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Cutler Family Chronicles #5
How Dark the Night
How Dark the Night continues the seafaring adventures of the Cutler family by picking up the action where the fourth volume, A Call to Arms, ends in 1805. The years leading up to the War of 1812 were devastating ones for the young republic. The life-and-death struggle between Great Britain and France caught the United States in a web of financial and political chaos as President Jefferson and Secretary of State Madison labored to keep the unprepared United States out of the conflict without compromising the nation's honor. On the home front, Jefferson's embargo threatened the livelihood of the Cutlers and other New England shipping families as merchant ships rotted on their moorings and sailors sat on the beach, penniless. Far worse for the Cutler family is a grave illness that threatens the life of its most beloved member. As in previous books in the series, the action is brought to life by such colorful historical figures as the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, Secretary of the Navy Robert Smith, Robert Fulton (and his prototype for a submarine), Captain Stephen Decatur, Captain Salusbury Pryce Humphreys, RN, and Commodore James Barron.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
William C. Hammond
15 books26 followersBorn in 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts, Bill Hammond received a B.A. degree in History and English from the University of North Carolina in 1970 and a M.B.A. degree from Babson College in 1985. He grew up in Manchester-by-the-sea, Massachusetts, where he developed a deep love for blue-water sailing, and has lived during his career in such places as Kansas City, Missouri; Alexandria, Virginia; and, for sixteen years, in Hingham, Massachusetts.
His thirty-year career in publishing has included work as a sales representative and as trade sales manager for Little, Brown & Company; as publisher of Hazelden Publishing and Education; as president of his own management consulting firm; and as a principal of a boutique investment bank located in Concord, Massachusetts.
A life-long student of history, and an avid sailor and reader of nautical fiction, he has combined his life’s passions in writing A Matter of Honor and subsequent titles in the Richard Cutler Naval Series. The Revolutionary War holds special fascination for him, for it was a war fought over ideals and principles -- not for territorial gain or monetary advantage, as is true in most wars -- and it was waged by a relative few. That these ragtag Continentals, the true heroes of the war, could prevail against the world’s mightiest military remains a testimony to the ages of Man’s courage, resilience, and desire for freedom.
A Matter of Honor is the author’s first novel. Previous writings include articles for various sailing magazines and a nonfiction business title, Twelve Step Wisdom at Work, published by Kogan Page (London) in 2000.
Bill Hammond lives with his wife Victoria and their three sons in Minneapolis. In addition to his day-time jobs as a publishing consultant and literary agent, Bill continues to write early every morning on sequels to A Matter of Honor, and to sail whenever possible on Lake Minnetonka and Lake Superior, and on Frenchman Bay in Maine where he maintains property and a Cape Dory sailboat.
His thirty-year career in publishing has included work as a sales representative and as trade sales manager for Little, Brown & Company; as publisher of Hazelden Publishing and Education; as president of his own management consulting firm; and as a principal of a boutique investment bank located in Concord, Massachusetts.
A life-long student of history, and an avid sailor and reader of nautical fiction, he has combined his life’s passions in writing A Matter of Honor and subsequent titles in the Richard Cutler Naval Series. The Revolutionary War holds special fascination for him, for it was a war fought over ideals and principles -- not for territorial gain or monetary advantage, as is true in most wars -- and it was waged by a relative few. That these ragtag Continentals, the true heroes of the war, could prevail against the world’s mightiest military remains a testimony to the ages of Man’s courage, resilience, and desire for freedom.
A Matter of Honor is the author’s first novel. Previous writings include articles for various sailing magazines and a nonfiction business title, Twelve Step Wisdom at Work, published by Kogan Page (London) in 2000.
Bill Hammond lives with his wife Victoria and their three sons in Minneapolis. In addition to his day-time jobs as a publishing consultant and literary agent, Bill continues to write early every morning on sequels to A Matter of Honor, and to sail whenever possible on Lake Minnetonka and Lake Superior, and on Frenchman Bay in Maine where he maintains property and a Cape Dory sailboat.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 22, 2023
trials and tribulations
A wonderful telling of an end of life story. And enough of a plot line twist to portend the future. Well written. Great characters.
A wonderful telling of an end of life story. And enough of a plot line twist to portend the future. Well written. Great characters.
March 2, 2019
Great series
Always good to be able to read stories about our country's early history. Certainly hope there are more books to come.
Always good to be able to read stories about our country's early history. Certainly hope there are more books to come.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews