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Product Description
Review
An unqualified seal of approval for Under Enemy Colours. This is gloriously readable stuff. --The Bookseller on Under Enemy Colours
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
Product Description
'Fire as she bears. Rake her, lads.'
Winter, 1793. Newly promoted Master and Commander Charles Hayden's orders are to deliver the frigate HMS Themis to Lord Admiral Hood, whose fleet is sheltering in the Mediterranean. Only hours out of port, however, and the Themis is engaging with the French navy.
Hayden's destination is Toulon, a French port under Lord Hood's protection. But there Hayden's captaincy and seamanship are stretched to their limits. For Toulon holds a deadly surprise for the unwary . . .
A Battle Won is the brilliant second instalment in the epic maritime adventures of Charles Hayden. A masterpiece in the tradition of Bernard Cornwell and Patrick O'Brian.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Well Captain Hayden certainly has his hands full; as there are a series of sub-plots and themes which tie together quite nicely to produce a very eventful book.
Fans of `Under Enemy Colours' will certainly enjoy this next instalment, as the story recommences just after the conclusion of the now infamous court martial. Hayden continues his adventures with old friends but new characters enter the story at various moments providing added entertainment. Dr Worthing has to be one of my favourite characters so far and I sincerely hope we have not seen the end of the `righteous reverend'.
The first book was excellent, the second extremely good, however, I found the lengthy golf scene to be quite bizarre and the raising of the guns was just a tad tedious. However, those are the only minor grumbles I have in what was otherwise a very good read.
If you love naval historical fiction during the Napoleonic Wars, then this series is highly recommended.
Fans of `Under Enemy Colours' will certainly enjoy this next instalment, as the story recommences just after the conclusion of the now infamous court martial. Hayden continues his adventures with old friends but new characters enter the story at various moments providing added entertainment. Dr Worthing has to be one of my favourite characters so far and I sincerely hope we have not seen the end of the `righteous reverend'.
The first book was excellent, the second extremely good, however, I found the lengthy golf scene to be quite bizarre and the raising of the guns was just a tad tedious. However, those are the only minor grumbles I have in what was otherwise a very good read.
If you love naval historical fiction during the Napoleonic Wars, then this series is highly recommended.
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
As the reviewer 'Roadrunner' points out there is an awful lot of Napoleonic era naval stuff around, new and old. Many writers have tilted their lances at Hornblower and Aubrey and come out looking very poor by comparrison! and I'm not sure the bold statement 'At last an heir to O Brian' printed on the back cover is one that is helpful to a fairly new author trying to establish his own identity.
But I do feel this novel and it's forerunner 'Under enemy colours' just stands above most of the modern writers of naval saga's. It is written for the modern MacDonalds eating readership of today. The action comes fast and often and the writing concentrates on conflict rather than the 'journey' however Russell still finds time to examine the relationships, rivalries, friendships and out and out hatred between crew members and rival ships. This gives the story a nice ebb and flow even though it rattles along like cutter under full sail!
Russell is gifted writer, and as other reviewers have mentioned, the book is at times impossible to put down and very tempting to pick up. So I found myself sneeking upstairs for 'just another page or two'. He also does character writing very well too. I now feel I know the key members of the Themis's crew and so get very emotionally drawn in to the story, which is not always the case with modern historical adventures.
Russell I think is clearly influenced by O' Brian, and Hayden's friendship with the ships surgeon is starting to look more and more like Aubrey and Maturin. Also the much mentioned 'Romeo and Juliet' and Golf scenes where an attempt at the whimsey of O'Brian. If you remember the first meeting of Lucky Jack and the good Doctor was at a music recital where Aubrey enthusiastic 'jioning in' drove Maturin mad!
Hayden is not yet as fully realised a character as Aubrey, with all his flaws and bluster, yet I find him a believable hero just on the safe side of 'too good to be true', though would agree with other reviewers, Russell will need to guard against this in future books. Part of the reason we all love Lucky Jack and Hornblower so much, is for their character flaws as their brilliant Captaincy. No if anything, it is young Lord Arthur Wickham that carry's the 'too good to be true' title. Young rich, charming, gifted, loyal, brave and unfailingly supportive of Hayden he did get on my nerves a little at times.
My last point on the O'Brian comparrison is that we should not forget that of the many books he wrote, not all were classics, in fact some were not that great! but our sentimental memories of them and in my case association with my lost youth makes them perhaps unfairly untouchable! The older I get the better they were!
To summerise a great blend of modern writing style with all the traditional naval components which are familiar but, none the less great fun. 5 stars for me, even given some minor flaws and I will be looking out for the next in the series to stick on my wish list!
But I do feel this novel and it's forerunner 'Under enemy colours' just stands above most of the modern writers of naval saga's. It is written for the modern MacDonalds eating readership of today. The action comes fast and often and the writing concentrates on conflict rather than the 'journey' however Russell still finds time to examine the relationships, rivalries, friendships and out and out hatred between crew members and rival ships. This gives the story a nice ebb and flow even though it rattles along like cutter under full sail!
Russell is gifted writer, and as other reviewers have mentioned, the book is at times impossible to put down and very tempting to pick up. So I found myself sneeking upstairs for 'just another page or two'. He also does character writing very well too. I now feel I know the key members of the Themis's crew and so get very emotionally drawn in to the story, which is not always the case with modern historical adventures.
