Seaflower

by Julian Stockwin

Book Overview

The third installment in a rousing naval-adventure series, this historical saga follows the shipwrecked Thomas Kydd and the rest of the crew from the ill-fated HMS Artemis. Returning to England for the court-martial of the sole-surviving officer from that voyage, Kydd has evidence that could destroy the officer's career, as well as his own. In a political act to shield the officer's reputation, Kydd and his mate find themselves forcibly shipped off...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 159013155X
• ISBN13: 9781590131558
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: McBooks Press
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Another solid entry in the Kydd series

"Seaflower" comes after "Kydd" ,and "Artemis" in Mr Stockwin's series about Thomas Kydd ,a seaman in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars of the 1790's .It follows on from the second volume "Artemis " and opens with Kydd and others from that unfortunate vessel waiting to give testimony at a court martial into the loss of the ship.His testimony is damning to the officer responsible but that worthy still has influence ,so Kydd and others from the Artemis are sent on board the "Trojan "to the Caribbean there to wage a campaign to capture French occupied West Indian islands . The first port of call is Guadaloupe ,where the French settlers are largely sympatheic to the British ,being anti Jacaobin .However agents of the revolution successfully stir the slaves to insurrection and "Trojan "is forced to abort its mission and put out to sea where after a fierce strom they eventually dock in the British island of Antigua.Kydd is assigned to supervising local labour in the dockyard repair crew and is taken in by the master carpenter ,the devoutly religious Zachary Caird ,whose puritanism proves a stumbling block for his full acceptance of Kydd . Meanwhile Kydd's friend Renzi has wound up on Jamiaca where his brother is a substantial landowner,and where he is eventually re-united with Kydd and they join up with the cutter Seaflower which,under the inspired captaincy of the redoubtable Farrell .proves itself in battle ,before retuning to Jamaica.The final passage of the book details a long and arduous open boat voyage -vividly described -in which Kydd plays a vital role. Returning characters from earlier novels include Kydd's sister ,who is now the comapanion of a tiled lady in Jamaica . The book moves briskly and the actaion scenes are well described and vivid .This moves the life of Kydd along to its next stage with commendable vigour and only the increasingly tiresome musings of Renzi slow things down . Those who liked theb earlier volumes will like this ,and those unfamiliar with the earlier books are advised to give this a miss until they catch up.

Lots of excitement in this book!

Book three in the Kydd series (see my reviews of _Kydd: a Novel_ and _Artemis: a Kydd Novel_) is very good. Kydd is slowly climbing the ladder, but sometimes falls a few rungs first. Lots of good action in this book. Good fighting, good adventure. This series has really grown on me. A few minor criticisms: sometimes I feel that there is not a good resolution to the episodes. All of a sudden, the action ends and problem solved. The transitions are too abrupt. I'd like to see more on how Kydd and crew get out of their predicaments. Also, I would strongly urge Mr. Stockwin to issue a dictionary (not of sea terms-we already have _Sea of Words_ ; see my review of that) but of the dialogue. There are just too many words and phrases that the average reader (especially Americans) will not understand. Also, the dialogue is written in pronunciation spelling, and that takes some getting used to, especially for American readers who will not immediately recognize such spellings as `er' or `orf' = `uh' and `off.' A dictionary is a must. However, the odd spellings add realism to the speech of the characters and I have come to appreciate it. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

This series gets better with each book.

This is a detailed account of shipboard life in the late 18thC from the foremast Jack's perspective:- cramped conditions, disgusting food, undeserved punishment and unremitting toil. Sensitive writing and deft plot handling continue the good work started in 'Kydd' and Artemis'. But, where 'Artemis' seemed to be a vehicle for establishing Kydd's commitment to the sea and his improvement in both nautical and social niceties, 'Seaflower' is packed with action on both land and sea. In almost every sort of boat under every sort of captain, Kydd and Renzi suffer the highs and lows of life in the Caribbean - hurricanes, disease, self-loathing and shipwreck, as well as friendship, family, promotion and self-esteem. Mr. Stockwin gets better with each book, his sea-knowledge comes across loud and clear. Combined with his personal research into the locations produces a highly-believable account of little-known events in the most volatile period in British naval history. There follows a taster of the next book 'Mutiny', and, as we have come to expect in this genre, a historical note outlining the facts behind the fiction. As good as it gets. *****

Life before the mast

This is an interesting novel, the main character being Thomas Kydd, a seaman in the Royal Navy during the 1790s. The novel is a little weak when it comes to describing action against the enemy (some actions seem a little superficial) but gives good accounts of fighting bad weather and generally surviving aboard a ship of war. John Nicol's autobiography, "John Nicol Mariner," is a good account of a seaman during that time period.In actual fact, during that time there were more losses from disease, storms, shipwrecks, and accidents in general, than there were from enemy action. The description of Kydd's survival after coming down with yellow fever would be typical for the location and time period. Frederick Hoffman in his autobiography, "A Sailor of King George," related his experience aboard a ship where he was one out of 16 midshipmen, and one out of two who survived a yellow fever epidemic. The survivors lived to tell their tales, so stories are naturally about survivors. There was reputedly an old toast in the Royal Navy for "a long war or a fever season," i.e., others misfortunes opened opportunities for promotion.While it may seem a little unreal for a ship or officer to have one success after another, such officers did exist at that time and many, including Nelson, achieved rapid promotion by their successes.There were young men from well-to-do families who ran off to sea for various reasons (just as some later joined the French Foreign Legion). Some survived and achieved success. The character of Nicholas Renzi is believable.

The best naval fiction to be published in recent years!

Julian Stockwin tells it like it was for Jack Tars in the Royal Navy during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. Stockwin's Kydd series relates the climb of Thomas Paine Kydd, a young Englishman, who is pressed into the Sea Service and embraces the challenge of life between England's 'wooden walls' as he makes his way through the ranks. Stockwin's Kydd saga, including Seaflower, is based on historic events, allowing Kydd and his friend Nicholas Renzi to be placed in situations which reveal the real-life world of below-decks sailors in Nelson's Navy. Seaflower takes the pair from Portsmouth Harbour and the trumpted-up court martial of an officer with influence to the Caribbean, where Kydd faces personal challenges which continue to mature and shape him. Aboard the cunning topsail cutter Seaflower, they sail against the French and the overwhelming forces of the tropical seas.Stockwin is at his best in describing the eighteenth-century in which Kydd lives, including the ships, exotic areas of the world, and the sea. Seaflower brings Kydd's characterization to a new high. I cannot wait to read the next title in the series, Mutiny. This is best new naval fiction during the Age of Sail to be published in recent years!