Pirates & Privateers: Philip K. Allan's Books

During the Royal Navy’s assault on Ostend, First Lieutenant Alexander Clay is tasked with leading a shore mission to prevent the garrison of French troops at Nieuwpoort from reinforcing Ostend. The straightforward plan is to land, blow up a bridge, and wait for HM Frigate Agrius to return to retrieve them. The plan goes awry almost from the start. Not only must he play nursemaid to his captain’s inexperienced nephew, but getting to their objective is fraught with complications no one expects, their arrival is noticed, and the uncooperative weather and water conditions prevent an easy recovery. Clay’s ingenious idea for getting his men back to their ship saves them from capture and they return to England to await their next assignment.

Captain Percy Follet’s report of the incident, which soon finds its way into the newspaper, gives credit for the incident not to Clay, but to his nephew, Lieutenant Windham. Lacking an influential mentor and not coming from a wealthy family, Clay fumes at the injustice done him. His only hope of advancement and gaining his own command is through his initiative and accomplishments. It grates that the undeserving-of-his-rank second lieutenant should garner the accolades that rightfully belong to him. When he questions Captain Follet about this injustice, a rift develops between the two men.

The Agrius’s next assignment is to escort a convoy of East Indiamen part of the way to India. The commander of the merchant ships invites all the navy officers aboard his vessel for a formal dinner, much to the chagrin of Clay. He much prefers the regimented wooden world in which he lives and never knows what to say to women. He is pleasantly surprised to find that one of the ladies, Lydia Browning, is a friend of his sister and, by evening’s end, he’s captivated by Lydia. In the days that follow they become closer, but on the night he decides to declare his intentions, Captain Follet orders him to remain on Agrius. A marriage between Clay and Miss Browning is totally unsuitable, and her uncle has asked the captain to intervene. Thus the rift between Clay and his commanding officer widens, and soon the crew becomes aware of it. The majority support Clay.

Once the Agrius bids farewell to the merchant convoy, she heads west to take up her new station in the West Indies. She is also tasked with finding and destroying a larger, more powerful French frigate bound for the island of St. Lucia and carrying much-needed stores and troops. In spite of his anger, Clay efficiently carries out his duties, but Follet’s resentment of his first officer leads to complications that endanger the ship and their mission.

The Captain’s Nephew opens with a mesmerizing and vivid portrayal of a man drowning and then regresses six months to show the events that culminate in this tragic incident. From first page to last, Allan bewitches and transports readers back to 1796 to walk the decks of a wooden ship and engage the enemy all the while experiencing what the characters endure. Equally compelling is that this is not just a tale of the officers of the Royal Navy. Interludes are woven into the story to personalize and recreate life on the lower decks, as well as to provide glimpses of what it was like for loved ones left behind. This first book in the Alexander Clay series offers a satisfying resolution of who dies, while only hinting at how it happens – an intriguing and perfect enticement for readers who will eagerly await the next chapter in Clay’s pursuit of his naval career and the woman he loves.

Meet the author

A Sloop of War
By Philip K. Allan
Penmore, 2018, ISBN 978-1-946409-42-3, US $19.50
e-book ISBN 978-1-946409-43-0, $5.50

When HM Frigate Agrius limps into Barbados with a larger French warship as her prize, Vice-Admiral Benjamin Caldwell is both dismayed and delighted. Her damage is such that she must undergo immediate repairs rather than allowing the commander of the Windward Islands station to implement his plan to seize the French island of St. Lucia. The saving grace is that First Lieutenant Alexander Clay has acquired some intelligence that will aid in that endeavor. His actions in battle against a mightier foe and assuming command after the death of his captain earn Clay a promotion to master and commander and a vessel of his own, the sloop of war Rush. Finally, he has climbed the first two rungs of the social ladder that may raise his status as a suitable husband in the eyes of his beloved’s guardian. But Lydia is in far off India and Clay can only dream of the day when they may once again reunite. Until then, he forges a plan with his sister in England. She will hide his letters in her packages to Lydia.

