Command - Hardcover

Stockwin, Julian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0340898550 ISBN 13: 9780340898550

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 2006

Synopsis

In this seventh book of the series, Thomas Kydd is master of his own brig-sloop Teazer and he must race the clock to make her battle-ready to defend Malta against Barbary pirates and the French, who are frantically trying to rescue the remnants of their army in the Levant. Suddenly, peace is declared, and the young captain finds himself ashore. To make ends meet, he agrees to transport convicts to Australia. Little does he know that his friend Renzi, weakened by illness and embittered with the service, is also bound for that colony as a settler. There they will be forced to face their deepest fears and prove themselves against all odds.

About this title

From the Author

In many ways my seventh book, "Command", is a watershed in the Thomas Kydd series. My hero has actually achieved the majesty of his own quarterdeck, and his life will never be the same again. It may seem an improbable transformation of a young perruquier of Guildford, press ganged into His Majesty's Navy less than ten years before, but the historical record tells us that there were Thomas Kydds, not many admittedly, but enough to be tantalising to a writer's imagination. The great age of fighting sail was a time of huge contrasts and often harsh conditions, but at least in the Royal Navy then, it was conceivable for a young man of talent and ambition to rise far above his station. I do remember my feelings when I became an officer, having begun my sea career on the lower deck. And sometimes I idly wonder, had I lived back then, could I have been a Tom Kydd?

From the Inside Flap

Thomas Kydd takes command of his own ship--now he will learn first hand about the power and loneliness that comes with ultimate responsibility.

In this seventh book of the series, Thomas Kydd has his own command at last: the brig-sloop Teazer! But Kydd must race the clock to make her battle ready to defend Malta against Barbary pirates and the French who are frantically trying to rescue the remnants of their army in the Levant. Then peace is suddenly declared, and the young captain finds himself ashore on half pay. To make ends meet, he agrees to transport convicts to Australia. Little does he know that his friend Renzi, weakened by illness and embittered with the service, is also bound for the colony as a settler. There, at the ends of the earth, they will be forced to face their deepest fears and prove themselves against all odds.

Julian Stockwin was sent at the age of fourteen to Indefatigable, a tough sea-training school. He joined the British Navy at fifteen, transferred to the Australian Navy when his family emigrated there, and saw active service in Vietnam. He became a teacher and an educational psychologist. Later he was commissioned into the Royal Naval Reserve and was awarded the MBE. Retired from the RNR with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, he now lives in Devon, England.

Praise for The Kydd Series

"Stockwin's richly detailed . . . portrait of life on ship and shore in Britain's oceanic empire is engrossing. He writes evocatively of shipboard routine, the panic and confusion of combat, and the terrifying approach of a storm at sea, and he knows how to stage enthralling action scenes."
--Publisher's Weekly

"Likable Tom and his shipmates make a snug fit in that page-turning Forester and O'Brian tradition--thanks to retired Royal Navy author Stockwin."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Characterized by hazardous battles and enigmatic heroism . . . [Quarterdeck is] a very highly recommended novel . . ."
--The Midwest Book Review

"Fast action, great characters and tremendous dialogue make [Tenacious], and the five previous Kydd books, top-of-the-line naval adventures."
--Illawarra Mercury

Edition details

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0340898550
• ISBN 13: 9780340898550
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352