What would you like the next book to cover?

Personally I would like a book that covers the period preceeding 'The Flag Captain' when he first gets command of Eurylus. 'The Flag Captain' indicates that during this period he was in Irish waters, an area not covered in the other novels, and effectively running things with a sick Admiral. More detail would be interesting.

I think an adventure prior to In Gallant Company, detailing his first voyage in the Trojan would be cool. A bit more filling out of the lieutenant role and the start of the revolution in America

I am just starting with the "Darkening Sea". I enjoyed more of the shipboard life and interaction of crew of earlier books. The American War was a more interesting that Flag and above with all the personal love stories. Sea action reads better than bedroom action.

Hear, hear!

Want to know what I would really like to see? A complete departure. Let's take the Hyperion, my favorite of all fictional vessels (okay, so my daughter reminded me that I'm forgetting NCC - 1701...maybe) and follow her career before Bolitho. Make the ship the continuing character as opposed to her commander.

So how did Hyperion earn that distinction?

I've been reading in this genre for more than 40 years, and in all of that time the one ship that has felt the most solid to me is the "old Hyperion." I can't really even say why, especially given the historic inconsistencies inherent in Kent's writing, but she simply feels real to me. That goes a long way toward explaining why Enemy in Sight ranks as my favorite novel in the genre. I've often thought that, should I strike oil in the back forty or patent a better mousetrap, she is the ship I would build.... Okay; I would actually build a 74 based on the design of the Bellona, but I would name her Hyperion!

I guess I have to throw that one into my to-read pile - my memory's a little hazy. That runs the risk of needing to read the whole series again, but I'll take that chance.

I pretty much have to agree with what's already been stated about the series as a whole. By the time Bolitho hoisted his flag the series was losing the wind. When he reached Vice Admiral and took up with Kate it was dead calm, and I don't think it's ever recovered.

By the time he was promoted Captain, Adam was an unlikable b******, with all of his father's bad traits and none of his uncle's good ones. As a result of that, I pretty much stopped reading the series after Sword of Honour.

That said, I would really like to read about Bolitho's second cruise aboard Undine, or first aboard Tempest. Another period to explore is the two years between the two halves of Sloop-of-War, and, as many have noted, his Irish Sea patrol as Sir Charles Thelwall's flag captain on Euryalus. Any of these would be far more interesting to me than any of the books about Adam.

I would like to see when Richard went to sea for the first time in the Manxman. He served four years (1768-1772) on it before Richard Bolitho, Midshipman.

burtbarnard wrote:I would like to see when Richard went to sea for the first time in the Manxman. He served four years (1768-1772) on it before Richard Bolitho, Midshipman.

Good thought. That would be interesting.

Can't really comment on it, as I am only 7 or 8 books into the series (can't recall off hand which was the last book I read).

For some reason, while I do enjoy reading it, this series is not gripping me the way others have in the past.

It would be nice to have a map of the travels and action of each book, so as to be able to put a place in the world, to what was happening when and where.

I would like to see more of his adventures during the American war, when he was in command of the sloop.