Gallagher’s Prize: An Historical Adventure Novel in the Age of Sail

by Joseph O'Loughlin

At the beginning of the 19th century, British global military power oppressed, outgunned and eventually invaded the young United States of America during the War of 1812. How did America prevail against such odds? With ships, guns and the fierce desire for freedom that lived in the hearts of American sailors. Many of these men were not even Americans yet. Some came from Ireland, including Jack Gallagher. “Gallagher's Prize” begins in southern Ireland when English law breaks up an Irish Catholic family's farmland and a young man longs for the sea. During his many adventures, Jack visits Portsmouth (England), Dublin, Tenerife, Recife, Boston and New Orleans. He learns about square sailing, naval gunnery and ship’s tactics, makes interesting new friends and acquaintances, repairs long-standing enmity with his brother, rescues his family from debt, defeats a powerful and dysfunctional adversary, and experiences sex and love.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nautical

359 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2015

About the author

Joe O'Loughlin is an author living close by his beloved Pacific Ocean in San Diego, California. He joined the U.S. Navy as a young man and spent several years at sea in the early 1970's as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, where he came to love ships and the sea and visited many ports of call. Later, he joined the volunteer crew of the Star of India square sailing ship and qualified to work aloft as a topman, He loves fiction writing, history, literature, movies and the outdoors.

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a man who knows the sea and sailing ships

Gallagher's Prize is a well written age of sail adventure. It begins in Ireland under British misrule. Then the action moves to the Royal Navy at sea just before the War of 1812. After a series of adventures and misadventures, the scene shifts to a French frigate and finally to the American Navy.

The action concerning the Gallaghers is somewhat predictable but, for me, was offset by their likeability. Both the naval routine and the combat are well done. Mr. O'Loughlin is a former U.S. Navy officer. He is also a qualified top man on a square rigger having sailed on the Star of India.

I downloaded this book via Kindle Unlimited.

[David Eppenstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initially I should say that the author invited me to read his book in exchange for an objective review. He provided me with a free PDF copy for that purpose and I am happy to comply with the his request. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this book. I believe my review was sought because of my partiality to books about the Age of Fighting Sail and this book would appear to be from that genre. My disappointment comes from several points. First, if this book is an Age of Sail story why then does no one go to sea until more than a third of the book is read? The story is primarily about two brothers but the book opens with the death of their grandfather while their father is still an adolescent. This certainly sets the stage for informing the reader of the conflict inherent in the English oppression of the Irish but this backstory didn't require the attention and length devoted to it. It added nothing to the story except pages. Next, an implausible love story is added again without adding much to the story. The implausibility, in my opinion, derives from the fact that considering the mores of the time it is highly unlikely that such a romance could have occurred with such rapidity as was described and between people of such divergent stations in life. If this romance were to be made believable it needed much more time for the characters to mature and their stations to approach social acceptance of the time. Further, the sexual intimacy depicted might make the book unacceptable for young readers. Further, I found a few technical errors. A French character introduces his wife as mademoiselle. This is a form of address for an unmarried French woman and not a wife. In another part an American vessel is described as being 25 yards from its British adversary and a short two paragraphs later as the order to fire is given the shots are described as traveling a half mile toward their opponent? In that same area of the book an American sailor is described as being from San Antonio and being teased about his Texas accent. This scene takes place in 1812. At that time Texas was part of Mexico and very few if any American were living there and none were yet born and raised there. Continuing, again in this same scene the American captain is giving orders to rake his own ship, clearly a typo when the British ship was the target. Finally, the villain wasn't very formidable and was actually rather weak. This was a sad reading for me because I actually think there is a good story in this book. What is needed is more editing and a rewrite.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful sailing ship, action story

It was enhanced by political and nationalistic asides. There were a bit too many coincidences , that did not enhance the story, for me..

[Phillip Mclaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done fighting age of sail

A good read with all the best aspects of British naval systems, American freedom and French Frigates.
The Gallagher family will be one to watch.

