(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 18): an all-action and unputdownable adventure from the master storyteller of the sea

Colours Aloft!

This naval page-turner from the pen of the master storyteller of the sea, multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, is full of action, political intrigue and personal tragedy and is perfect for fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester. Dive in and get straight to the heart of the action! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times 
'Really good book, needed to keep turning the pages' -- ***** Reader review 
'This series is the daddy!' -- ***** Reader review 
'A jolly good read' -- ***** Reader review 
'Great novel, great writing, always guaranteed to keep me interested' -- ***** Reader review 
'Excellent read, you're there with Boltho!' -- ***** Reader review 
'Exciting throughout. Brilliant!' -- ***** Reader review 
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1803: Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho finds himself the new master of the Argonaute, a French flagship taken in battle. With the Peace of Amiens in ruins, he must leave the safety of Falmouth. 
 
 What lies ahead is the grim reality of war at close quarters - where Bolitho will be called upon to anticipate the overall intention of the French fleet. But the battle has also become a personal vendetta between himself and the French admiral who formerly sailed the Argonaute. 
 
 Bolitho and his men are driven to a final rendezvous where no quarter is asked or given.

One of our foremost writers of naval fiction

Alexander Kent is the author of twenty-eight acclaimed books featuring Richard Bolitho. Under his own name, Douglas Reeman, and in the course of a career spanning forty-five years, he has written over thirty novels and two non-fiction books.

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 10): more scintillating naval action from the master storyteller of the sea

With All Despatch

More action from the master storyteller of the sea!

Let multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent transport you right to the heart of the action in this high-octane, pacy and gripping naval adventure. Fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester will not be disappointed. 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - Sunday Times 
'As a former naval officer, Alexander Kent knows what it is like to be at sea' -- The Times 
'Engrossing' -- ***** Reader review 
'Great action, great characters, great adventure' -- ***** Reader review 
'Unexpected twists and turns, fascinating plot lines and gripping descriptions of naval battles' -- ***** Reader review 
'A difficult book to put down!' -- ***** Reader review 
 
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1792: A troubled peace with France means that the English royal fleet has been left to rot. 
 
Even a frigate captain as famous as Richard Bolitho is forced to swallow his pride and visit the Admiralty daily to plead for a ship. As the clouds of war begin to rise once more over the Channel, he has no choice but to accept an appointment to the Nore. 
 
With his small flotilla of three topsail cutters, Bolitho sets out to search the coast for seamen who have fled the harsh discipline of His Majesty's Navy for the more tempting rewards of smuggling. But the 'Brotherhood' he comes up against are brutal and dangerous with a secret, sinister trade in human misery. 
 
So when a King's ransom is in peril and Bolitho is ordered to proceed 'with all despatch' to recover it, he has no choice but to rely on the loyalty and courage of his three gallant cutters. 
 
If anyone fulfil this mission, it's Bolitho - but he'll need all his wits, wisdom, might and mettle to succeed... 
 
Bolitho's adventures continue in Form Line of Battle.

Let multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent transport you right to the heart of the action in this high-octane, pacy and gripping naval adventure. Fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester will not be disappointed. 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - Sunday Times 
'As a former naval officer, Alexander Kent knows what it is like to be at sea' -- The Times 
'Engrossing' -- ***** Reader review 
'Great action, great characters, great adventure' -- ***** Reader review 
'Unexpected twists and turns, fascinating plot lines and gripping descriptions of naval battles' -- ***** Reader review 
'A difficult book to put down!' -- ***** Reader review 
 
***************************************************************************************** 
1792: A troubled peace with France means that the English royal fleet has been left to rot. 
 
Even a frigate captain as famous as Richard Bolitho is forced to swallow his pride and visit the Admiralty daily to plead for a ship. As the clouds of war begin to rise once more over the Channel, he has no choice but to accept an appointment to the Nore. 
 
 With his small flotilla of three topsail cutters, Bolitho sets out to search the coast for seamen who have fled the harsh discipline of His Majesty's Navy for the more tempting rewards of smuggling. But the 'Brotherhood' he comes up against are brutal and dangerous with a secret, sinister trade in human misery. 
 
So when a King's ransom is in peril and Bolitho is ordered to proceed 'with all despatch' to recover it, he has no choice but to rely on the loyalty and courage of his three gallant cutters. 
 