In the meantime, Clay sails the Rush to St. Lucia with orders to blockade one of the island’s ports. The sloop’s sluggish response does not bode well for the assignment, but there’s little he can do to remedy the mass of seaweed and barnacles that foul her hull as long as they are at sea. The lack of speed allows an enemy merchant ship to slip past Rush into the safety of the harbor protected by the guns of the French fort. Clay’s anger at losing a potential prize gives rise to a daring plan to remedy the loss – one that requires him to trust that his men can carry out it, for as captain, he must remain aboard Rush. The night attack proves successful and a prize crew sails the merchant ship back to Barbados. Clay follows at a slower pace, which proves far more dangerous than expected when they encounter a 74-gun Spanish man-of-war whose captain wants the Rush as his prize.

While the main focus of this second book in the Alexander Clay series focuses on the British invasion of St. Lucia in the 18th century, A Sloop of War is entwined with several other tales. Lieutenant Nicholas Windham still blames Clay and his best friend, John Sutton, for the death of his uncle, the captain of the Agrius, and is determined to make them pay one way or the other. Able Sedgwick, a runaway slave, seeks refuge at Spring Hill Plantation, where the enlightened owner has freed his slaves, while making himself and his family pariahs among the plantocracy. To thwart Barbadian law George Robertson arranges for Able to join the Royal Navy and sail aboard the Rush. An ardent abolitionist, Jacob Linfield, Rush’s surgeon, strikes up a friendship with Robertson and becomes enamored with his younger daughter, who seems more attracted to John Sutton.

A Sloop of War is a fast-paced nautical adventure interwoven with land and sea actions, as well as civilian, political, and historical elements. Alexander Clay may be the main character of this book, but Able Sedgwick is a likable fellow who easily takes center stage more than once. His integration into the crew deftly shows life in the Royal Navy, while at the same time demonstrating both acceptance and prejudice among a cast of characters where each is uniquely drawn and rarely stereotypical. The energy in the confrontation between Windham and Clay feels like being shocked by static electricity. Several scenes are laced with humor, and the wonderfully descriptive comparison in the final engagement perfectly allows readers to imagine what is unfolding. Fans of nautical and naval fiction will enjoy this second entry in the series and will look forward to the next phase in Alexander Clay’s career and love life.

Meet the author

On the Lee Shore
By Philip K. Allan
Penmore, 2018, ISBN 978-1-946409-48-5, US $19.50
Also available in e-book format

A summons from the Admiralty signals the end of Captain Alexander Clay’s convalescence after being wounded in a sea battle in the Caribbean. Upon his arrival in London, he learns of the discontent rippling through the Royal Navy. The ranks are dissatisfied with their pay – which hasn’t been raised in over a century – poor rations, and no leave when ships are in port. Such disgruntlement can’t be swept under the rug either, for the crew of HM Frigate Titan take matters into their own hands. They lock up the officers and refuse to obey any orders from their captain, accusing him of murder and misuse. The First Lord decides that he needs an intelligent officer with dash to assume command of this warship and Clay is just the man.

When Clay first steps aboard the 36-gun vessel, he sees only hostile faces. Many are angry. Some are contemptuous, others indifferent. His orders are to restore order and discipline aboard Titan, but he prefers menial labor and constant drilling to achieve this, rather than the lash as his predecessor favored. Clay also permits music and other lively entertainment among the men when they’re off duty. Regardless of these easements, there are those who remain discontent. One is an officer who favors the stricter enforcement of Titan’s former commander. Among the ranks, there is a cadre of men led by Richard Sexton, an Irishman and an avid adherent of the United Irishmen. He’s not above using trickery and violence to achieve his goals, which includes once again taking control of the ship.

A few officers and a handful of men know Clay and transfer with him to Titan. Those of the lower decks discover how the United Irishmen communicate with each other when posted to different ships. They also are determined to prevent Sexton and his group from succeeding in their endeavor, especially when a message is intercepted that informs those on board the Titan that the ranks have staged a mutiny, based in Spithead, that has essentially brought the navy to a standstill at a time when they can least afford one.

