The Invasion Year
Dewey Lambdin
Dunne, Jan 18 2011, $25.99
ISBN 9780312551858
In 1803, British Royal Navy Captain Alan Lewrie saves a French fleet from a slave rebellion in Haiti though he wanted to ignore their deserved plight as he felt the Haitians were in the right. Soon afterward, Lewrie and his crew cross the Atlantic protecting merchant ships. In London King George III honors Lewrie for his patriotic endeavors by knighting him.
However, even he is taken back by his next assignment as he thought he had seen everything. Lewrie works on a torpedo experiment as a potential weapon to greet Napoleon when he crosses the Channel. Only debauchery and wenching keeps Lewrie afloat as the new weapon seems more dangerous to the handlers than the French.
The latest Lewrie historical military thriller (see King, Ship and Sword) is filled with trademark humor as the hero is more intoxicated then usual and has more senior officers who only get wet in Bath available to offend. The overall story line is fast-paced but overly cites (in detail) the protagonist’s daring deeds that led to his knighthood. Still fans of the series will enjoy Lewrie’s return home as Napoleon prepares for the French Invasion Year that the brass hopes they can torpedo with the hero as an expendable guinea pig.
Harriet Klausner
No comments:
Post a Comment