[J.T, O'Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better Than Average Sea Story

A young Irishman enters the British Navy in the early 1800s as a Midshipman, but begins to find its harsh ways unacceptable. When his ship is captured by a French vessel he is taken prisoner, then offered the opportunity to join the American Navy.
He prospers in the US Navy, earns enough prize money to bring his family to America, and marries a French heiress in New Orleans.

[Jefrois · Rating 3 out of 5]

.
Good writer.

But improbable story line.

PREDICTABLE.

Stock.

Trite.

Hackneyed.

BORING!

Hero is a real puszzie: “…He stretched luxuriously, took a deep breath, and sprang from his bunk, landing on the already-warm deck in bare feet. Two bells announced the end of the first hour in the morning watch, and although he was not required on deck until half-past six, he liked rising early in these latitudes to take the cool morning air along the rail. It set his stomach up well for breakfast, which was his favorite meal of the day.”

Lots of sweat, blood, vomit, sipping, chewing (he chewed, they chewed, we all chewed, etc.) etc., all pre-requisites for this sort of formulaic novel.

Dumb story.

Also, writer says nothing profound or wise, but seems to know his sheets, larboards, squares, spankers, and topsails, etc. (another pre-requisite for this sort of novel — to dazzle you wiff da bllsht-speak.)

“Behind the billowing foretopsail, topmen also let the main and mizzen topsails fall, and waisters sheeted them home. “On the main, on the mizzen, ease bunts and clew garnets!” ... “Haul away on sheets and tacks!” The courses—already in their gear—fell and were sheeted home, pulling the ship forward with more urgency as wind filled her lower sails….”

So i give it only 2 stars.
.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting age of sail novel. Much of this was build up in Ireland before we hit the navel action. I listened to this from Audible and the virtual voice was not that bad. A few words with multiple pronunciations were wrong but overall not too bad. I still prefer a real narrator but I understand not selling enough copies to pay the bill. If you like Dewey Lambdin or Andrew Wareham this would be a nice book to try.

[PETER F DEKAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!!!!

I took.a chance and.deviated from my normal science fiction military.type of reads... After only a few pages U knew that I had a really juicy story.if the old school. One where you are constantly kept in the edge of your seat!!! I can't wait for the follow on to this book!!!!!!

[John V. Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Sailors Book

I have a 35 ft. Sail Boat built in Grand River, Ohio Tartan Marine.
It was fun to read this book knowing terminology and the excitement of battle not the same as racing but adrenaline induced read. I anticipate another book will be purchased soon.
Thank you,
JV Mackey

[Brian Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American Dream Realized

The characters in this tale of early America are clearly and warmly described. The historical events are given human flesh to complete satisfaction. After just a bit of a slow start , the book takes off to reach crescendo of storytelling. I highly recommend this book and enjoyed this author.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

War at sea

I enjoyed this tale of War and the battle of the Irish against English dominance. The Irish People have been betrayed so many times and as often as not, by their own People. Give it a try, I think you might enjoy it.

[Jim Purcell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of technical information, stereotypic characters, and a very thin and rather pedestrian storyline. A mediocre start to what could be a good series during interesting times. Too many coincidences to be realistic.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy page turner

[Kevin Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good book

every once in awhile I like to read a good sailing book. this hit at right time a real good read. Wil look up other book by author

[Scott Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fine Adventure From A Simpler Time

If you enjoy historical fiction and sailing adventure this book will not leave you lacking. I am looking forward to book two.

[Mike Hay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, enjoyed it very much.

