Rating: 
Summary: Excellent first novel
Review: A wig-maker pressed into service against his will (yes, the press was around then) and an aristocrat on self-imposed exile, form an unlikely friendship as one struggles to master the mysteries of rigging and the other wrestles with his conscience.
This is a detailed account of shipboard life in the late 18thC from the landsman's viewpoint & the foremast Jack's perspective:- cramped conditions, disgusting food, undeserved punishment and unremitting toil make this a far cry from Hornblower and Aubrey, but the telling of the tale is on a par with, or even surpassing, Patrick O'Brien.
I can't believe that this is a first book, it has the polish and aplomb of a mature author with the weight of experience behind him. Great visual imagery and excellent verbnacular vocalisations take you inside the ship and alongside the men with all their different characters.
As a first effort, this holds more promise than "The Golden Ocean" did from O'Brien, and I foresee the Kydd/Renzi partnership being spoken of in the same revered tones as Aubrey/Maturin.
Based on actual events, this dramatisation had me gripped - I finished the book in one day and immediately regretted it, this is a book to be savoured - I can't wait for "Artemis"...
Rating:
Summary: Great naval novels
Review: As a fan of CS Forester and Patrick O'Brian, I find the Julian Stockwin "Kydd" books to be very good reads. I just finished the latest, "Mutiny" last night and I can say these first 5 books are must haves.
Rating: 
Summary: Remarkable sea tale...
Review: As a first novel, this book is impressive. Sometimes the story line seems a bit implausible, but the characters are vivid and realistic. Readers who don't know much about naval fiction will feel right at home, as Kydd is a young man who has been press-ganged to sea and must work his way up on his first ship, experiencing firsthand the beauty and horror of the sea. Having read 'Artemis' and 'Seaflower', the sequels to Stockwin's first novel, I have come to appreciate 'Kydd' a lot more. Disappointingly, I feel that Stockwin had a wonderful capability and his books were promising, but have not found his proceeding books as engaging as this one. So read this book and appreciat it - you can't always find other ones as rewarding, even by the same author.
Rating:
Summary: Picking up the torch...
Review: For those of us mourning the loss of Patrick O'Brien and the end of his wonderful Aubrey/Maturin series Julian Stockwin's Kydd is a welcome addition to the genr?. The author really gets us into what it must have been like to be in the lower decks of a Man of War during the Napoleonic Wars. Kydd's first taste of sea and of battle are breathtaking. Plus the adventures remind the reader of the work of Frederick Marryatt, who wrote from personal experience. Bravo, sir. I look forward to the continuation of your work.
Rating: 
Summary: Half excellent, half not
Review: I find Julian Stockwin's novel "Kydd," the first in a projected series about the adventures of a Royal Navy seaman during the Napoleonic wars, to be a glass both half full and half empty. There are some aspects of the novel which were truly excellent. Stockwin has a detailed command of the physical aspects of the Royal Navy -- the ships, the implements and small duties of daily life, the sea itself, and he brings those physical aspects into vivid existence. When he wrote how a wave dashing against the hull of a ship sent water spurting through the narrow crack around the lid of a gunport, I realized that I had never thought of this happening but instantly recognized that his description was unmistakably true. Such descriptions of ships and the sea dominate the first half of "Kydd" and, at the halfway point, I was eager to read further. But ... The second half of the novel is much more given to characters and what is supposed to be an action-filled plot, and -- at least at this stage of his writing career -- Stockwin is no master of either. I found the minor characters unmemorable and one of the main characters, Nicholas Renzi, to be literally unbelievable. When he says, "Perhaps one day we will sail to the Orient -- I have a morbid desire to imbibe their metaphysics at the source," I personally have a morbid desire to throw away his thesaurus.Depite my reservations about the characters (and their often strained dialogue), I would still recommend "Kydd" to nautical novel enthusiasts. Read the first half slowly and revel in the intense physical world recreated, then scan the predictable plot turns of the second half more quickly. I will undoubtedly read the next novel in the series, "Artemus," and will hope that Julian Stockwin's skill as an author grows to meet the promise shown by the first half of "Kydd."
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable sea tale...