If anyone fulfil this mission, it's Bolitho - but he'll need all his wits, wisdom, might and mettle to succeed... 
 
Bolitho's adventures continue in Form Line of Battle.

(Richard Bolitho: Book 23)

For My Country's Freedom

Fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester will love this captivating, vivid and exciting page-turner from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat! 
 
'Shipwreck, survival... a spirited battle... a splendid yarn' -- Times 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Alexander Keen is a master of his craft' -- ***** Reader review 
'Seamless fiction at its best' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another great story, gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review 
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review 
************************************************************************************************ 
1811: After two and a half months of precious peace in Cornwall with his beloved mistress Catherine, Admiral Richard Bolitho is once again summoned to London. 
 
In defence of an Empire, the Admiralty must quell the unrest in America - or face the war with those who were once friends. For when diplomacy fails, the cannon will speak. 
 
For his daring mission, Bolitho must call on the loyalty of his most trusted officers - and the trust of those he loves the most. Distance too is their enemy, as the Indomitable leads the fleet from Plymouth towards the rich merchant grounds of the Americas. 
 
In the troubled seas from Antigua north to Halifax, Admiral Bolitho's revolutionary 'flying squadron' will face their first and harshest test. For a country's freedom. 
 
For a hero's right to turn his back on the sea ...

Shipwreck, survival... a spirited battle... a splendid yarn

Alexander Kent is the author of twenty-seven acclaimed books featuring Richard Bolitho. Under his own name, Douglas Reeman, and in the course of a career spanning forty-five years, he has written over thirty novels and two non-fiction books.

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 17): a fast-paced naval page-turner from the master storyteller of the sea

Success to the Brave

Fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester will love this gripping, all-guns-blazing naval adventure from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - full of passion and compassion, you'll won't be able to put this one down...! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times 
'Another cracking yarn' -- ***** Reader review 
'Leaves you breathless' -- ***** Reader review 
'Yet another awesome tale from the master storyteller'-- ***** Reader review 
'Draws you in and keeps you engaged the whole way'-- ***** Reader review 
'Excellent book, you feel you are there in the middle of the fighting' -- ***** Reader review 
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1802: Richard Bolitho is summoned to the Admiralty in London and given his orders for a difficult and, to him, distasteful task. Even an advanced promotion to vice-admiral does not compensate for his sudden and thankless mission. Bolitho and his wife are expecting their first child, and for once he is loath to quit the land for the demands of duty. 
 
The Peace of Amiens, signed a few weeks earlier, is already showing signs of strain as the old enemies wrangle over the return of colonial possessions won and lost during the war. In the little sixty-four-gun AchatesBolitho sails West for Boston, and thence to the Caribbean where he must hand over the island of San Felipe to the French. 
 
Bolitho discovers that to be a man of diplomacy is not enough, and as threat and counter-threat weave a web of intrigue around his lonely command, he balances success against the danger to the men who must follow him even to the cannon's mouth.

Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'

Douglas Reeman did convoy duty in the navy in the Atlantic, the Arctic, and the North Sea.He has written over thirty novels under his own name and more than twenty best-selling historical novels featuring Richard Bolitho under the pseudonym Alexander Kent.

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 21): an unputdownable naval page-turner from the master storyteller of the sea

Beyond the Reef

The exciting chronological sequel to the previous Bolitho adventure - The Only Victor

Let the master storyteller of the sea, multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, transport you to the heart of the action in this no-holds-barred naval adventure. You'll feel like you're on the deck with Bolitho! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times 
'A great read from beginning to the end' -- ***** Reader review 
'Keeps you hooked - I was not able to stop reading until the dramatic finale!!!' -- ***** Reader review 
'Edge of your seat reading, most enjoyable' -- ***** Reader review 
'Difficult to put down. Superb' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another masterpiece from Alexander Kent' -- ***** Reader review 
************************************************************************************************** 
1808: As Napoleon holds Portugal and threatens his old ally Spain, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho is dispatched once more to the Cape of Good Hope to establish a permanent naval force there. 
 
Setting aside his bitter memories and the anguish of a friendship betrayed, Bolitho takes passage in the ill-fated Golden Plover. With him sail others commanded by duty and lured by danger - and those who wish only to escape. 
 
But when shipwreck and disaster overtake the Golden Plover off the desolate coast of Africa, neither the innocent nor the damned are spared. Beyond the tortured hell of the reef, Bolitho's battle begins - to summon the survivors' last reserves of courage and of hope.