[James T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the Read

Very enjoyable story with a couple of twist and shows how pluck and luck can change your course in life

[Sheena Vernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joe O’Loughlin’s book is tremendously ambitious and has a great deal to commend it. It starts out in Ireland in the late eighteenth century and follows two sons of a Catholic chandler. After the father meets hard times, one son joins the Royal Navy, the other, the United Irishmen (a group of idealists, inspired by the French revolution, seeking freedom from colonial rule in Ireland). The two brothers eventually meet at sea while fighting for opposing sides. When Jack, the older brother, comes ashore at New Orleans, as a prisoner of the French, he decides to change sides and to join the American Navy. He does this for the sake of love, and in order to help his parents start a new life in America. Thus we have three contrasting scenarios: the harbour town of Cobh in Ireland; on board a British naval ship, and New Orleans.

The writer has excellent sea legs and the prose positively skims across the page when he’s out at sea. Just as in Patrick O Brien’s books, his depictions of naval life are full of colour and self assurance. The curious nature of naval etiquette, the complexity of the canvas sails, and the vividness of naval language are well covered. As is the contact that sailors of old had with their senses and intuition - the sound of rigging, of wind, of the sea, were important indicators of the weather which so affected their well being. The book made interesting comparisons between the mores of the new and old worlds. I was interested to read that the navy in America was better served with gunnery and more democratic but also less law abiding. The line between piracy and self defence, fine at the best of times for all nations, was at its finest among US ships. How the British navy managed to be so successful in defending its mercantile interests during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is a mystery; my own research about the British Admiral, Edward Vernon, has found that the system of impressing and poor pay resulted in constantly undermanned ships. This novel makes the same point. Given the camaraderie that develops between sailors at sea, the callow way in which Jack turned his back on his former comrades without so much as a pang of guilt or shame, was rather shocking. Jack is meant to be a decent sort and as such would have been more ‘conflicted’ by his treasonous change of sides.

Back on land the writer showed a lubberly lack of understanding of life in late eighteenth century Ireland and the book is full of errors. To be fair, understanding Ireland at the time is not easy since theory and practice can diverge. Following the Jacobite uprising under William 3rd, Britain introduced a series of Penal Laws which were not officially repealed until 1829. Their purpose was to give security to the Protestant ruling minority by making it illegal for Catholics to amass large land holdings, to hold meetings at which sedition might brew (including Catholic masses) or own weapons of war like powerful horses. When Britain was not at war, the penal laws were relaxed - they were difficult to enforce at the best of times, but even when not particularly active, few Catholic communities could afford a church building. Once Bonaparte became Britain’s enemy, the old Protestant distrust of the Catholic community reasserted itself; the Ascendancy’s main fear was that Ireland would be used as a back route into Britain. Joe O’Loughlin hasn’t fallen into the crude trap of assuming the Irish were wonderful and the British awful, but while friendship might have existed between Catholics and Protestants, there was a lid on self improvement on one side and an abiding sense of difference between the two groups.

I hope that when Joe O’Loughlin embarks on his next book, his historical research will include reading local writers whose books cover the times of which he writes; Irish social history is particularly well served by the likes of Walter Macken and J B Keane, even Anthony Trollope who worked in Ireland during the famines of 1845-49. I also hope he learns not to succumb to the fault of ‘modernising’ the past. This was most evident in all scenes involving Jack’s relations with young women. Women of good birth would most certainly not have slipped into his bed before marriage for the simple reason that pregnancy would have bought shame on them and their family. I say this with humility because I am a debut historical novelist myself and no doubt my own depiction of the eighteenth century is also full of faults. Perhaps though, because of this, I am sensitive to where the past is well handled and when it isn’t. Gallagher’s Prize has examples of both.

[Nick Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

What with the Hornblower series and the Aubrey-Maturin series amongst others of a similar ilk it would be easy to consider this period of naval history to be as crowded as a midshipman's berth and yet what Joseph O'Loughlin does here is to take an adventure of late Georgian seafaring and portray it though a fresh pair of eyes, or rather four fresh eyes as the co-protagonists are in this case brothers.

