Under the Black Ensign (Stories from the Golden Age)

Rousing adventure on the high seas. A fun tale in a simpler pulp style. Refreshing brisk and well dramatized. A rewarding audio experience. Brought back memories of daydreaming while reading Classics Illustrated. A great way to spend two hours.

This is the second book that I am reviewing from L. Ron Hubbard and I hope it is my last. Nothing about this work is impressive or interesting. The story seems to be a rough draft with all the details left out. There is nothing that helps you to care about any of the characters. L. Ron Hubbard's deplorable view (this might be an unfair assumption, but both books of his that I have read have this view) that whites are superior is very prevalent in this book. The production is good, but the story is not worth the effort. It is a simple recycling of stereotypes in an unoriginal plot stolen from far superior writers.

This story placed a solid meh in my opinion. The story was short enough that there was no character development, but because that was the case the action felt fairly fast paced. I finished reading it about five minutes ago and I feel nothing. I don’t have that slight feeling of euphoria and longing that comes from finishing a good book, but I also don’t have that bitter taste in my mouth from reading something distasteful and poorly written. All in all this in one of the most unremarkable things I have ever read. Like I said it ranks at a solid meh.

Another rapidly moving tale from L. Ron Hubbard, Under the Black Ensign is quite the enjoyable read. Heroes (Pirates!), Villains, Damsel in a dress, everything an adventure tale from the ‘30s should be.

And some things that it should not be. There is a small glossary at the end to explain certain terms. One such was “pieces of seven.” This is defined as a small cannon with a bore diameter of seven centimeters. Since the story is set in 1680, more than one hundred years before the introduction of the metric system, there is a serious anachronism here. There is also a reference to a fortress armed with “Thirty eight-thousand pound cannon”. Since cannon at the time were defined by the weight of their shot (not cannon weight or show more bore size) this is also wrong. There are many such errors. It seems no self respecting pirate would have a ship of less than 50 guns, and regularly went looking for warships beat up on. All silliness.

None of my criticisms should be taken as detracting from the basic entertainment of the story itself. But of more concern is the fact that this very small story (80 pages) goes for $9.95. That seems way more than it is worth. Any book by C.S. Forester or Patrick O’Brian seems a much better value. show less

Another 80-year-old pulp yarn from L. Ron Hubbard—this one not much more than a mildly pleasurable diversion featuring the usual cast of flat characters going through their standard paces. Even so, I was actually enjoying the fast-paced seventeenth-century pirate action right up until the too-perfect-to-be-believable ending rolled up in the last few pages with a loud clunk.

Thanks to LibraryThing for awarding this book to me through their giveaway!

The Story.

Tom Bristol didn’t volunteer to serve on the HMS Terror. He was first mate on the Randolph when he was gang-pressed into the service of Captain Manville. But his resentment didn’t compel him to hurl a belaying pin at the Lord High Governor of Nevis, passenger aboard the Terror. Oh, no. That was an accident…

Neither Sir Charles Stukely nor Captain Manville are convinced by Bristol’s protestations of innocence. He attempted to assassinate the governor – he must be punished! One hundred lashes with the whip is too good for him!

But Bristol is saved, strangely enough, by the attack of a pirate ship which overwhelms the Terror. Finding Bristol bound, show more they free him and install him as part of the Terror’s new, piratical crew. Has Bristol turned outlaw, or will he still fight for honor and justice?

Discussion.

I have read two other works by L. Ron Hubbard – The Iron Duke and The Phantom Patrol. All three stories are what is known as “pulp fiction” - cheap, stereotypical adventures replete with daring heroes and leering villains. When judged as literature, pulp fiction is unimpressive. But when viewed as a separate cultural phenomena with a different purpose, pulp fiction can be appreciated on a different level.

As pulp fiction, The Phantom Patrol was okay. The Iron Duke was good. And Under the Black Ensign was very good. True, it has none of the depth or complexities of the four hundred page novel; but it’s not supposed to. It’s supposed to be a quick, zip-in-and-zip-out-adventure with no character development and lots of swordplay. And Under the Black Ensign acquits itself well by these standards.

Of course, Under the Black Ensign’s ending bore a remarkable resemblance to the ending of Captain Blood. (The movie version; I haven’t read the book.) In fact, having read Under the Black Ensign and watched Captain Blood within a week of each other, I rather got the two muddled in my mind. There are differences, to be sure, but enough of a resemblance to connect the two.

Conclusion. Fun fiction from the Golden Era of Pulp Fiction. The best I’ve read by L. Ron Hubbard thus far.

Note: I know next to nothing about maritime history, and therefore am unable to report whether the terms used and attitudes reflected in Under the Black Ensign are accurate.

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This is one of a number of books that appear in the Golden Age series. For those of you who may be worried that the book may contain references to scientology or dianetics, for which this Author appears to be well-known, you need not worry. At no point in my reading of this did I find any references to either of these.

If you are a reader that is looking for a no frills, straight to the action kind of book, this one will be right up your alley. Like most books written in this era and classified as pulp fiction, there is no thought at all given to any character development, and when every page is packed with action and adventure, why waste time with all the frills and fancy that developing a back story brings with it. As with most of this show more Authors Golden Age books, the characters portrayed within its pages are not the usual stereotypical fodder one would except from this kind of book; instead they are more archetypical which makes the book more palatable for the reader.

At only 121 pages, this little novella is full of pirates, adventure, mishap, exploits and did I mention pirates? Every kind of piratical adventure imaginable is packed into these pages, and the reader can find themselves turning the last page before they realise it. It’s a high-octane and great uncomplicated read for all ages, especially children who are caught up in the pirate craze, and adults looking for some good old-fashioned escapism. I also feel this book would be suitable as bedtime reading to your children and grandchildren, and would definitely read it to mine.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will definitely be hunting down some more of the Golden Age books for those nasty winter afternoons that lay ahead. I highly recommend you do the same.

Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/11/19/review-under-the-black-ensign-l-ron-hubbar...




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