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Spithead, 1784. His Majesty's Frigate, Undine, sets sail for India and the seas beyond. Europe may be at peace-but in colonial waters the promises of statesmen count for little and the bloody struggle for supremacy still goes on.Tags
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Member Reviews
Except for the exotic location--the Malacca Strait--this is a perfectly typical novel in the Kent's Richard Bolitho series. In fact, I'd happily recommend it on that basis: If you wanted to read exactly one Bolitho novel, Command a King's Ship would be a fine choice. Romance, grand strategy, sea and land battles, and a bit of politics. Quite gory.
This review has also been published on a dabbler's journal.
This review has also been published on a dabbler's journal.
It is 1784, and His Majesty's frigate "Undine" sets sail from Spithead for India. Europe may be at peace, but in colonial waters the promises of statesmen count for little and the bloody struggle for supremacy goes on. Richard Bolitho undertakes a task that would be better handled by a squadron.
Jan 6, 2010 (Edited)Dutch
Spithead (Inglaterra), 1784. La fragata de Su Majestad Undine se hace a la mar rumbo a la India y otros territorios de ultramar (Mar de la China, entre Borneo y Ceilán). En Europa se ha firmado la paz, pero en las aguas de las colonias poco cuentan los pactos de los políticos, y aún se libran sangrientas batallas por el dominio de los mares.En el transcurso de la misión se pone de manifiesto cuan ciertas fueron las palabras del almirante Winslade a Bolitho: "La tarea que le encomiendo sería más propia de un escuadrón, dirigido por un almirante".
Nov 4, 2022Spanish
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Form line of battle - Best historical naval fiction
15 works; 2 members
Author Information
51+ Works 9,958 Members
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Command A King's Ship
- Original publication date
- 1973
- People/Characters
- Richard Bolitho (captain); Thomas Herrick (lieutenant); Sir John Winslade (rear-admiral); John Allday (coxswain); Valentine Keen (midshipman); John Soames (lieutenant) (show all 21); Villiers Davy (lieutenant); Giles Bellairs (marine captain); Charles Whitmarsh (surgeon); Ezekiel Mudge (master); James Raymond (government courier); Don Luis Puigserver (spanish emissary); Alfonso Triarte (captain); Viola Raymond; Joseph Duff (cooper); Beves Conway (rear-admiral); Sir Montagu Strang (governor of madras); Johnathan Potter; Paul Le Chaumareys (french captain); Don Jose Pastor (colonel); Muljadi
- Important places
- Falmouth, Cornwall, England, UK; Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK; London, England, UK; Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain; Madras, India; Borneo
- Epigraph
- Danger and Death dance to the wild music of the gale, and when it is night they dance with a fiercer abandon, as if to allay the fears that beset the sailormen who feel their touch but see them not. — George H. Grant
- Dedication
- To the Contessa with love
- First words
- An Admiralty messenger opened the door of a small anteroom and said politely, 'If you would be so good as to wait, sir.' He stood aside to allow Captain Richard Bolitho to pass and added, 'Sir John knows you are here.'
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He started to pace the deck once more. Acting-Lieutenant Valentine Keen, of His Majesty's frigate Undine, was content.
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Statistics
- Members
- 461
- Popularity
- 66,079
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.64)
- Languages
- 5 — English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 39
- ASINs
- 17