Titan is one of a squadron a warships, under the command of Commodore Sir Edward Pellew, blockading the French navy port of Brest. Clay is tasked with making daily sails close to port to check on the comings and goings of the fishing fleet, the French navy, and any other intelligence that may be of interest. The more havoc he can cause, the better, but his daring, unconventional sorties require officers and crew to work in unity. Complicating each plan are the dangerous waters in which they patrol and the dirty weather that frequently hampers and endangers them. When a particularly violent storm scatters the fleet, Clay and his men must make the French continue to think the whole squadron remains on blockade. But the danger aboard remains and it only requires a single match to ignite.

On the Lee Shore is the third entry in the Alexander Clay series and is filled with action and peril that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Allan provides a unique perspective of the Spithead Mutiny, splitting his depiction between the points of view of the officers and men. He deftly intertwines avarice, corruption, and mutiny, while spicing these with glimpses into the everyday lives of sailors and their personal lives both at sea and at home. There’s even a bit of romance, as Clay and Lydia Browning finally reunite.

Meet the author

A Man of No Country
By Philip K. Allan
Penmore, 2018, ISBN 978-1-946409-60-7, US $19.50
e-book ISBN 978-1-946409-61-4, US $5.50

After marrying the love of his life, Captain Alexander Clay finds his idyllic shore leave cut short. His frigate, Titan, has been repaired; instead of rejoining the Channel Fleet, he and his men sail for the Mediterranean to assist Admiral Lord St. Vincent. Rather than the boring voyage expected, they investigate suspicious actions aboard a merchant brig and discover that pirates control the vessel and the crew is locked below. After rescuing the captives, they later spot a Russian sloop that runs aground rather than fight. When Clay’s men reach the shore, one of the evaders turns out to be John Grainger, who claims to have been forced to navigate for the Russian privateers. Although he dresses like a Turk, was raised in Algeria, and has their coloring, he speaks English and has piercing blue eyes. He just claims not to know where he was born. Once aboard Titan, he joins the Royal Navy.

When they arrive on station, Clay meets with the admiral. He and his vessels maintain a blockade on the Spanish navy, which means no naval ship has ventured far into the Mediterranean. Therefore, Titan is to become the eyes of the fleet. Clay will find out what’s happening, what the French are planning, and visit Ambassador Hamilton in Naples.

While the ship resupplies and their captain meets with the admiral, Sam Evans, Adam Trevan, Joshua Rosso, and Sean O’Malley, along with John Grainger, visit a tavern. Able Sedgwick arrives late, having stopped to purchase a blank journal in which to record his life’s story as an African slave to help the abolitionist cause. John mistakes the journal for his own and accosts Able. The serving girl notices John’s tattoo and becomes terrified. When Able later questions her, she divulges the true meaning of the mark.

Once the Titan returns to sea, she becomes enshrouded by a dense fog and those aboard find themselves surrounded by the Spanish fleet. Since they remain invisible to the enemy, Clay tricks two of the vessels into firing upon each other. It’s a neat trick, but he regrets how he endangered his mission. He soon puts his reckless misstep behind him, when he sends his men ashore to seize a merchant ship that eluded them and to launch a surprise attack on an enemy fortification. In doing so, they discover the captured prize carries military tents and cooking equipment bound for Marseille.

Upon their return to the ship, Sam discovers that he’s been robbed. More thefts soon follow, and Able overhears one of the new men threatening someone. No matter how much searching the master of arms does, he finds no trace of the missing money or the thief. To keep the growing discontent from endangering the ship, Clay enlists Able’s help in discovering the truth.

As Titan ventures past numerous harbors, Clay has lookouts count the ships in the harbor. When combined with the tents and cooking equipment, it soon becomes evident that General Napoleon Bonaparte is amassing an enormous fleet. Clay immediately returns to report to the admiral to find that Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson has arrived with reinforcements. Clay joins his squadron and they set out to determine where the French plan to go. When Titan revisits the harbors, Clay discovers the French fleet has disappeared. It soon becomes a battle against time to find out where Bonaparte intends to launch his next invasion.

