By Force of Arms

Isaac Biddlecomb #1

by James L. Nelson

From Simon & Schuster, By Force of Arms is James L. Nelson's powerful saga of the American Revolution and a stirring dramatic maritime adventure.

Fleeing the New England coast after foiling a British man-of-war's attempt to seize his cargo, merchant sea captain Isaac Biddlecomb finds himself in the middle of a brewing rebellion and at the mercy of a sadistic captain.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Nautical, Historical, Adventure, War, American Revolutionary War

324 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1996

About the author

James L. Nelson (1962-) is an American historical nautical novelist. He was born in Lewiston, Maine. In 1980, Nelson graduated from Lewiston High School. Nelson attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for two years, and then transferred to UCLA, with the ambition of becoming a film director. Nelson, his wife, Lisa, and their daughter Betsy lived for two years in Steubenville, Ohio, while Lisa attended Franciscan University. They also have two boys, Nate and Jack. They now live in Harpswell, Maine, where Nelson continues to write full time.

Reviews

[Dan Lutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American colonies, 1775—on the cusp of the American Revolution. Captain Isaac Biddlecomb onboard his beloved ship Judea is nearing the end of a successful voyage of buying an illicit cargo of molasses and smuggling it into Rhode Island. He knows all the inlets and shoals, which will allow him to avoid British revenue cutters. But just as he's almost home, His majesty's frigate Rose appears and gives him chase. Bittlecomb can't outrun her. Desperate to save his crew, he plows Judith onto the rocks of Narragansett Bay, destroying his cargo but allowing his crew to safely abandon ship and escape capture.

But the Rose's captain knows Biddlecomb captained the Judea. He sails into Bristol Harbor and sends in men to capture him. Biddlecomb has one choice: sign on as an ordinary seaman under an assumed identity onboard a merchant ship that's about to sail out of port. His good friend, Ezra Rumstick, signs on with him.

That's when Biddlecomb's real problems begin. The captain of the HMS brig Icarus, stops stops the ship and impresses Biddlecomb, Rumstick, and a third man. Welcome to a sailor's hell! Turns out, the captain is a sadistic, ruthless tyrant who likes to brutalize his crew for pleasure. The crew is surly and have divided loyalties. Can Bittlecomb persuade them to mutiny? If he does, will a mutiny succeed? If it should succeed, the Rose is lurking nearby to put an end to both the mutinous ship and Bittlecomb.

By Force of Arms is the first installment in James L. Nelson's Revolution at Sea series. It was a delightful read. One part of the pleasure was the characters and plot, which kept me on the edge of my seat. Another part was the authenticity of Nelson's descriptions of both shipboard life and sailing square-rigged merchant ships and ships of war. Turns out, Nelson himself is a certified square rig sailor. So you can be sure his descriptions are accurate, not only of sailing but of the sea and everything connected with it.

Five-star rating for a five-star adventure!

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of Nelson's books I've read and I enjoyed it considerably. The content is fresh: a naval story set in US Revolutionary War era, from the US side, no less. The captain is a smuggler and merchant captain who is loyal to England, but things go badly and by the end of the story he's on his way to becoming a US Naval captain and rebel.

The action is sharp without being too familiar, and from someone who's read dozens of these kind of novels, that is a nice feature. The characters are interesting, believable, and the plotting is solid. Nelson himself is a sailor with experience in square-rigged vessels so he brings expertise and understanding to the story.

Recommended to fans of Hornblower, Aubrey, and the age of sail.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book in the vein of Patrick O'Brian's sea-faring book. Written by one of the few people in the U.S. certified to pilot square rigged ships. Very authentic nautical writing. His historical accuracy seems right on.

[Carol Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite historical fiction series begins with this book, set on Narragansett Bay just before the Revolutionary War. Captain Isaac Biddlecomb is an "ordinary American living in an extraordinary time." Plenty of sailing details without being overwhelming.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great action, great characters, and a story that will pull you right in. Loads of ship detail that will appeal to folks who know sailing vessels--but I didn't feel like that made it hard to read for someone (like me) who is a fancier rather than an expert. A fantastic read for anyone who likes a rollicking sea story and by far the best story set during the American Revolution I've yet read (I'm generally NOT into military historical fiction.)

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning book in a series of naval adventure novels set in the time of the Revolutionary War. Comparisons with Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series are unavoidable, since his novels are the gold standard of this genre, so I'll dive right in. Although O'Brian generously (although vaguely) blurbed By Force of Arms, it's not nearly at the same level as his own work. Nelson's sailing, seamanship, and action sequences are exciting and imaginative. His mastery of technical sailing and terminology appears genuine, although I'm not qualified to judge it. Where he doesn't measure up is in character development and literary value. O'Brian's work is simply better. Entirely aside from the naval adventures, O'Brian's characters are complex and interesting, and he's just a better writer. If you want light entertainment and really strong action, give By Force of Arms a try; if you want naval adventure as literature, reread O'Brian.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good adventure story, with engaging characters and good writing.

When Isaac looses his smuggling ship avoiding the British he escapes by joining the crew of an outbound ship as a lowly mate. As the war for independence heats up, he must find a way to gain a ship of his own and the girl he loves without being captured by the British.