Let the master storyteller of the sea, multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, transport you to the heart of the action in this no-holds-barred naval adventure. You'll feel like you're on the deck with Bolitho! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times 
'A great read from beginning to the end' -- ***** Reader review 
'Keeps you hooked - I was not able to stop reading until the dramatic finale!!!' -- ***** Reader review 
'Edge of your seat reading, most enjoyable' -- ***** Reader review 
'Difficult to put down. Superb' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another masterpiece from Alexander Kent' -- ***** Reader review 
************************************************************************************************** 
1808: As Napoleon holds Portugal and threatens his old ally Spain, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho is dispatched once more to the Cape of Good Hope to establish a permanent naval force there. 
 
Setting aside his bitter memories and the anguish of a friendship betrayed, Bolitho takes passage in the ill-fated Golden Plover. With him sail others commanded by duty and lured by danger - and those who wish only to escape. 
 
But when shipwreck and disaster overtake the Golden Plover off the desolate coast of Africa, neither the innocent nor the damned are spared. Beyond the tortured hell of the reef, Bolitho's battle begins - to summon the survivors' last reserves of courage and of hope.

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 22): a naval page-turner from the master storyteller of the sea that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Darkening Sea

The thrilling twenty-first naval adventure featuring Richard Bolitho

If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this captivating, vivid and exciting page-turner from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you hooked! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times 
'A very hard book to put down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Awesome' -- ***** Reader review 
'Gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review 
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review 
'A great yarn' -- ***** Reader review 
*************************************************************************************************** 
1809: Returning safely to England after the dramatic capture of Martinque, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho finds an all too brief respite from war and politics in the arms of his mistress Catherine Somervell. 
 
But the shadow of a new conflict already darkens the horizon. The old enemy, France, forges an uneasy alliance with America - threatening the safety of British trade routes. 
 
Although ordered immediately to the Indian Ocean, for the first time Bolitho's thoughts are not of glory but his own - and the Navy's - past. 
 
Both Nelson and Collingwood died in their country's service. For the navy's newest Admiral, is there life beyond the sea itself?

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 3): a riveting and fast-paced naval adventure from the master storyteller of the sea

Band Of Brothers

A key work in the early history of Richard Bolitho

Richard Bolitho returns in this captivating page-turner set on the high seas from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent. Fans of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester will not be disappointed! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES 
'Good characters, good story, good action.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Leaves you wanting more' -- ***** Reader review 
'Every 'Kent' book is a joy to read, immersing you in this bygone era of seafaring.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Just good nautical escape-ism, with a solid basis in history.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Band Of Brothers is a classic Kent/Bolitho epic which I hardly put down for days until it was reluctantly finished.' -- ***** Reader review 
 
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1774: The new year seems to offer Richard Bolitho and his friend Martyn Dancer the culmination of a dream. Both have been recommended for promotion, although they have not yet gained the coveted lieutenant's commission. 
 
But a routine passage from Plymouth to Guernsey in an untried schooner becomes, for Bolitho, a passage from midshipman to King's officer, tempering the promise of the future with the bitter price of maturity. 
 
Will he rise to the occasion? 
 
Richard Bolitho's adventures continue in Stand into Danger.

In the King's Name

The new Bolitho novel from our greatest living naval writer.

One of our foremost writers of naval fiction... authentic, inspiring, well characterised and, finally, moving

Excellent...comparable to the wonderful Hornblower novels. Kent describes characters and actions with great clarity and skill

The storytelling has an easy mastery, how well Kent knows the psychology of navalmen

It is January 1819, and Captain Adam Bolitho ships out from Falmouth bound for Freetown, on the old the slave coast of Africa. H.M.S. Onward carries sealed orders in the strongbox below deck. But why all the secrecy and apparent urgency? And why Onward, so soon after the Mediterranean, and that bloody action with Nautilus? 
 
On their way back into port having completed their mission, the crew of the Onward spy the debris of an allied frigate, destroyed as if taken by surprise. Bodies are strewn among the shark-infested waters and no enemy in sight. A single word frozen on the lips of the dead. Mutiny. The men begin to question who is friend and who is foe. 
 
All is not well aboard the Onward; envy and hunger for power consume some of the crew, but they must band together and risk their lives, in the name of the King. A searing and gripping tale of trouble on the high seas, and of the weakness of the human spirit, In the King's Name heralds the return of our greatest living maritime writer and the legendary Adam Bolitho.. 
 