A Man of No Country is the fourth offering in the Alexander Clay series. The eye-opening prologue is a powerful and horrifying depiction of a Barbary pirate attack, where the merchant captain warns his young son that should he be captured, he must join the pirates in order to survive, but his request comes at an excruciatingly high price. Discovering the identity of the thief proves to be a challenging mystery for the reader. We also learn more about Able’s traumatic and chilling journey from Africa to the Caribbean. A bit of humor is inserted into scenes where Clay meets Lady Emma Hamilton, and Allan does a fabulous job in making the reader experience Clay’s awkwardness and discomfort at becoming prey to her feminine wiles. There is also a daring sea rescue in the midst of a terrible gale. All the adventures lead up to the stunning and breathless sea battle between the Royal and French Navies that history knows as the Battle of the Nile.

Meet the author

The Distant Ocean
By Philip K. Allan
Penmore, 2018, print ISBN 978-1-946409-78-2, US $19.50
e-book ISBN 978-1-946409-79-9, US $5.50

Three French ships plague British merchantmen in the Indian Ocean, and the mounting losses necessitate the departure of Captain Alexander Clay from his wife. Their parting is bittersweet; his orders come just as he learns of his impending fatherhood, and he may be gone a long time. Duty, however, takes precedence, and he joins Commodore Sir George Montague’s squadron. In addition to their two warships, which are tasked with ending the French depredations, are two sloops. One is commanded by his closest friend, John Sutton, and the other, by their nemesis, Nicholas Windham.

Windham has never accepted the story of how his uncle died, and he craves justice. “Dismal George” – better known for his penchant for his ship’s appearance than his fighting capabilities – overlooks some of Windham’s disgruntlement, but cannot abide dissension among his officers. He fears that Windham’s idée fixe will cause injury to his own career and orders his friend’s nephew to set aside the need to make Sutton pay and reconcile.

On their way to their destination, Clay escorts several Guineamen to the Gold Coast, while Dismal George and the sloops accompany another convoy to Gibraltar. Floating corpses off Africa introduce Clay and his men to one of the horrific realities of slavery and, when the truth of what occurred is discovered, Clay sets in motion a scheme to thwart the French privateer responsible for the deaths. Coxswain Able Sedgwick plays a key role in the plan, for he grew up on these shores, but the outcome has unforeseen and deadly consequences.

The initial blockade of Reunion Island, a French stronghold in the Indian Ocean, fails to lure the enemy warships from their safe haven. Clay and Sutton have words over the latter’s intentions toward Clay’s sister, causing a rift between the friends. Then Wyndham puts forth a new plan to deal with the French that Sutton supports. Their two sloops will ferret out the weakest of the three enemy vessels and launch a two-pronged attack. During the hunt, Dismal George will escort a convoy to Bombay while Clay accompanies another ship – one already attacked by the French – to Cape Town. Wyndham’s gambit has definite merit, but his motivation differs from Sutton’s, much to his chagrin.

The Distant Ocean, the fifth book in the Alexander Clay series, is an incisive and accurate depiction of life in the Georgian navy. Allan incorporates a humorous portrayal of a Crossing the Line ceremony, a poignant farewell to men lost, and a harrowing escape at sea into this beguiling tale of friendship, guilt, obsession, retribution, and determination.

Meet the author

The Turn of the Tide
By Philip K. Allan
Penmore Press, 2019, ISBN 978-1-950586-01-1, US $19.50
e-book ISBN 978-1-950586-02-8, US $5.99

Three distinctive episodes open this sixth book in the Alexander Clay series. A one-eyed Scotsman named Major Fraser eludes French gendarmes with the help of a French royalist. Able Sedgwick attends an abolitionist meeting to speak about his experiences as a slave, but hecklers disrupt the gathering. When things turn ugly, Able’s mates come from a nearby tavern to even the score. Captain Clay gives away the bride, his sister, to his best friend and fellow officer at their wedding. Soon after, Alexander is summoned to London for a special meeting with the First Lord of the Admiralty.

