The Iron Ships

The Onedin Line #2

by Cyril Abraham

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

459 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1974

About the author

Born in Liverpool in England, the son of John Abrahams, an oil mill labourer, and Agnes (née Davies), a widow, who married in 1918, as a boy Abraham attended the Liverpool Collegiate School and as a youth on the training ship HMS Conway before going to sea as an apprentice with the Liverpool shipping line Lambert and Holt. He had a period as a Bevin Boy down Bold Colliery before serving as a Marconi wireless operator in the Merchant Navy during World War II. After the war, having literary aspirations but not knowing how to pursue them, he became a bus driver with Liverpool City Transport; here he worked with Harold Hargreaves Harrison, the father of George Harrison.

His first marriage in 1945 to Evelyn M Howarth was later dissolved. While still driving buses in Liverpool he met local school teacher Joan Thomas; she encouraged him to start writing by renting a typewriter for him when he could not afford to do so for himself. She hired him the cheapest available, a pink model as these were not suitable for offices because of their bright colour. The couple married in Liverpool in 1964. Initially his short stories and articles were published in Australian magazines before he made the break into writing for television.

Reviews

[Redfox5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good addition to the series. We spend more time on the sea in this one. Once rescuing slaves and another during an almighty storm.

I felt really sorry for Elizabeth is this one. Now married to Albert to save herself from scandal, he thinks Daniel's baby is his. That is, until her brother Robert makes a drunken remark and Albert is now suspicious. Daniel has also returned expecting to find Elizabeth and his new baby waiting for him.

And I hated what they did to Mr Tupman, poor bloke. Callon sinks very low in an effort to mess with the Onedins. I hope he makes an appearance in the next one and gets to keep his job.

Another good shipping family saga!

[Hannah Polley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid book in the Onedin series.

In this book, Captain James Onedin keeps trying to make him fortune and has made an impressive start. He saves a bunch of slaves and frees them as well. I very much enjoy the relationship between James and Anne.

Elizabeth tries to live the life of lies that she has chosen, even though her husband now suspects the baby is not his.

Not too much of Robert in this book but he seems to be drinking a lot.

I look forward to reading the next book.

[Cleopatra Hensby · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great saga and I enjoy reading it, even after seeing the series a few times. All the characters are full of life, of personality.