All is not well aboard the Onward; envy and hunger for power consume some of the crew, but they must band together and risk their lives together, in the name of the King. A searing and gripping tale of trouble on the high seas, and of the weakness of the human spirit, In the King's Name heralds the return of our greatest living maritime writer and the legendary Adam Bolitho.

The Richard Bolitho Adventures: 23

Another thrilling Bolitho adventure from the master of navel fiction, Alexander Kent (pseudonym for Douglas Reeman).

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 2): all-action naval adventures on the high seas from the master storyteller of the sea

Midshipman Bolitho and the 'Avenger'

The three midshipman Bolitho novellas in one omnibus volume, from Alexander Kent, also known as Douglas Reeman.

If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this gripping collection of swashbuckling maritime tales from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you hooked! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES 
'A rattling good tale...Alexander Kent captures the ethos of Nelson's navy as well as any writer before or since.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review 
'Could not put it down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Fantastic book by an outstanding author' -- ***** Reader review 
 
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1773: Midshipman Bolitho's ship, the Gorgon, is laid up for refit, and he is allowed home for Christmas. 
 
Bolitho, now seventeen, returns to his family in Falmouth, and soon discovers that all is not well in Cornwall. There are rumours of an increase in smuggling, even witchcraft, and when a murdered man is found near the Bolitho house, ugly rumour becomes reality. Wrecking, the most savage of all crimes, is a further cause for alarm. 
 
Only a small and agile man-of-war can be of use against such restless enemies. To Falmouth comes one such vessel, the Avenger, and thoughts of a carefree leave are quickly forgotten, especially when Bolitho learns the name of the Avenger's commander... 
 
Three midshipman Bolitho novellas are included in this one omnibus volume. Bolitho's adventures continue in Band of Brothers.

Alexander Kent's great interest in the ships and men of the eighteenth century navy was aroused when he was still at school. Although he attended fleet reviews and explored modern warships and dockyards with his father, he found that the great days of square riggers and battles at close quarters captured his imagination. H.M.S. Victory, Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, was always high on his list of regular visits. 
 
He served in the Royal Navy as a young man, and saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic and other major theatres of war, but his first love of the great days of sail remained unshaken. 
 
Now firmly established as a leading writer of authentic sea stories, he was the author of twenty-eight acclaimed books featuring Richard Bolitho. Under his own name, Douglas Reeman, and in the course of a career spanning forty-five years, he wrote over thirty novels and two non-fiction books. He died in January 2017.

If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this gripping collection of swashbuckling maritime tales from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you hooked! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES 
'A rattling good tale...Alexander Kent captures the ethos of Nelson's navy as well as any writer before or since.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review 
'Could not put it down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Fantastic book by an outstanding author' -- ***** Reader review 
 
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1773: Midshipman Bolitho's ship, the Gorgon, is laid up for refit, and he is allowed home for Christmas. 
 
 Bolitho, now seventeen, returns to his family in Falmouth, and soon discovers that all is not well in Cornwall. There are rumours of an increase in smuggling, even witchcraft, and when a murdered man is found near the Bolitho house, ugly rumour becomes reality. Wrecking, the most savage of all crimes, is a further cause for alarm. 
 
 Only a small and agile man-of-war can be of use against such restless enemies. To Falmouth comes one such vessel, the Avenger, and thoughts of a carefree leave are quickly forgotten, especially when Bolitho learns the name of the Avenger's commander... 
 
Three midshipman Bolitho novellas are included in this one omnibus volume. Bolitho's adventures continue in Band of Brothers.

Midshipman Bolitho: "Richard Bolitho – Midshipman", "Midshipman Bolitho and the Avenger" and "Band of Brothers"

Action filled omnibus from the master storyteller of the sea

One of our foremost writers of naval fiction...authentic, inspiring, well-characterised and, finally, moving

Richard Bolitho -- Midshipman 
 
October 1772, Portsmouth. And sixteen-year-old Richard Bolitho waits to join the Gorgon ordered to sail to the west coast of Africa and to destroy those who challenge the King's Navy. For Bolitho, and for many of the crew, it is a severe and testing initiation into the game of seamanship. 
 