The summons means an end to the brief sojourn at home and a start of a new mission. Although Clay’s frigate, Titan, is to join the Channel Fleet blockading the French coast, the First Lord has a detached assignment for him and it involves Major Fraser. For some time, he’s been working with the Choannerie, French royalists based in Brittany who are determined to upend the revolutionary government. The British government is amenable to assisting them, but before becoming too involved, Clay must land Fraser and several marines, along with a sufficient number of rifles, in enemy territory. Clay decides to send his own trusted marine, Lieutenant Thomas Macpherson, with Fraser to be his eyes and ears.

The initial ambush that the Choannerie plan goes off without a hitch. That success convinces the First Lord that one additional show of resistance is necessary, but it must involve a much larger and more secure target. Major Fraser has such a place in mind; while he works ashore in France, Clay and the Titans practice for their part in the attack. He has reservations, but places his trust in Fraser. Tom acquires tidbits of knowledge that alone are insignificant, but when put together leave him quite unsettled. While belowdecks, a new recruit who claims to have psychic powers causes a ripple of discord that disrupts the happy ship.

This episode in Alexander Clay’s adventures takes place both at sea and on land. Aside from showing life at sea from the perspectives of the ratings and the officers, Allan weaves interesting subplots throughout the tale. One of these is an annoying and elusive French privateer; another is a cleverly perpetrated hoax to teach a lesson. The climax is stunning, riveting, and awesomely unveils the treachery behind a finely honed plan of vengeance. Fans of the series will find this book as good as or better than previous titles; newcomers will quickly become fans eager to discover what happens to Clay and his Titans.

Meet the author

In Northern Seas
By Philip K. Allan
Penmore, 2019, print ISBN 978-1-950586-23-3, US $19.50
ebook ISBN 978-1-950586-24-0, US $5.50

Napoleon is frustrated. He conquers all in his path except one particular thorn; the British navy thwarts him no matter how he attempts to invade England. One of his ministers suggests an alternative method. Rather than mount a direct attack, France will strike where the English are most vulnerable: the canvas, hemp, and tar that their warships need. If French agents can persuade the Baltic countries to cease selling these supplies to the English, diplomacy and misinformation will prove a far better weapon to achieving his dream.

The loss of a ship, regardless of whether the captain does all that he can or not, necessitates a court martial. Captain Alexander Clay stands so accused. What puzzles him more than the outcome is the civilian with the silver-topped cane who attends the proceedings. Glances between that gentleman and the presiding admiral, followed by gentle persuading that a question asked need not be answered strikes Clay as odd. When the same gentleman appears unannounced at his home and wonders whether he might be interested in a new frigate, Clay is further nonplussed. The answer, of course, is yes; after all, he is a captain in the Royal Navy and the country is at war with France.

The gentleman with the cane proves to be Nicholas Vansittart, a lawyer and influential member of Parliament. He is also a diplomat who requires Clay’s assistance in his current mission: to stop French interference in the Baltic trade. He admires Clay’s ability to get the job done, oftentimes using unexpected methods, and the manner in which he has advanced through the ranks on his own merit. With Clay at the helm of a fast ship, HMS Griffin, the hope is that together they can resolve the current difficulties through diplomacy. If not, Clay will already be on station to assist Sir Hyde Parker, Lord Horatio Nelson, and the Baltic Fleet in demonstrating just how far the British will go to protect their supply chain against Mad Tsar Paul’s League of Armed Neutrality.

Like a ship navigates the swells and troughs of the sea, this seventh book in the Alexander Clay series keeps readers traversing wave after wave of action and adventure. Whether in Paris, London, Copenhagen, or St. Petersburg, intrigue abounds. Clay and much of his old crew, as well as a few new ones, find themselves in the thick of things. One new character, Vansittart’s valet, has ties to two of them, neither of whom are particularly pleased to renew his acquaintance. To further spice up this nautical tale, Allan interweaves humor, romance, bigotry, assassination, murder, and theft with coming to terms with a disability, narrow escapes, and an enemy ship stalking Griffin. The denouement is a riveting account of the action during April 1801’s Battle of Copenhagen. It is rife with closer-quarter fighting, ships of the line, and Nelson’s famous turning of a blind eye. Readers will find themselves sitting on the edge of their seats, holding their breath, as the story carries them back in time to revisit old friends and experience unexpected hazards.

