The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost: Being an Account of the Life and Times of Geoffrey Frost, Mariner, of Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, As ... from the Ming Tsun

Geoffrey Frost #1

by J.E. Fender

At twenty-six, Geoffrey Frost is already an experienced mariner and a veteran of the China trade, but he sets aside his lucrative commercial interests to assist the American colonies in their war with Great Britain. Unfortunately, his first mission for the colony of New Hampshire - to transport some badly needed cannons captured in the Bahamas - runs afoul of British naval vessels patrolling the American coast. Commanding a ship built for cargo rather than warfare, and a crew more accustomed to fending off pirates than engaging a well-trained British naval crew, Frost reveals a flair for tactics and a coolness under fire that bodes well for his wartime career.
His own ship all but destroyed in the desperate battle off the Isles of Shoals, Frost nevertheless returns to Portsmouth with a valuable prize - the newly built, copper-bottomed, well-equipped sloop o' war Jaguar, which he call "the cat." Taking command of this vessel, Frost embarks on his new career as a licensed privateer, sailing out of Portsmouth to harass British merchant ships and help fund the American cause. But first, he launches a daring rescue mission into the heart of British Canada.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

227 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

J. E. Fender is author of 'The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost'. He is Legal Counsel for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire - the U.S. Navy's oldest shipyard.

Reviews

[Jerry Mercer]

Good Story

How many times can the author use "offer" instead of "over"? It was so annoying along with other errors, I almost quit reading.

[Richard J. Farnsworth]

A good read

It was a little difficult to follow the idiom of the late 1700s. But once I learned the language the story was engaging and a joy to read.

[Clifdisc]

As a New Hampshire resident and a fan of the Age of Sail genre, I was excited to find a series of nautical novels set out Portsmouth New Hampshire. Beyond the local flavor, however, J. E. Fender is just a really good author. The Private Revolution of Geoffrey Frost is chock full of historic detail, great characters and tons of action. I can't wait to read the second book in the series.

[Jeffress]

any fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series will thoroughly enjoy this and the subsequent ones in the saga by J.E. Fender.
Filled with history and the dialect of the day is a great read.

[Brian R. Mcdonald]

Brief go references on pp. 46 and 217.

[Charlene Rowe]

Great nautical writing.

Fast paced naval adventure. Good character development and good writing. Hard to put book down. Looking forward to the next book.

[John]

With the American Revolution is just getting started, Geoffrey Frost is ready and raring to go. A ship's captain at the age of 26, he already has three trips to China from his New England base. When he returns home with a captured British sloop-o-war, the Jaguar, his destiny is sealed. A daring prisoner rescue mission, complete with another four captured British ships further adds to his reputation and legacy. The gunpowder and weapons he captures are welcome sights for the Colonial army's supply system. The main problem with the story is the continuous use of the word "offer" in place of "over" and a few other typographical glitches. Maybe these are translational errors to Kindle format, and maybe not. A solid three stars, and I'll probably look at the next book in the series.

[Barry]

Remarkably good Age of Sail novel from the American Revolution. Geoffrey Frost the main character is a trader and had made several trips to China for that reason. He later becomes embroiled in his countries revolt against the British. Very well done book.