The first couple of chapters which tell of the background to the Gallagher family are a little over narrated with quite a strong authorial voice but once we move on to the story of Jack and Eamonn both the narration and the characters burst into life with freshly drawn lines and an original slant which make it easy for the reader to become fully engaged with both brothers even when they are apparently set against each other. In fact it is one of the outright strengths of this novel that not only the points of view of the brothers but also those of the British, French, Spanish, Portuguese and American naval crews are portrayed with equanimity so that the reader actually roots for all of them in turn and only really ever roots against the novel's sole antagonist who, though he clearly belongs to one side is shown to be the villain of the piece not because of his national allegiance but because of his character and distinct lack of honour.

Whereas other novels that deal with similar concerns tend to make the story about a single character who despite whatever trials and tribulations are thrown at them remains steadfastly loyal to the country of their birth, even when that country has done them no favours in the past Gallagher's Prize is able to throw in a creditable amount of ambiguity by making the brothers Irish and less likely to fight for king and country. If anything it seems to be clear that their first loyalty (especially in Jack's case) is to the sea rather than to any one navy. The passages set at sea (and there are many) have a pace to them which is often missing in other seafaring novels (such as those by Patrick O'Brien which, much as I enjoy them, can on occasion make the reader feel as if they too are in the doldrums) and ring with a truth and clear understanding of what it was like to be a sailor in the early years of the 19th century. On a personal note there is one passage in particular which stands out; a description of the line-crossing ceremony the first time that Jack crosses the equator. Many years ago my grandfather who was (I think) a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy in the 1930s and 40s told me of his own line-crossing ceremony and painted much the same picture as here creating a connection for me at any rate across the centuries and back to the navy of 1812.

There are a couple of themes that run throughout the novel, the most striking of which is old verses new. This is shown through both the contrasting of old world Europe and new world America and the juxtaposition of those who seek to follow tradition and those who wish to innovate and experiment. In the latter case the lines are not as simply drawn as to say Americans innovate while Europeans stagnate but rather show that there are those on both continents who are willing to embrace the future just as there are those on both continents who will always look to the past. In following this through there are also a few hints that maybe, just maybe, 21st century America has lost the sense of possibility that was there at its birth and risks becoming as mired in tradition as the old world it once rejected.

The denouement of the novel is structured such that all questions are answered and all ends neatly tied while at the same time leaving scope for further adventures for the Gallagher family and I for one certainly hope that there will be further novels to come. In the meantime if you want a well-paced tale of adventure, family, loyalty, self-sacrefice and daring-do then I can highly recommend Gallagher's Prize.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Gallagher's Prize" is a well-told story of a lad who shared his father's unrequited love of sea adventure; that is, until circumstances conspired to reduce his family to poverty and he was forced to take the giant leap his father never could justify, and join the British Navy. This occurred at a time when Great Britain, and her allies, were fighting tooth and nail over the European continent against the armies and navy of Napoleon. What makes Jack's enlistment as a midshipman on the naval brig of war "Fawn" even braver in this world of wood ship sea battles is Jack's Irish ethnicity. He would have to deal with the discrimination that Irish Catholics experienced in English society while trying to learn his craft as a naval officer.

Jack's ordeal would deepen with the fact that his brother Eamonn had a price on his head because he was a leader in the underground United Irishmen which fought to remove British control from Ireland. The United Irish had gone so far as to try to assist England's enemy France in an invasion of the British Isles. Eamonn's receipt of a French naval commission would complicate Jack's efforts to assimilate into the Royal navy. because he would now be an officer serving England's, and Jack's enemy. Eamonn's political connections would pose more of a danger to Jack than he realized. Jack was not aware that his own commanding officer was the undercover spy who was instrumental in gaining the damning information which led to the issuance of Eamonn's death warrant.

Joe O'Loughlin skillfully builds a world in which Jack grows up in an Irish sea-side family (hot-cross buns for Easter, yum), witnesses his family's political persecution, goes to sea to try to find redemption for his father, faces harrowing sea battles and falls in love. Jack's encounter with a Catalan source of military intelligence brought back memories to me of Stephen Maturin. O'loughlin proves adept at building interesting characters and personal relationships, while drawing upon his considerable experience as a top man on the "Star of India" to competently describe the intricacies of handling a nineteenth century fighting sailing vessel.