Meet the author

Larcum Mudge
By Philip K. Allan
Independently published, 2020, ISBN 979-8638972721, US $19.50

HM Sloop Peregrine is an unhappy vessel. Her captain brooks not the slightest infraction, and punishment almost always involves the cat. The discontent on the lower deck foments into mutiny; once in control, the mutineers and ship vanish in the Caribbean, with no one wise to the brutal and bloody slaughter because they assume the ship goes down during a hurricane.

With repairs to HM Frigate Griffin almost complete, Captain Alexander Clay attends to the task of recruiting for his undermanned ship. A short time after a printer informs him that some mutineers have been captured, a visit with the First Lord of the Admiralty reveals that the mutineers delivered Peregrine to the French. Clay is ordered to sail to the Caribbean, find the ship, and recapture her. If that’s not possible, she must be destroyed. There is no other way to erase the stain on the Royal Navy’s honor. To assist him in this task is a boatswain’s mate who once served aboard the Peregrine before the mutiny.

In Plymouth, a man encounters mates from the Griffin talking outside a tavern where an officer is signing on new recruits. Larcum Mudge likes what he hears and decides to join the navy. His familiarity with life aboard a king’s ship causes them to wonder why someone who has spent so much time on a whaling vessel never claims to have served aboard a warship before. Then, during an encounter with a French privateer, Mudge slays one of the captives after he surrenders. It looks like a righteous kill, especially when a tattoo on the dead man identifies him as a deserter from the Royal Navy.

With rumors of peace abounding, Griffin sails for the Caribbean. Upon arrival there, Clay has a brief reunion with his brother-in-law, who warns him about the mercurial temperament of the captain who blockades Guadeloupe where Clay hopes to find Peregrine. Arriving on station, he discovers there is also a French warship in the harbor – one that the blockading captain has no knowledge of. Since the fortifications and natural layout of the harbor make it impossible to extract Peregrine, Clay devises an ingenious, yet risky, strategy to succeed in his mission. This entails a series of orders, one of which upsets the blockading captain. During his absence, Clay discovers the reason for the outburst and, in the process, captures one of the mutineers. In the meantime, Mudge and his messmates are among the men tasked with implementing Clay’s plan. When one does so with a tad more zeal than necessary, they become trapped. Only Mudge can lead them to safety. In doing so, he reveals knowledge that he shouldn’t have.

This eighth book in the Alexander Clay series takes place prior to the Peace of Amiens in 1802. It also represents Allen’s first venture into self-publishing. While Clay plays an important part in this story – one that involves a puzzle that can reopen wounds of a past scandal – it is predominantly a tale of the lower decks. Allen’s artful recreation of the past is second only to his skillful creation of Larcum Mudge. The name alone sparks interest, but readers soon come to care about this man and what happens to him. Larcum Mudge is by far the best book in the series and an adventure that fans old and new will enjoy.

Meet the author

Upon the Malabar Coast
By Philip K. Allan
Independently Published, 2021, ISBN 9798744579487, US $19.50
Also available in e-book format

In February 1803, the world is at peace and a French lieutenant has only information to settle a debt. The information he divulges wends its way back to England, where it comes to the attention of Nicholas Vansittart. The diplomat extraordinaire understands the import of what this means. Whatever is planned most likely concerns the East India trade, which is worth millions to England. To thwart France’s plans, Vansittart requires a fast ship with a captain who thinks outside of the box and he knows just who will serve.

