Julian Stockwin discussion

I only recently purchased this series. It was a nice change to start from the perspective of a pressed seaman and then a 'tarpaulin' officer. Putting the first chapter of the next book at the end certainly whet's your appetite for what is to come.

I think this will be the series I start reading, as this is the one my local library has the most of. Thanks for your help on my other post though.

A really great series. I discovered "Kydd" a couple of days ago, now I have the complete series as Audiobooks, beautifully read by Christian Rodska, and am looking forward to getting through them all - currently half-way through "Artemis".
Known in the Andrew as coming up "through the haweshole"

I have started on this series, and To follow along in Kydd's education and the rumblings of his mess mate is facinating. This has opened up a whole new world of reading. The plight of pressed men is worse than I ever thought.

I thought I understood "Hard Tack" and I knew it was naval staple, but to have it explined in such detail, the elbow to break it up to and the "meat". I am looking forward to many a evening with kydd and his mess mates.


John

Up to "Mutiny" now, but not enjoying it as much as the previous three. The plot seems to me to be getting a little bit silly, and Kydd's womanising is definitely getting boring.

I hope it improves with the next few.

It does. I felt there was a bit of a slump around The Admiral's Daughter but it's really got going in the last couple of books.

Great, and thank you. Despite my reservations vis-a-vis "Mutiny" I'm still enjoying the book and the way the character is developing.
I'm finding it interesting the way the various authors develop "pairings" in their characters, with Hornblower - Bush, Bolitho - Herrick, Aubrey - Maturin and now Kydd - Renzi.

I was ready to drop it myself during the same period (Mutiny), but as Astrodene says, it definitely did pick up.

I'm going to have to try these again. I read Kydd and Artemis when they first hit the stands, but was not overly impressed. I found them a bit difficult to swallow, actually, so I didn't persevere. They have received sufficient praise here, however, that I just placed a hold on a few of them at my local library. I'll update once I've (re)read them. If I find that I still can't swallow the first two, I'll actually review my reasons here for discussion.

malchya wrote:I'm going to have to try these again. I read Kydd and Artemis when they first hit the stands, but was not overly impressed. I found them a bit difficult to swallow, actually, so I didn't persevere. They have received sufficient praise here, however, that I just placed a hold on a few of them at my local library. I'll update once I've (re)read them. If I find that I still can't swallow the first two, I'll actually review my reasons here for discussion.

That's good - it's always good to get reasoned reviews and opinions on books.

Mr. Stockwin's latest, Conquest, receivied a not unkind but somewhat lukewarm review in the Oct. 29 edition of The Wall Street Journal.

Near the end of the article, the reviewer recommended some other authors, one of whom is my favorite.

But I shall not risk the wrath of the forum by mentioning a particular name.

or you could just let them read it for themselves! online.wsj.com

<splutter>

As they say, those who can, do; those who can't, criticize.

As you say, a lukewarm review. Personally I don't think you can compare authors like Lamdin and Stockwin with those from the fairly distant past, like Marryat. Everyone has their own interpretation as to what is good and what is not-so-good, it's very subjective. And I would think that drawing a comparison between Lamdin's work and the "Flashman" novels would probably upset a large number of Lamdin's followers, his writing and his characters are hugely superior to the rather (IMO, of course) shallow ones in the MacDonald Fraser books.

This was the 1st HNF series that I joined at its inception with Kydd in 2001. Since its genesis is somewhat different than other series I had read by that time (Aubrey, Hornblower, Drinkwater, Bolitho), where the lead character begins his career as a Midshipman, it was a rough start for me, the reader, as it was new territory. However, that said, I adapted to the scenario and the fact that I had to wait about a year between novels has made it read more like a series of "stand alone" novels. Some of which I enjoyed more than others.

My least enjoyable read was The Admiral's Daughter where I began to wonder if I was reading a Pre-Victorian "boddice-ripper" rather than a "swashbuckler". But since I read to enjoy, I do continue to read them.

I'd given up on Kydd for the very reasons many mention. Now encouraged to go back and read those after The Admiral's Daughter

I've enjoyed every Kydd book (I have them all in both hard copy and audiobooks) with the one exception of "Mutiny", which I found to have an unbelievable plot and was really not in line with the rest of the Kydd books.

ahoy shipmates just to let everyone know julian stockwins new kydd book 20 is the iberian flame. out june of next year.

Paul-B wrote:I've enjoyed every Kydd book (I have them all in both hard copy and audiobooks) with the one exception of "Mutiny", which I found to have an unbelievable plot and was really not in line with the rest of the Kydd books.

Yeah, Mutiny was one I could not finish. Halfway through I just skipped to the read end.

Kydd has come to like a sailor's life, he is at this point obsessed with having a career in the Navy, he is probably learning hard for his Master's examination, too. He is not mistreated in the ship at that time, despite pressed, not unsatisfied with his life and options in the RN.

Spoiler tag added by Reb01501:

Please use spoiler tags, thanks.

Ahoy shipmates just read on Quartdeck that julian stockwin has a new book out in october. Book 27 Admiral. of the thomas Kydd series. looking forward to that one.

Kydd was promoted to post captain in 1804, now the series progressed to 1814. Is 10 years enough to raise the top of the seniority list to be promoted to flag rank? Somehow I find that questionable.

Historically, captains of 1804 had to wait until 1837 to get their flag. The years just after the resumption of the war were a very bad time to be promoted because of all the men who had been made post in the preceding few years. The shortest time for a captain to wait to become admiral was 17-18 years for those such as Nelson who were made post between 1777 and 1779. For a novelist, this is obviously a long time to have his hero stuck in the same rank, so it makes sense to move him along more quickly. C.S. Forester did the same thing with Hornblower.