What do You think about To Glory We Steer (1998)?
I probably would have liked this a few years ago. But having read Patrick O'Brian, reading this is painful in the extreme. There is none of the wealth of historical detail, none of the sly humour and none of the wonderful characterisation and lightning wit so characteristic of Aubrey-Maturin. The characters are wooden, stock caricatures and the description of square-rigged tactics pales in comparison. The only reason this book gets two stars is because in my rating system one star is reserved for trash such as Eragon.
—Alwin
It is January, 1782 and Captain Richard Bolitho takes command of the PHALAROPE in England and sails to the Caribbean to join the British fleet there opposing the French, Spanish, and Americans. The ship and its crew have a poor reputation and Bolitho is given command to bring the ship back into fighting shape. The novel traces the final year of the American Revolution as Bolitho takes his ship and works to restore pride and a fighting spirit. Another good story in the Bolitho series tracing his career in the Royal British Navy with plenty of action.
—George
I like naval fictions and saucy sailors in any shape and any environment as far as the age of sails is concerned and the historic setting is masterfully entwined in the plot. The worst case scenario is some too obvious glitch in naval books, that can be pain. The plot line is again Dick will rule all aka Richard Bolitho was again pushed in the painfully hard situation when all odds were against him but you know very well that he will come out with laurel on his head. The Phalarope was unhappy ship led by tyranic captain who had enough sense to pass to the Hades and captain Bolitho was lucky or rather unlucky to take his place. The ship on the verge of mutiny, the admiral who hated him to the bone plus American Revolution to deal with. Yes, Mr. Kent is utter sadist when it goes about family matters and clash of the brothers was imminent spiced the plot with something more then plain swashbuckling. The Caribbean swirled with the French, new American nation ships and english man-of-wars begs for action. Heads are smashed, limbs are amputated and ships are sunk. Bolitho beat the odds and came out victorious, which made female readers swoon.
—Matimate