Midshipman Bolitho and the 'Avenger' 
 
December 1773, Falmouth. The young Bolitho looks forward to a family Christmas in Cornwall while the Gorgon is refitted. But Cornwall is the treacherous stamping ground of smugglers and wreckers. After the murder of a revenue office, Bolitho is swept aboard his brother's cutter Avenger on a dangerous mission of hide and seek. 
 
Band of Brothers 
 
1774 - the new year seems to offer Richard Bolitho and his friend Martyn Dancer the culmination of a dream. Both have been recommended for promotion, although they have not yet gained the coveted lieutenant's commission. But a routine passage from Plymouth to Guernsey in an untried schooner becomes, for Bolitho, a passage from midshipman to King's officer, tempering the promise of the future with the bitter price of maturity.

Heart Of Oak

As you would expect, Kent is a dab hand at plotting and at action scenes, and this novel is another accomplished performance from the old man of the sea

The storytelling has an easy mastery; the prose is lean and muscular, without a word wasted. How well Kent knows his stuff! Not just the jargon of the high seas - the pawls and maintops and the quarter-boats and the catheads - but the psychology of naval men in uniform

It is February 1818, and Adam Bolitho longs for marriage and a safe personal harbour. But with so much of Britain's fleet redundant, he knows he is fortunate to be offered H.M.S. Onward, a new 38-gun frigate whose first mission is not war but diplomacy, as consort to the French frigate Nautilus. 
 
Under the burning sun of North Africa, Bolitho is keenly aware of the envy and ambition among his officers, the troubled, restless spirits of his midshipmen, and the old enemy's proximity. It is only when Nautilus becomes a sacrificial offering on the altar of empire that every man discovers the brotherhood of the sea is more powerful than the bitter memories of an ocean of blood and decades of war.

A Richard Bolitho Adventure

Man Of War

Antigua 1817 
 
Every harbour and estuary is filled with ghostly ships, the famous and the legendary now redundant in the aftermath of the war. In this uneasy peace, Adam Bolitho is fortunate to be offered the seventy-four gun Athena, and as flag captain to Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Bethune once more follows his destiny to the Caribbean. 
 
But in these haunted waters where Richard Bolitho and his 'band of brothers' once fought a familiar enemy, the quarry is now a renegade foe who flies no colours and offers no quarter, and whose traffic in human life is sanctioned by flawed treaties and men of influence. And here, and when Athena's guns speak, a day of terrible retribution will dawn for the innocent and the damned.

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 25)

Sword Of Honour

With the epic scenes of action, powerful characterisation and the authentic period detail that we have come to expect from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, this all-action naval adventure is perfect for fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester. You'll be hooked from page one! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES 
'A real page-turner' -- ***** Reader review 
'Masterful and emotional' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another great story, gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review 
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review 
******************************************************************************************* 
1814: Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho returns to England from several months' rigorous patrolling off the North American coast. War with the United States has not yet ended, but news of Napoleon's defeat and abdication has stunned a navy and a nation bled by years of European conflict. 
 
Victory has been the impossible dream and now, for Bolitho, a vision of the future and a personal peace seems attainable. 
 
However an unsympathetic Admiralty dispatches him to Malta. Is this appointment a compliment or a malicious ploy to keep Bolitho from the woman he loves and the freedom he craves? He cannot know, but the voice of duty speaks more insistently even than the voice of the heart, and in this familiar sea where both glory and tragedy have touched his life, Bolitho must confront the future, the renaissance of a hated tyrant, and the fulfilment of destiny.

One of the foremost writers of naval fiction

Second To None

June 1815 
 
On the eve of Waterloo, a sense of finality and cautious hope pervade a nation wearied by decades of war. But peace will present its own challenge to Adam Bolitho, captain of His Majesty's Ship Unrivalled, as many of his contemporaries face the prospect of discharge. 
 
The life of a frigate captain is always lonely, but for Adam, mourning the death of his uncle Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho, that solitude acquires a deeper poignancy. He is, more than ever, alone, at the dawning of a new age for the Royal Navy, where the only constants are the sea and those enemies, often masked in the guise of friendship, who conspire to destroy him.

Relentless Pursuit

Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn

December 1815 
 
Adam Bolitho's orders are unequivocal. As captain of His Majesty's frigate Unrivalled of forty-six guns, he is required to 'repair in the first instance to Freetown, Sierra Leone, and reasonably assist the senior officer of the patrolling squadron. But all efforts of the British anti-slavery patrols to curb a flourishing trade in human life are hampered by unsuitable ships, by the indifference of a government more concerned with old enemies made distrustful allies, and by the continuing belligerence of the Dey of Algiers, which threatens to ignite a full-scale war. 
 
