Not One Shred of Decency

by Bob Brown

Shortly before eight bells on a bone-cold December night in 1842, the USN Somers quietly cut its way through the fog as it entered New York Harbor. Almost before the anchor touched the sandy bottom, rumors of mutiny, bloodshed, and massive hangings began rippling across the nation. One man hanged from the yardarm was Midshipman Philip Spencer, the son of Secretary of War John Spencer, an influential member of President John Tyler’s cabinet. The harrowing days on the high seas were no more tumultuous than the national controversy sparked by the questionable behavior of Captain Alexander Mackenzie. That he had ordered the mutineers hung without any opportunity to defend themselves rankled the sense of justice for many Americans. However, just as many other citizens praised Captain Mackenzie as a hero who saved the ship and crew from torture and death. Enraged over his son’s death, Secretary Spencer was instrumental in having Captain Mackenzie court-martialed on murder charges. The Captain’s arrogant attitude and devious defense during the trial energized his supporters and infuriated his detractors.

Genres: Historical Fiction

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 15, 2000

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Bob Brown is the pen name for Robert L. Brown. His writing includes many short stories and the historical novel Not One Shred of Decency in 2000 and Nathan's Valley in 2003. Bittersweet Revenge, a book of short stories, was published in 2006. Several short stories and most of his inventions are on his website. The inventions on his website are free to anyone with no expectation of personal gain.

Reviews

[Hal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it is "true" historical fiction, unlike a lot of books today that are being passed off as historical fiction. This story is based on real people taking part in real events. If you like trash such as the Lincoln vampire book, you probably will not like this one.

This is a story of a thwarted mutiny aboard aboard a naval brig in the middle 1840s. The cabal was led by Midshipman Spencer, son of the secretary of war. Back then War and Navy were separate and equal departments. There actually was a U.S. Navy brig named the Somers. It actually was commanded by Captain McKenzie. And the events of the suppressed mutiny are real.

The author did a good job of fleshing out the characters to make them lifelike. I was able to form in my mind's eyes pictures of the principals. The plot is well developed and proceeds evenly. However, towards the end of the story, there was to much speechifying, which could/should have been edited down. Nevertheless, I really liked and recommend "Not One Shred of Decency."