I don't typically read books about the Revolutionary War as it's not a period of history that interests me particularly and I'm sure this affected my rating more than anything else.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible/Kindle

Started this series solely because John Lee was the narrator, his work on the Alan Lewrie series is exceptional…also because I love Age of Sail tales.
Have to say, this one stared out a little rough & even Lee’s typical command of the page wasn’t very good. Even a few spots where ancillary noise was heard & coupled with a some typos, I was losing interest…but around page 75 or so it picked up. Found its sea legs if you will.
It’s not as good as Lewrie or Hornblower…I’d rank it a bit better than Kydd. Aubrey just isn’t my thing.
It’s a fleshing change of pace to have an American protagonist in an Age of Sail book & Biddlecomb seems like he’ll grow into something worthwhile.
The rumblings of the Rev War set a great background too! I guess a complaint would be the sheer amount of luck and convenience Biddlecomb experiences / a HMS dashes on a rock just in time.
Still, it was def good enough to read #2.

[Jeff Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

James L. Nelson takes us across oceans with the love of sailing and the fear of God's wrath when the waters turn nasty. His understanding of square riggers and the wooden ships that fought early wars is outstanding. In this first book of his seafaring trilogy we meet Captain Isaac Biddlecomb a smuggler in 1775 who is dragged unwillingly into fledgling Americas' war for independence by nasty encounters with the British Navy that cost him his ship and his freedom. It's a gripping tale with bloody battles that sink home the horror of war at sea between magnificent ships with destructive fire power and clever captains. I've sailed for four decades and found the descriptions of life at sea accurate and moving. If it's blue-water adventure, beauty and terror your looking for, James L. Nelson delivers.

[Anna Victor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get past the middle of this. Half way through I still couldn't place what the main conflict was or which characters I was supposed to like/dislike. The writing itself was good and clearly by a person with a lot of knowledge on naval history and ships. However, I couldn't relate to or like any of the main characters and the lack of a clear plot made it feel like mindless ship jargon.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the days leading up to the Revolutionary Wars, the British are cracking down on smugglers. Rather than surrender, Capt. Isaac Biddlecomb choses to wreck his ship on the rocks near Newport Rhode Island. The British are hunting him on shore and he choses to go back to sea as a common seaman. Some very good sea battles and strategy. Some caricatures of the sadistic captains and mates. Generally well written.

[Jared Knighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced and fun little piece of nautical fiction. While it's not on the level of Patrick O'Brian, it has a lot of what you want in a maritime novel. Dangerous storm? Check. A chase? Check. Ship v ship action? Check. Mutiny? Check. Duels and fencing? Check. And after reading the entire Aubrey/Maturin series it's cool to have a story in this genre from the American perspective. Will definitely be picking up the next one.

[Mark Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new series for me. Presented from the the US side of the war of independence. A great story but as a Brit its a shame that the British Navy is portrayed so negatively. If they were as bad as this then its hard to see how Trafalgar was won. Would be interested in reading the rest of the series though!

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never disappoints!

Mr. Nelson has written many of my favorite historical dramas and this first of the series is another. I love the colonial history of the Americas,but am admittedly mostly ignorant of our revolutionary maritime exploits. This novel moves at a pace and describes events in rich detail to suck you into the scene.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, you will love "By Force of Arms." If anything, it is even more exciting and suspenseful than O'Brian at his best! The Blackstone Audio version, which I highly recommend, is a great way to immerse yourself in this thrilling story of naval action during the American Revolution.

[McArthur Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smugglers, ship wrecks, fights, sailing adventure on the high seas, intrigue, evil Royal Navy aristocratic clods, Revolutionary American setting...a great tale of good vs. evil, David vs. Goliath during the run-up to the American Revolution. A satisfying, well-written sea story!!

[Jim Kirschensteiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent nautical adventure.

I like to read stories crafted by an author where I can visualize the setting and the story. This excellent book by James Nelson does that. I highly recommend it.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sincerely loved this book about American and British naval escapades shortly before the American Independence. It was filled with incredible adventure, suspense, and seriously great humor. I am definitely going to read on in the series.

[Allen Frankfater · Rating 2 out of 5]

No Horatio Hornblower or Jack Aubry

Action packed and that's the trouble. No character building. Protagonists are cartoonish. Lacks credibility. There are better choices out there.









Better choices out there.

[Lee Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really was hoping I found my next new favourite author....but alas it was not to be.
I found this book, which is the first of five in a series, to be a little dull and not very interesting.
I will not read the remaining books of this story, got tons more books to get stuck into.

[Mark Mekkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent set up for future adventures.

[Warren Ingham-Barrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great romp !

Nelson is technically hugely knowledgeable about his subject matter, and weaves a very exciting plot, around some fascinating characters. Highly recommend.

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great action

Made me feel like I was there. I particularly liked the description of the ship and the rigging and the diagram of the sails

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of action and good plots.

I liked the steady action in the book. And the way the story was set up for the different shifts in fortune for the crew.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Describes the ships and how they were run. The timeline is in my area of interest since I’ve just learned I’m a Daughter Of The Revolution.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

EB: Decent swashbuckler set at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

[Captandrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on actual history and full of sailing technology of the period.

[Stuart]

I read this many years ago and listened to audio version now. He really is an excellent writer of historical sea stories.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story line but it uses very technical seagoing language

[sonataiscool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was really immersed when they were hiding from the forces.