For Adam, also, there is no peace. Lost in grief and loneliness, his uncle's death still unavenged, he is uncertain of all but his identity as a man of war. The sea is his element, the ship his only home, and a reckless, perhaps doomed attack on an impregnable stronghold his only hope of settling the bitterest of debts.

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 24)

Cross Of St George

If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this gripping and swashbuckling maritime tale from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to keep you hooked! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' - THE SUNDAY TIMES 
'Addictive' -- ***** Reader review 
'A rattling good tale...Alexander Kent captures the ethos of Nelson's navy as well as any writer before or since.' -- ***** Reader review 
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review 
'Could not put it down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Fantastic book by an outstanding author' -- ***** Reader review 
******************************************************************************* 
1813: with convoys from Canada and the Caribbean falling victim to American privateers, Sir Richard Bolitho returns to Halifax to pursue a war he knows will not be won, but which neither Britain nor the United States can afford to lose. 
 
England's youngest admiral desires only peace. 
 
But peace will not be found in the icy Canadian waters, where a young, angry nation asserts its identity and men who share a common heritage die in close and bloody action. 
 
Nor will there be a peace for those who follow the Cross of St George: for the embittered Adam, mourning his lover and his ship, nor for Rear-Admiral Valentine Keen, who must confront both grief and responsibility. 
 
Nor will there be peace from those enemies who use this struggle between nations as an instrument of personal revenge...

The Richard Bolitho Adventures: 19

Honour This Day

Exciting Bolitho adventure beautifully repackaged

If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this all-guns-blazing naval page-turner from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to have you hooked from page one! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn' -- The Times 
'Gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review 
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review 
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review 
'Exceptionally well written' -- ***** Reader review 
'What a story!' -- ***** Reader review 
 
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1804: England stands alone against France and the fleets of Spain, expecting an invasion any day. Entrusted with an urgent mission for the King, Vice-Admiral Richard Bolitho hoists his flag above the veteran seventy-four-gun ship Hyperion and sets sail with a new squadron for the Caribbean. 
 
Plagued by the knowledge that both his troubled marriage and the eye injured in his last battle with Contre-Amiral Jobert are worsening, Bolitho is eager to leave England less than three months after his return home. But even his beloved old ship Hyperion, hastily restored from an ignominious existence as a hulk, is full of tormenting memories and lost faces. 
 
Having navigated several battles along the way, he is roused in Antigua from his darkness of soul by the rediscovery of a passion which defies convention and every risk to his reputation. 
 
His future is full of uncertainty as he sails east to Gibraltar, for a rendezvous that all who follow his flag will remember...

If you like Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester, you will love this all-guns-blazing naval page-turner from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent - guaranteed to have you hooked from page one! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn' -- The Times 
'Gripping to the end' -- ***** Reader review 
'Difficult to put down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Superb' -- ***** Reader review 
'Riveting' -- ***** Reader review 
'Exceptionally well written' -- ***** Reader review 
'What a story!' -- ***** Reader review 
 
*********************************************************************************************** 
 
1804: England stands alone against France and the fleets of Spain, expecting an invasion any day. Entrusted with an urgent mission for the King, Vice-Admiral Richard Bolitho hoists his flag above the veteran seventy-four-gun ship Hyperion and sets sail with a new squadron for the Caribbean. 
 
Plagued by the knowledge that both his troubled marriage and the eye injured in his last battle with Contre-Amiral Jobert are worsening, Bolitho is eager to leave England less than three months after his return home. But even his beloved old ship Hyperion, hastily restored from an ignominious existence as a hulk, is full of tormenting memories and lost faces. 
 
 Having navigated several battles along the way, he is roused in Antigua from his darkness of soul by the rediscovery of a passion which defies convention and every risk to his reputation. 
 
His future is full of uncertainty as he sails east to Gibraltar, for a rendezvous that all who follow his flag will remember...

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 20)

The Only Victor

The master storyteller of the sea, multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, has penned another gripping, swashbuckling and emotionally charged naval adventure full of vividly depicted military action - perfect for fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester. 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn'' -- The Times 
'Another great story, gripping to the end'-- ***** Reader review 
'Once you start it's hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Kept me enthralled' -- ***** Reader review 
'Great read from start to finish' -- ***** Reader review 
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1806: The frigate carrying Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho drops anchor off the shores of southern Africa. It is only four months since the resounding victory over the combined Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar, and the death of England's greatest naval hero. 
 