Russell I think is clearly influenced by O' Brian, and Hayden's friendship with the ships surgeon is starting to look more and more like Aubrey and Maturin. Also the much mentioned 'Romeo and Juliet' and Golf scenes where an attempt at the whimsey of O'Brian. If you remember the first meeting of Lucky Jack and the good Doctor was at a music recital where Aubrey enthusiastic 'jioning in' drove Maturin mad!
Hayden is not yet as fully realised a character as Aubrey, with all his flaws and bluster, yet I find him a believable hero just on the safe side of 'too good to be true', though would agree with other reviewers, Russell will need to guard against this in future books. Part of the reason we all love Lucky Jack and Hornblower so much, is for their character flaws as their brilliant Captaincy. No if anything, it is young Lord Arthur Wickham that carry's the 'too good to be true' title. Young rich, charming, gifted, loyal, brave and unfailingly supportive of Hayden he did get on my nerves a little at times.
My last point on the O'Brian comparrison is that we should not forget that of the many books he wrote, not all were classics, in fact some were not that great! but our sentimental memories of them and in my case association with my lost youth makes them perhaps unfairly untouchable! The older I get the better they were!
To summerise a great blend of modern writing style with all the traditional naval components which are familiar but, none the less great fun. 5 stars for me, even given some minor flaws and I will be looking out for the next in the series to stick on my wish list!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a good book, an enjoyable read and I doubt too many people will be disappointed with it. However....there are a number of things wrong with it in my opinion and many of them similar to his first novel; things I'd hoped would have been ironed out. Hayden is a likeable character but he's altogether too nice. He seems incapable of losing his cool; not only that but he performs the most amazing wonders. I won't say what they are obviously but they seemed to me a bit much. The relationships between Hayden and some of his men seems strange to me. Wickham, a young midshipman comes across as almost a friend of his and at one point, if I remember correctly, suggests to Hayden that Hood [i.e.not Admiral Hood] had got some tactic or other wrong. Unfortunately, I can't help thinking what Aubrey would have done! And before I'm criticised for the comparison with you-know-who, what does the back of the jacket have? 'At last, a worthy heir to Patrick O'Brian'. I would beg to differ but then that's publishers for you. There are other things - the map at the beginning belongs at about p300. Don't look at it before then! The first part when certain things happen on the way to Gibraltar I found incredibly confusing. Most of it happens at night and I totally lost track of who did what to who. Then there's a game of - wait for it - golf. OK, may be historically accurate and Russell admits he put it in for light relief but I found it out of place and unneccessary [as was the overlong bit about 'Romeo and Juliet' at the beginning].
Neither am I totally sure about the ending. Obviously has a lead into the next book but even then.... Right, I'll stop criticising. Fact is, for much of the book I really did enjoy it. I do think Russell is a welcome addition to novelists of the Nelson era and I think he will improve but he needs to address certain aspects.
Neither am I totally sure about the ending. Obviously has a lead into the next book but even then.... Right, I'll stop criticising. Fact is, for much of the book I really did enjoy it. I do think Russell is a welcome addition to novelists of the Nelson era and I think he will improve but he needs to address certain aspects.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Battle Won
Another excellent read from this author who up until 6 months ago I had never heard of, does not go quite into the detail of a Bernard Cornwell novel by describing the " Nuts &... Read more
Published 7 months ago by David Weir
Great service
This company offer a great service and the standard of the second hand books are as good as they say. Will certainly use them again.
Published 9 months ago by L Crisp
A Battle Won (Kindle)
This was my second kindle book and what a book. I enjoyed it immensely, it reminded me of the Hornblower TV series. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Dicky-do-Nut
Hope there are more on the slipway?
As an avid reader of sea stories I found this and the previous book 'Under Enemy Colours' two of the best I have had the pleasure of reading recently. Read more
Published 11 months ago by J. S. Stocking
Not a battle at all to get through
A Battle won is a worthy sequal to Under Enemy Colours. It is almost as good as the Aubrey/Maturin books of Patrick O'Brian. I am looking forward to the next book...
Published 12 months ago by Andrew L
Superb sequel to "Under Enemy Colours"
This is the second part of a sailing navy series which will be at least a trilogy and consists to date of:
1) Under Enemy Colours
2) This book "A Battle Won"... Read more
1) Under Enemy Colours
2) This book "A Battle Won"... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Marshall Lord
Beautifully read and a fun novel
This is the second novel to feature Charles Hayden, now a Master and Commander but still without a ship of his own and put in temporary command of HMS Themis, on which he served in... Read more
Published 21 months ago by catsatcastle
High hopes led to disappointment
Having read "Under Enemy Colours" which I enjoyed immensley and saw as a very good stand-alone book, I opened "A Battle Won" with a lot of enthusiasm and hope that Midshipman... Read more
Published 21 months ago by P. Harknett
A must read
A battle Won - if you have not yet read it - get it now and enjoy a first class yarn
Published 23 months ago by G. T. Moore
The new navel master story teller
Sean Thomas Russell delivers yet again
Considering who has come before, Hornblower, Aubrey and Sharpe to name but a few, STR has created a character in Charles Hayden worthy... Read more
Considering who has come before, Hornblower, Aubrey and Sharpe to name but a few, STR has created a character in Charles Hayden worthy... Read more
Published on 21 April 2010 by A. HOLDEN
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