The shadow of the eagle

Nathaniel Drinkwater #13

by Richard Woodman

Attending King Louis, Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater is alarmed to receive secret intelligence that a new and imminent threat to peace exists. Seizing an oportinity he alone can exploit, Drinkwater risks his life and reputation to prevent disaster befalling his country.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Nautical, Military Fiction, Naval Historical Fiction

260 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2002

About the author

Captain Richard Martin Woodman was an English novelist and naval historian who retired in 1997 from a 37-year nautical career, mainly working for Trinity House, to write full-time.

Reviews

[David Eppenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another entertaining addition to Woodman's Drinkwater series. I have come to appreciate this author's work and his range. These books are in the Age of Fighting Sail genre but the author has apparently branched out into contemporary and historical fiction. I recently finished reading his trilogy on the exploits of General Monck and was greatly impressed. The Drinkwater books have captured my interest because of the uniqueness of the hero Woodman has created. Nathaniel Drinkwater is simply not another cardboard two dimensional action hero. Woodman has given his hero faults, defects, incapacities, and self doubts in addition to the usual heroic talents. And, incredibly, Woodman has allowed his hero to age and age with all its usual handicaps. The books certainly contain the sea-going adventures fans of this genre expect but to enjoy these adventures through the person of a real, though fictional, hero places these books a cut above most in this genre.

[Jeff Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story really wound up to a good ending. Excellent book and excellent book series

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

The penultimate Drinkwater (ND) book, at this point I get the feeling that Woodman is running out of stuff to write about. Instead of writing ND's career chronologically I think he should go back and fill in some gaps in ND's career.

Spoilers ahead:

Napoleon has abdicated. ND is now part of the Duke of Clarence's fleet to escort the Bourbon king (Louis something) to Paris. He gets a visit from his old nemesis Hortense who begs (and gets!) a £40 per annum pension from him. She gives him the information that the allies are planning to stick Napoleon in the Azores and that 2 French ships are going to free him and whisk him off to French Canada to foment unrest.

ND immediately petitions the Duke (who is the commander in chief of the fleet) for a carte blanche order, which he gets, to immediately sail to the Azores to stop that from happening. Once again I don't know why ND doesn't ask for another ship, or any ship he comes across, to go with him since at best he has a 2-1 disadvantage.

He actually meets a small British squadron of 3 frigates on route and apart from asking for powder and shot and trading news, he doesn't ask for help.

He reaches the Azores where no one even knows Napoleon has abdicated. Then a Russian frigate appears. Through spread news, it is confirmed that Napoleon is supposed to come to the Azores and that 2 French frigates will be there to free him. The whole plan is supposed to be the Tsar's and the Russian frigate is there to help.

Meanwhile a large portion of the book is spent on problems on board, specifically between the first Lt. and the 3rd Lt. who it seems will soon be brother in-laws. ND also saves the first luff, turning him from a weak and unsure young man into a more determined one with fatherly talk. It is quite well written but somehow feels like filler instead of segueing in seamlessly with the main plot. There is also two more subplots dealing with discipline but again feels more like filler.

Anyway the 2 French national ships arrive, a frigate and a smaller corvette. ND goes into battle. The French captain is a good one and they pound each other into pieces. The Russian frigate finally joins the battle but helps ND instead of fighting him. The battle eventually ends in a draw with Lt. Frey's quick thinking. The event ends with the news that Napoleon will be going to Elba and all the death and killing was unnecessary.

The book ends with the first luff's marriage to the 3rd Lt's sister. The Duke of Clarence sends a note that he wants to recommend ND to be a Knight of the Bath but since he is resigning he can't do anything.

As I said in the beginning, the whole plot seems a bit pointless. On one hand I'm sad that the series will be ending, on the other hand I think Woodson muffed what could have been a better penultimate book in the series. The whole series has been lost opportunities. After a very well done first book, there is a huge gap and then the 2nd book was a disappointment. I think the best years of ND's life were thrown away by the author not wanting to be a cookie cutter clone but it could have been done better. Now on to the last book.

[Bob Cantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this the next to last Drinkwater book we find out captain on a message to stop a plot that will cause the war in America to expand. Napoleon is defeated, but his loyal supporters don't see it that way. The plot is to rescue Napoleon from his exile and carry him to America to establish a New France in Canada thus prolonging the war with Great Britain. Drinkwater is informed of this plot by an old frenemy, who is dire straits. As to what happens would ruin the story, but just know this Drinkwater will regain his confidence as a commander and shows a flair for diplomacy along the way.

[Christian Cederberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

One star deducted for resurrection of a character, who was killed earlier in the series.

[RhC · Rating 4 out of 5]

The war in Europe has ended, for now, yet Drinkwater sets off on an adventure of possibly world-impacting proportions after a mysterious visit from an old frenemy! Plots by the Russians and Franco Republicans intertwine to enable the recently abdicated emperor, Bonaparte, to bring havoc to the North Americas.

A little intrigue, interpersonal drama, self-doubt and suspense culminate in gallantry and action meeting, if not surpassing, many of the earlier entries to the Drinkwater saga.