Great Britain probably made a considerable blunder by antagonizing the United States by interfering with sea trade and impressing American sailors, thus causing a state of war with a new enemy at a time when her military and financial resources were already stretched tight from engaging in a Continental war. This development could be potentially promising for Jack's prospects of finding a place in the world and saving his family from destitution. Before he can capitalize on the possibilities before him, he will have to confront a whole slew of problems, including his relationship with his brother, the threat of conflict with a superior officer, and the loss of a financial windfall. Joseph O'loughlin provides enough twists and turns to Jack's adventures to ensure that this story remains compelling reading to the end.

I read the Kindle edition of this novel. I've shifted the bulk of my reading to e-books and find them to be as enjoyable to read as the original paper books. This book was originally printed as a paper edition and was adapted to Kindle. I found several typo's in this edition. Some were punctuation anomalies, but I also wondered about the placement of words on several pages. For example, on page Loc 4912: "The two brigs were and alike in almost every way ... " , and on page Loc 5163: " Lawrence gave orders to bear up into the wind and come behind "Hornet" and rake her stern." Wasn't Lawrence the captain of the "Hornet"?

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book nearly lost me before it had even got going, taking a full quarter of its length to detail the protagonist's family history before finally getting on board a ship. Once we were no longer malingering in port, the story got moving, with enough nautical detail to have this armchair sailor nodding in approval. However, the pacing problems persisted, and were coupled with the clunkiest delivery of said nautical research I have ever witnessed: namely, a whole lot of "As you know, Bob" style dialogue. The captain should not be wasting his breath telling the first lieutenant what happens when the enemy vessel loses its topmast; the lieutenant knows perfectly well, and the captain knows he knows, and neither of them would need or want to say anything about it.

The "I would throw this book against the wall, but it's my husband's Kindle and he would be mad if I broke it" point came when our protag, young (though not so very young for his rank) Midshipman Gallagher loses his virginity to a prostitute (at least, I hope she was a prostitute and not the innkeeper's daughter or something, because that adds whole new levels of ickiness to the scene), and we, the audience, are treated to the act in vivid detail. Look, I have no doubt that Midshipmen the world over had all kinds of encounters with prostitutes, and it would probably be unrealistic for Gallagher to turn the girl away from his door (although Hornblower would have, no doubt), and my objection is not so much historical or moral (though it is that, too) as ... did we really have to see it? Complete with writhing and moaning and general sudden purple prose in the middle of a straight-up nautical adventure? No more mention is made of the girl, or what Gallagher thought about the encounter; she is completely disposable, present for him to spasm ecstatically into, or whatever, and then conveniently gone.

I think the author had some good ideas (I particularly liked that Gallagher is Irish, and yet working for the British, while his brother is an Irish rebel and working for the French: brothers at odds! One of my favorite tropes!), and with a little more fleshing out and a lot less clunky dialogue, and a lot better system for delivering necessary information, he could probably turn out a highly entertaining naval yarn. This was not that book, however.

[Will Albers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining historical fiction novel in the vein of Patrick O'Brian or the Horatio Hornblower type novels. Though the book is touted as a tale in the Age of Sail I'd classify it more as overall historical fiction.

There was a good deal of preparatory build up for the main character dealing with the social, economic, political and religious strife faced by the Irish in the early 19th century. This part was particularly interesting to me. The actual sailing parts seemed to be fairly accurate but did not compose a majority of the book.

I felt that there were a lot of story lines here with different, interesting characters but it seemed that the plot conclusion was somewhat rushed over the last 100 pages or so and a number of these threads where not adequately resolved for me. This could have been easily a 600 page book.

