Mutiny : A Kydd Novel

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: Book number 4 in the series after `Kydd', `Artemis' & `Seaflower'. A much better read after the disappointing Seaflower. The part of the book dealing with the mutiny at the Nore in 1997 takes up the majority of the book and was hard reading at times.

The technical details of the ships & handling is certainly on par with the best and the battle of Camperdown is a thrilling end to the book. A must read if you are a fan of the series or the period.

Rating:
Summary: If you enjoyed O'Brian...
Review: If you enjoyed reading the fabulous Jack Aubrey series of naval adventure novels from the late Patrick O'Brian, then you will love the Kydd Series by Julian Stockwin. Nothing can replace O'Brian, of course, but these come surprisingly close in some ways. The strength of this series is the sailor's dialogue, as created by Stockwin, a former officer in Her Majesty's Navy. Picture this scene: The press gang has just busted into a busy tavern and the leader of the group has to shout to get the attention of the befuddled customers...Stockwin's dialogue can be very funny..."So, who's fer a life on the rollin' seas?" That's from memory--it had me laughing for a day or two--but you get the idea. I have read all of Forester, Kent, Cornwell, and a few of the others, and the Kydd series is right up there with the best of them. In my opinion, the dialogue is a match for O'Brian, or even superior, although, in total, O'Brian's work remains the best that has ever been published in this genre. Moreover, Stockwin's knowledge and descriptions of the technical details of running a King's ship at the end of the 18th century is absolutely on a par with O'Brian, in my opinion.