Review: I'm a Hornblower fan, but unlike so many others, I've never enjoyed Patrick O'Brian's naval books. (They are fine books, I know; for some reason, they just don't click with me.) So I was delighted to find "Kydd," a Napoleonic seafaring adventure, capturing my interest almost from the first page, as the hero is unhappily pressed into service in the Royal Navy. Unlike Hornblower, Kydd is a rankless landlubber, which enables Stockwin to provide a new and interesting perspective. Like the C.S. Forester novels, though, "Kydd" is fast-paced and interesting. This is a promising start to what one hopes will be a long series.
Rating:
Summary: A decent First Start
Review: Kydd is just too perfect. There are so many authors around that are writing sea stories, and their main character is too lucky, too good looking, and too successful with the women. There are no women in this novel but that will probably change in later books by this author. Ho hum. And that is the problem with this novel. I liked the technical descriptions of how ships operate, but this may not appeal to others. The novel is really a collection of short stories in the life of Kydd who is pressed into the Navy and then grows into a seaman; so it jumps around a lot. Kydd's best friend, Renzi, is not any better drawn that Kydd, but maybe future books by Stockwin will better define their character and make them more dimensional. I enjoyed reading this book, but if the author does not improve his characterization and flow of narrative, I will not be reading any future books by the author. There are a number of authors out there that are worthy of consideration beside O'brian--Richard Woodman has got this type of sea story down. Try Jan Needle for a view of what life is like in the lower decks with a crazy captain.
Rating:
Summary: To Glory We Steer!
Review: OK. First off, this initial instalment in a new naval fiction series isn't Patrick O'Brian reborn. There aren't the depths upon depths of O'Brian in style, nor the superb characterisation of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. But the setting is the same, with a bonus of more realism than O'Brian ever managed, and the language of the lower deck is just as pungent. It's much the same world, this time seen from before the mast, and this is the half-world that O'Brian rarely peeped into. We live in the shadows of the gun decks, our existence made up of rows and rows of hammocks, the mess tables between the guns, the fo'csle make and mend and the taunt line to be toed when dealing with officers. The atmosphere is pungent - and you can almost smell the rich aromas that arise during the action. The sights and sounds of the lower deck complete the picture. If I have a criticism, it's that some of the events and characters are a little far-fetched. A few too many coincidences for my liking, and one is made conscious of the mind of the author doing a little embroidery here and there. But, that niggle aside, this is a series I shall follow with keen interest. Maybe Stockwin cannot match the literary style of O'Brian, but he gives us a new view on the same world and it is a pleasure to revisit it. Oh yeah. Keep a bucket handy for when the barky starts to toss. You'll find yourself at the end of the book afore ye know it and be rolling down the street to buy the next in the series.
Rating:
Summary: A good enjoyable read..
Review: The novel is the first installment in what I hope will be a long series. It starts in 1793 so we can look forward at least 22 years of war time until the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815. Kydd is a wig maker in Guildford when he is `pressed' into Navy service.. i.e., he is unexpectedly hit over the head and wakes up on board a 74 gun 3rd rate ship of the line. Although angry (understandable) and depressed at first, he is made to see that making the best of the situation is the way forward. Through a kind sailor, he slowly learns the `ropes' and works hard to overcome the obvious difficulties of a landsman being thrown into the harsh world of Navy life and discipline.
A good enjoyable read..
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic action and characters!
Review: This is the first naval adventure novel I've ever read. Now I want to read them all and compare! If the rest are as good, or only near as good, as this one, I won't be wasting my time. "Kydd" is an intense read. I could only manage one chapter each sitting, for the most part, because each chapter has a remarkable storyline in and of itself, usually culminating in something highly emotional and vivid such as cannons firing back and forth. The battle scenes are rendered with no details spared so prepare yourself for some blood and gore. I could also *feel* the chill of the wind, taste the awful food and the warming relief of the grog. I enjoyed Kydd's character very much as he adapts to his new life and finds he actually loves it, but I liked his best friend Renzi even better. The two make a perfect pair of buddies - Kydd is fresh, young, unschooled, and Renzi with his haunted past and intellectual musings on life, together make a whole person you just have to appreciate. I don't know many of the sailing terms but it did not stop me from enjoying the story one bit. I've visited the author's website, and there are links to glossaries there. I appreciate the way the author explains some things but lets others slide, so you never get bogged down into details. This story moves fast and yar. I added this book to my list of "great reads."
|
