W. H. Fitchett

Lieutenant Harry Gaunt, a Guernseyman bred to the sea who speaks perfect French, clashes repeatedly with his nemesis, the odious Captain Giron. Gaunt also strives to win over the beautiful Irene and her disapproving father. There is plenty of action – some of it quite cleverly worked out – as Gaunt uses brains and determination to overcome several reverses. We are also treated to a fine description of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent. Irene’s “Uncle Insects,” a man of learning and a show more Candide-like naïf, provides some comic relief while serving as a kind of Greek chorus to keep us from viewing war as simply an opportunity for adventure and glory.

When I picked up [i]The Commander of the Hirondelle[/i], I thought I'd have to "re-tune" my reading ear for prosy Victorian writing. Instead, I found relatively straightforward language that is quite accessible to modern readers. There is a bit of the "aw shucks" piety of Edwardian boys’ tales, but not enough to be annoying. Fitchett doesn’t go in for a lot of technical seamanship, but he does a fine job of capturing the stirring sight of a single ship or a fleet under sail. No lover of Historic Naval Fiction should miss this gem. It is possible to read it online, but real cloth-and-paper copies (even first editions) can be had for a few dollars. This book would be an excellent candidate for one of those publishers who re-release works which have lapsed into the public domain. show less

A treasure of a book- autobiographical accounts written by soldiers who served during the time of Wellington, principally in Spain and at waterloo. The first person accounts are knitted together by commentary by W H Fitchett. Some, as the memoir of Rifleman Harris are well know; others less so, at least to me. The battlefield description, of Waterloo, by Captain (later General) Alexander Mercer are tremendous, with vivid and horrendous detail of the stress, carnage and confusion of the show more mighty battle. (Mercer's troop had five 9-pounder guns and a 5½" howitzer, 80 gunners, 86 drivers and 226 horses - per Wikipedia) show less

Rather to my disappointment, this proved to be mostly about battles in Spain etc. during the Napoleonic Wars, rather than really in the empire (e.g. India)

This is a super description of this edition of a seller on Abe.uk: Seller: 'Neo Books, Sidcup, KENT, United Kingdom'
Condition: Good. Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Full Leather, 5th impression, some wear to covers and spine, mainly edges and corners, surface of leather worn on corners, boards showing, wear to surface on edges, top and bottom of spine a little worn, 3.5cm crack on bottom of spine join with cover, surface of covers a little grubby, gilt school crest embossed on both show more covers, marbled edges and end papers, internally in good condition, pages crisp and clear, award plaque on front end paper. 384pp'. My copy has a bookplate of interest: a circular label moving from outer circle to the centre: The Lord Giveth Wisdom. Royal School for Daughters of Officers of the Army presented to...Chairman'. Added in ink: Language prize....IVA, Dorothy Stone, C.M.Blake? Lady Principal, Alex Grubb, July 31st 1906' See more detail on Royal School for Daughters of Officers of the Army on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_School_for_Daughters_of_Officers_of_the_Army show less