The writing style is modern, not of the period like the O'Brian books. It's easy to read because of this but I thought that the style was more suited for young adult readers and not readers who have had experience with this type of literature. There were a couple of relatively graphic sex scenes. I'm no prude but thought they'd have been better handled if done more demurely as in the style of literature of that time.

Overall an easy and entertaining read, particularly the bits about the Irish. The sailing and battle scenes were fine but seemed rushed, particularly towards the end. As with other reviewers, I saw a few typos and continuity errors but nothing particularly distracting.

TL;DR: entertaining though not particularly deep or erudite.

[R.E.J. Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel drew me into the plot from the first page, and never let my interest slacken. The story will appeal to a wide range of readers, but mainly to those with a developed sense of justice and fair-play, and to many readers who enjoyed Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series. The historical setting rings with authenticity, and most readers will know enough about the historical circumstances to find all sides believable. The author treats all sides evenly. I would have rated this five stars if I thought it was appropriate for Middle Graders, who I'm sure will also read this book, but for whom I do not think the three graphic sex scenes near the end are appropriate, nor are they necessary to advance the plot. As an experienced reader of fiction, I readily skim over scenes which run against my grain, but preteens have not developed the ability to think critically, even where the subject matter runs against their nascent, perhaps preferred, and usually home-taught scruples. Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series deals with serious international, professional, ethical, and domestic issues, but never indulges in explicit sexuality, yet deals with that side of our humanity with discretion and delicacy—thus broadening the reach of the novels.

[Michael]

Since I read Patrick O’Brian’s “Master and Commander” I like to read more books delivering adventures in the age of sail.

So I have had expectations to get something good with "Gallagher's Prize".

I have a 50 pages rule which means when I read a book it gets 50 pages to convince me to read it until the end.

In case of "Gallagher's Prize" I read more because I wanted to know how long it will take to go on board of a ship for the first time.
It took nearly a third of the book for that.
Until then it is the history of an Irish family and to be honest it did not really interest me. Furthermore I could not connect to one of the characters.
Maybe the story will get more interesting when it comes to the real adventure in the age of sail. But I was not willing to spend more time on the book.
I stopped reading.

I do not review and rate books which I did not finish. It would be unfair.

I must admit that "Gallagher's Prize" did not work for me.
This means it is up to every single reader to find out on their own.

[Mark Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent seafaring novel, with many good parts, but undone by clumsy transitions. The author can describe a scene, but moving from one to the next is often done haphazardly, with no indication that time has passed (a simple, "Later, after all the preparations had been made...", that sort of thing). The reader figures it out quickly enough, but the flow has been broken. The characters seem a bit flat; giving the villain and other unsympathetic people (like Jack's early love) a few grace notes - a bit of compassion here, a moment of doubt there - would go a long way toward making them more real, and by extension, make Jack more real and substantial.

With better pacing, and some workmanlike additions, the author could really be on to something.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adventure on the sea in 1812. This was a well-written account of a young Irishman serving in the British Navy. The author's grasp of the Irish Rebellion, daily life at sea, naval battle and human relations was apparent. I enjoyed the descriptions of the ports of call.

The characters were interesting and realistic. There was a great sense of history and adventure, and the book was fun to read! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story.

[kathy Ryle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was certainly an adventure!

I'm not usually a fan of this type of book. From the very first it sucked me into the story of the family. As it progressed I got to travel to different countries, I. learned new words and jargon. The fighting scenes were very exciting and at the end of the book I wanted it to continue so I could read more about this family. Thanks Joe for a most entertaining read.

[Jerry Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Read

The story provides insight to the disagreement between the Irish and the British in the 1700s. The nautical portions are accurate, but probably too detailed for most readers. The battle between the Peacock and Hornet is reasonably accurate. Only a few typos.

[Stu Webbb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good yarn tied in with the Irish Rebellion. Many character coincidences on the high seas--maybe too many for credulity. Well written.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read!

I enjoyed your story and characters . They came alive and each had their own lives that you got caught up in. Well done!