Pablo de Carrión, a resourceful and legendary adventurer, and Friar Andrés de Urdaneta, once an explorer with firsthand navigational experience and now a priest. They don’t see eye-to-eye on many points, especially when it comes to the route that will be followed. Carrión suggests the Philippines, which lies on the same latitude as Mexico, but Urdaneta favors a more southern course to land at New Guinea. And who will command this expedition? The viceroy favors neither of these men, choosing instead Miguel López de Legazpi, a scribe in charge of accountants at the Minting House in Mexico City. He’s not an explorer and has no navigational knowledge. To further complicate matters, a royal emissary investigating the viceroy’s excesses and the members of the ruling Audiencia get involved.

Finally, in the fall of 1564, the two galleons built at Navidad – 500-ton San Pedro and 400-ton San Pablo – are ready to set sail. Two other vessels complete the fleet, the San Juan, which carries forty people, and the San Lucas, a tender capable of carrying half that number. The expedition consists of 380 handpicked men of different class, nationality, and race with a variety of occupational skills. Among them is an Afro-Portuguese man named Lope Martín, an extraordinary man, skilled in mathematics, astronomy, and cartography, who is a licensed pilot. His job is to guide the San Lucas from Navidad to the East Indies and back again. All goes according to plan until the Audiencia’s secret orders are revealed and Legazpi orders the San Lucas to scout ahead of the fleet.

Reséndez weaves a fascinating account of who became the first to find the west-east transpacific route. It devolves into a race marked by human and natural hazards, exotic locales, unfamiliar customs, tenuous relations between islanders and crews, short supplies, mutinies, maroonings, and accusations of embezzlement, treason, and murder. Scientific theory and concepts are explained in easily understood language with modern-day examples readers will comprehend. He also discusses how Spain and Portugal come to “own” the lands outside of Europe, as well as how this causes a dilemma regarding ownership of the Philippines, the history of navigation, and what knowledge pilots need to go from point A to B. Twenty-five maps are strategically placed throughout the book. Also included are twenty-two illustrations, a note about dates and measurements, end notes, and an analytical index. (The last was not available for viewing in the galley I previewed.) Highly recommended for any maritime history collection that deals with the ages of exploration and sail.




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