Victory

Thomas Kydd has lost his beautiful ship, Teazer, in a battle with the French..  Although it sank, he and some of his men were rescued.  Now he is in London hoping for another command.  Unfortunately nothing is available until his friend Nicholas Renzi pulls a few strings.

Kydd is to be captain of a recently captured French frigate.  He wants Renzi to be his confidential secretary.  As excited as Kydd was, he had to await the refitting of the ship in dry dock in Plymouth.  She is to be known as L’Aurore.  Although Kydd has his ship, he doesn’t have the men to man it.  He also has orders to join Admiral Nelson in the Mediterranean post haste!  What is to be done?

He makes the onerous decision to take men from a ship that has just returned from sea.  It is a harsh decision that will only lead to resentment.  The ship is on the verge of mutiny.  Kydd’s next step will either lead to court martial or a stronger ship.  Fortunately Kydd is able to take the ship for sea trials.  After meeting with Nelson, L’ Aurore is tasked with watching for the possible leaving of the French fleet from Toulon.

When the French fleet under Admiral Villenueve sneak out of Toulon, Nelson thinks they have headed east, but his search in that direction is in vain.  At Malta, they discover that the French have retreated to Toulon.  Since the French are bottled up again, L’ Aurore is sent on patrol to the Adriatic.

Once winter is over, the French fleet once again breaks out of Toulon.  Which way are they headed?  Before Nelson’s fleet is aware, the French are headed west, likely to join with the fleets on the Atlantic and then the invasion of England!

Julian Stockwin’s remaining pages of this historical novel follow Nelson’s chase of Villanueve across and across again of the Atlantic.  It was frustrating, but would culminate in the famous Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Nelson.  The author gives detailed accounts of the final battle aboard the Victory, Nelson’s flag ship.

An intensely riveting novel, hard to put down.  What will become of Kydd and Renzi in the sequel?  I look forward to finding out.