The Mutiny Run

by Frank Eccles

Book Overview

Vivid historical accuracy marks an exciting tale set in 1797, as Captain Brewster of the British ship Adamant must find a way to halt a French invasion of Ireland during a mutiny of Britain's Channel... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031210507X
• ISBN13: 9780312105075
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 298 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Fine Adventure

For the most part, I don't enjoy reading about mutinies. I find very little appeal in heartbreaking situations where everyone is right and everyone loses. In The Mutiny Run (1994), Frank Eccles does a fine job of building naval adventure around the fleet mutinies of 1797 without unduly involving the reader in the mutinies themselves. HMS Adamant (54), with Midshipman John Lawson aboard, is dispatched from Liverpool to blockade singlehandedly the French invasion fleet in Brest while the channel fleet is tied up with the Spithead mutiny. Lawson acquits himself well in action. After the fleet returns, Lawson finds himself in the North Sea whence he returns to the mouth of the Thames in time to witness the crumbling of the Nore Mutiny and the demise of Richard Parker, a former shipmate. Much of the background drama revolves our Adamant's Captain Brewster, a sympathetic old shellback whom the crew adores, but who comes into conflict with some of his officers. They, you may not be surprised to read, are cowardly and supercilious aristos with a great deal of influence in the Navy and the Admiralty. Eccles spins an engaging yarn with plenty of well-written action. He clearly has a great deal of sympathy for his characters and does a fine job of presenting both officers and crew as human beings with feelings and foibles. Lawson, for instance, has several occasions to chide himself for poor seamanship as he narrowly avoids disaster in small craft. Eccles' other work of historic naval fiction, The Barbary Run, was published considerably earlier (1971), but takes place later, featuring Captain Lawson. I will read it as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Superb !!! Great read !!!

I absolutly enjoyed reading this book ! Center of the story is young 18 year old John Lawson serving on the HMS Adamant in 1797 under Captain Brewster, a fair captain respected and loved by his crew and something like a father figure to Lawson. Plenty of action, believable characters and a great story will pull you in, follow Lawson and his friends and his captain fighting the enemies of the crown and also deal with the mutiny at Spithead and the Nore. I was so very surprised how good this book was and how fast I finished it, since Frank Eccles is not well known, it seems - what a pity !!! I LOVED it !!! And would recommend it to anybody who likes nautical fiction set in the age of sail. RECOMMENDED: Charles D. White, Broos Campbell, Peter Smalley, Alexander Kent and Dudley Pope.