Elsewhere in England, Captain Alexander Clay is enjoying his retirement, although a part of him still wishes he sailed upon the sea. HMS Griffin, his former ship, is in ordinary and his men are scattered. Living in Polwith, Adam Trevan and Able Sedgewick own a fishing boat. Adam spends his free time with his family, while Cupid’s arrow strikes Able. Vansittart intrudes into these idyllic vignettes and, on his wedding night, Able must tell his bride that he and the other Griffins are rejoining the navy. Together with Clay and Vansittart, they are bound for the Malabar Coast.

Clay knows only too well that nothing is ever as it seems and always more complicated than first imagined. Napoleon and peace make strange bedfellows, which means the French admiral’s true mission differs from what the informant divulged. Danger abounds throughout the journey. Able disappears. The Griffins must rescue men from a ship on the brink of sinking. Miscommunication brings aboard a new pet, whose special talents prove most favorable to Clay. Malay pirates attack Griffin. An alliance between an English ally and the French endangers Clay and his ship. Once dealt with, he must find two needles in a haystack and hope that he and his men are not too late.

With this ninth book in the Alexander Clay series, Allan comes into his own. The depth and intricacy of both the story and the characters are exquisitely interwoven and elicit a variety of emotions in the reader. Some scenes, such as Clay’s conversation with a clergyman or the arrival of Able’s mates on his wedding day, are both amusing and revealing. Others – the night Able reveals his departure to his wife or when he’s imprisoned in a ship’s hold – are vividly poignant. There are also riveting battle scenes and intriguing presentations of extricating themselves from sticky wickets. Upon the Malabar Coast is a welcome return for fans old and new and well worth all the tea in China.

Meet the author

Clay and the Immortal Memory
by Philip K. Allan
Independently Published, 2023, ISBN 978-8391106968, US $19.50 / UK £14.99
Also available in e-book format

Invasion. This single word sums up Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s most ardent wish: to claim England as his own. But the British Royal Navy blockades France’s ports and while he has enough barges to carry his troops across the Channel, he lacks enough ships of the line to go up against this irritating foe. During 1804, his shipwrights build new ships as fast as they can. He has also reached a secret accord with Spain that will soon allow him to sufficiently increase his naval forces. What he does not have and what he has no control over are two elements that his admirals deem essential: calm waters and no enemy ships. He is certain, however, that 1805 will resolve these issues and he will have the victory he desires.

Francois Brissot is excited to join the crew of the 74-gun Redoubtable at Toulon. He only hopes she will not be relegated to sitting in the harbor as happened to his previous ship because of the British blockade. Once aboard, he finds that many of the men are new to the sea, but he has a way of leading and training them that strikes a jealous chord with the first lieutenant, Camille Dupotet. The rivalry deepens after Redoubtable fails to elude the British patrol blockading the harbor and Francois is the only officer to suggest a creative way that might give them the edge the next time they confront the enemy.

Successfully preventing the French from capturing a convoy from China provides Captain Alexander Clay and his men the opportunity to return to England. Monsoon winds are less accommodating, requiring him to venture close to the French base in the Indian Ocean. As a result, the Griffin is doggedly pursued by three enemy ships; an ingenious ruse allows him to escape unnoticed. Once they are in the Atlantic, they happen upon a French fleet and Clay faces a dilemma: pursue this fleet or head to the nearest British base to report the enemy’s whereabouts.

A bit closer attention to copyediting would have corrected some misspellings, but these are not sufficient to disturb the reader’s enjoyment of this tenth adventure in the Alexander Clay series. My one complaint is that the French characters speak more like their English counterparts than as Frenchmen. This tends to weaken the feel of the French world they inhabit.

Allan does a commendable job portraying both the tedium of daily ship life and the intensity of those occasional bouts of nail-biting action. He deftly weaves humor or anguish into his scenes. One example of the former occurs when one of Sean O’Malley’s schemes backfires. One example of the latter takes place aboard Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Clay and the Immortal Memory is a tale of Napoleon’s successful maneuverings to strike a devastating blow against the British that eventually culminates in the Battle of Trafalgar. Readers get to view these events from both perspectives. The focus, however, is on the aftermath of the clash, which proves just as riveting as the battle. Fans of this series will enjoy this latest adventure.

Meet the author