Entertaining, despite flaws

The resolutions were a little too pat, and the hero's personal life modeled Nelson's a little too closely (again!), but i still found myself reading through the entire series, groaning when I reached the last one and realized the author was in no condition to finish the series

I think you summed the series up nicely.

The fact he was a lord (not using his title) and the feud based around his father made it a bit different from some of the other series. Some like Ramage's Diamond where he has the crew split so many ways stretch credulity a bit far but they are a good read

Interesting you speak about stretching credulity.

After having finished the first volume - which no doubt I enjoyed very much - I had the feeling that Ramage is too good to be true even for a fiction... The 22 year old Lieutenant is mature, intelligent, cool headed in his first command as an experienced old Post Captain just a few days before hoisting his flag...

I agree with your take, Big Joe. I have tried a few Ramage books and the hero did seem a bit too dime-novel dashing and amazing (the ladies love him and so do the men!). I will give them a try again in the future but after reading a few I still remain unhooked by Ramage.

Just finished Ramage's Signal and until this book I did'nt think the above posts rang true, but this book really shows what you guys seem to be talking about, but still a good read in the end.

Cheers, I am just about to open Ramage and the Renegades, I'm curious how this one might go.

Tom

I am a little behind you. My next Ramage is Touch. But during the last month I read alternately Ramage and Kydd, and this week it's Kidd

One reason for this is that I can't make up my mind which is better...

Got it BJ, I won't post anything more til your caught up my friend.

About comparing series, I think each has their own place, so to speak, some "speak" more to me than others but I'm sure I will get all of them in the future.

Kydd seems to have so much more potential and in the end it left me a little off on it. Rammage on the other hand until that last book I comented on really kept me going throughout all of the books, until that one, if you know what I mean I hope.

But everyone has their own tatses in what they think is a great sea going read, I like my variety but some I like better than others. NOT meaning others are bad or anything, just different enough that I do'nt get as much out of it as some other series.

Cheers, thanks for the post sir.

Tom

I must generally agree with your observation. I would only add that in series that long like the ones we talk about, it would be impossible for the author to keep the same quality for every single volume. Even O'brian had different qualities in his series.

I hear ya there, more like how they might all mesh together if it happens that situations and topics from other books in the series are used in other ones, kind of.

Cheers, it also depends on ones moods sometimes, yep old HB would just hit the spot tonight for a couple hours, or I feel like I'm in the mood for some Rammage tails or another writers. Each writer tends to bring different things to their books with their Age of Sail "Touch" LOL, if I may say so.

Tom

I am rather partial to Ramage, mainly I think due to Pope's writing style, which for some reason I feel very comfortable with. I find myself gelling with the character despite agreeing with many of the comments above - Ramage is certainly too good to be true, but I suppose that what heroes are! Haven't yet completed the series but will do before long.

I'm actually rereading the Ramage series at the moment. I'm about 2/3rds of the way through Freebooters. I agree with the general opinion expressed in the above posts, though I have to throw out one observation: No one, not even POB, has managed to convey the tropics as well as Pope. His love of and familiarity with the tropics shines through on every page set there.

I am in a certain mourning mood. I have just finished last week "Ramage and the Dido" and I am painfully aware that I will never see a new volume.

Stings a bit, doesn't it? I find I miss Mr. Pope, though perhaps more for his non fiction than fiction.

I read Ramage and the Saracens and didn't like it at all. Are the others better?

It's been a few years, but I remember that one was pretty typical .