Bomb Vessel FROM THE PUBLISHER
In The Bomb Vessel, a young Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater is given command of the old VIRAGO, to be sent to the Baltic as a cargo ship. Drinkwater's ambition is to turn VIRAGO back into a fighting ship, but he is thwarted by Lord Nelson. At the same time, Drinkwater's brother appeals for help in his desperate attempt to escape the gallows. As Sir Hyde Parker's fleet approaches the Danish coast, the VIRAGO is nearly caught in their destructive path. Amid gales and ice, Drinkwater strives to save his ship and his brother.
In the spring of 1801, Napoleon had reached supreme power in France and allied himself with Tsar Paul of Russia. Against this hazardous backdrop of the Baltic expedition, Drinkwater's actions in the complex and bloody battle of Copenhagen are crucial.
About the Author:
As a professional sailor, Richard Woodman has sailed in a variety of ships serving from apprentice to captain. Besides the Nathaniel Drinkwater series, he has written nautical fiction about tea-clippers and cargo liners. A member of the Society for Nautical Research, he lives in England. Woodman is considered one of the strongest voices in nautical fiction today.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Although there's some good sea action in Woodman's (Keepers of the Sea new adventure, the chief attraction is the vivid depiction of the politics of Europe and the Royal Navy in Lord Nelson's day. In 1800, Lieut. Nathaniel Drinkwater wangles a command for himself though it's only aboard the ``bomb tender'' Virago, a 40-year-old former mortar ship. After Drinkwater makes Virago shipshape, she plays an important role in the 1801 attack on Copenhagen. En route to this climactic battle, Drinkwater contends with Navy politics, a cowardly blackguard of a purser, his own fugitive brother and, not least, the Danish artillery. The corruption, snobbery and pigheadedness of the Navy Office, ``those portals of perfidy and corruption,'' is nicely conveyed, as is the Navy lore, augmented by an interesting, low-key portrait of the great Nelson. (March 15)
Library Journal
Lt. Drinkwater, of the British navy, takes part in the Baltic expedition of 1801. Though in command of a mere support ship for the bomb vessels (as mortar-firing ships were called), his initiative brings him to the notice of Lord Nelson. This leads to a fighting command at the bombardment of Copenhagen and promotion to commander. Drinkwater brings C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower to mind. Though quicker tempered and less introspective, Drinkwater has the same decisive nature and willingness to take risks. Also, like Forester, Woodman's technical knowledge of ships and tactics is extensive enough to satisfy the knowledgeable reader's desire for correct detail. The book is intended as part of a series but will stand alone as a good sea story. Recommended for public libraries. C. Robert Nixon, M.L.S, W. Lafayette, Ind.
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