Bolitho's instructions are to assist in hastening the campaign in Africa, where an expeditionary force is attempting to recapture Cape Town from the Dutch. Outside Europe few have yet heard of the battle of Trafalgar, and Bolitho's news is met with both optimism and disappointment as he reminds the senior officers that, despite the victory, Napolean's defeat is by no means assured. 
 
The men who follow Bolitho's flag into battle are to discover, not for the first time, that death is the only victor.

The Richard Bolitho Adventures: 15

The Inshore Squadron

Another exciting Bolitho adventure!

Set off for another rip-roaring, all-action naval adventure courtesy of multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent. You'll be able to smell the whiff of the gunpowder and hear the scream of the cannon balls as our hero fights another battle against the enemies of England. Guaranteed to have you engrossed from page one, fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester will not be disappointed. 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'His dashing character Richard Bolitho is one of the best things to happen to the sea yarn since Hornblower' -- Daily Express 
'The storytelling has an easy mastery, how well Kent knows the psychology of naval men' -- Sunday Telegraph 
'Just as well I am an insomniac as it is almost impossible to put it down' -- ***** Reader review 
'Another stirring yarn from the grand master of naval fiction' -- ***** Reader review 
'Awesome' -- ***** Reader review 
'Exciting and dramatic' -- ***** Reader review 
 
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1800: Richard Bolitho - freshly appointed as rear-admiral - assumes command of his own squadron but, as the cruel demands of war spread from Europe to the Baltic, he soon realizes that his battle experience has ill-prepared him for the intricate manoeuvring of power politics. 
 
Under his flag the Inshore Squadron has to ride out bitter hardship of blockade duty and swift, deadly encounters with the enemy. An old hatred steps from the past to pose a personal threat to Bolitho, but at the gates of Copenhagen, where his flag flies amidst the fury of battle, he must put all private hopes and fears behind him if he is to lead his men to victory... 
 
Bolitho's adventures continue in A Tradition of Victory.

One of our foremost writers of naval fiction.

Alexander Kent is the author of twenty-seven acclaimed books featuring Richard Bolitho. Under his own name, Douglas Reeman, and in the course of a career spanning forty-five years, he has written over thirty novels and two non-fiction books.

Alexander Kent

(The Richard Bolitho adventures: 16): lose yourself in this rip-roaring naval yarn from the master storyteller of the sea

With the epic scenes of action, powerful characterisation and the authentic period detail that we have come to expect from multi-million copy seller Alexander Kent, this all-action naval adventure is perfect for fans of Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forester. You'll be hooked from page one! 
 
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 
'Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn' -- The Times 
'I recommend it to anyone who liked Sharp, Hornblower and Master and Commander...this series is the daddy!' -- ***** Reader review 
'This whole series of books is brilliant.' -- ***** Reader review 
'The story line was gripping, felt the sea in my face and guns in my ears' -- ***** Reader review 
'These books by Alexander Kent are very well written. I find them riveting and always find myself engrossed completely when I begin reading.' -- ***** Reader review 
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1801: After eight years of war between Britain and France there is at last a rumour of peace. But the old enemies are well aware that any settlement will be only a breathing space in which to recover from their terrible losses. To obtain the best terms the French muster a show of strength from Biscay to the Channel ports. At the British Admiralty there are some who see a daring opportunity to even the score at any negotiation table - and who better to undertake it than the young Rear Admiral Bolitho! 
 
Bolitho's small squadron is still repairing the scars of battle earned at Copenhagen - and as he receives his orders from London, he is, for the first time in his life, torn between the demands of duty and his real desire to marry. 
When the squadron sails it is joined by an additional ship, a frigate with many memories from the past. 
 
But where Bolitho's flag leads so his captains must follow, if necessary to the brink of disaster - for theirs is a tradition of victory. 
 
Bolitho's adventures continue in Success to the Brave.

Alexander Kent

Praise for A Tradition of Victory

One of our foremost writers of naval fiction

Shipwreck, survival ... a spirited battle ... a splendid yarn

Books by Alexander Kent

Series by Alexander Kent

Richard Bolitho

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