The "Matthew Flinders" is on her final voyage for Hong Kong to be sold for scrap, and the members of the crew are sailing to the demise of their way of life (hence the name, "Endangered Species"). En route, they rescue a sinking junk filled with people fleeing Vietnam. There is plenty of excitement as this novel looks at the changing times and how we fight and adapt to them.

This is not a "historical" sea-faring novel like the Nathaniel Drinkwater series by Woodman or the Aubrey and Maturin series by O'Brien. The book is most likely set in the 1980s since there is an AIDS reference and Hong Kong is still under British control. The story tells of the lives of seamen in the British Merchant Navy as it declines.

Richard Woodman, from the information in the book, has been a sailor for a large part of his life. His detailed descriptions of the ship show you his familiarity. Also, his portrayal of the characters will remind you of past shipmates (if you have worked and lived on a boat as I have). We all know the war-veteran skipper, MacKinnon, and the ne'er-do-well MacGregor.

There are some logical problems with the novel though. First, the ship goes through a typhoon and finds itself in the eye of the storm. This would mean that the crew must pass back through the storm, but this never happens. Second, a window is shattered by the storm and someone is injured. The window is never repaired, and there is no mention of the after-effects (like wind or noise). Lastly, the navigation is mostly dead reckoning and celestial fixes. I would think that a modern novel would mention other sources (like Loran or Omega). These may be petty, but they are noticeable.

Regardless of these errors, this is still an engaging and nostalgic read. I could easily see myself reading more books by Woodman, just as I would recommend that you should read this one.

Captain John Mackinnon and his ship, the Matthew Flinders, are embarking on their last voyage. The captain and his vessel symbolize the irreversible, quiet decline of the British merchant fleet. But this journey to Hong Kong will prove to be anything but quiet. Internal tensions among the crew provoke unrest and led to a navigation error, steering them right into the violent, destructive path of Typhoon David. Suddenly the crew of the Matthew Flinders are no longer fighting for their livelihood, but for their very lives. yet on the same sea, other lives are at stake as well. When Mackinnon feels compelled to rescue a boatload of Vietnamese refugees fleeing to Hong Kong, he sets off an explosive chain of events that will lead to mutiny, confrontation with Hong Kong authorities, and the greatest challenge of his nautical career. Endangered Species is a dynamic, brilliantly written maritime action/adventure novel.

A Private Revenge continues the series as a direct extension from its predecessor In Distant Waters. Drinkwater proceeds from the conclusion of In Distant Waters by crossing the Pacific and contacting Sir Edward Pellew off the Asian coast. Drinkwater also comes into contact with his nemesis of several novels beginning with The Eye of the Fleet, Morris, who is one of the vilest creatures in the genre. Drinkwater, who is a decent man, fails to understand the lasting grudge that Morris holds for events nearly 30 years previous. His lack of understanding leads to deception and tragedy. For followers of the series who have become attached to the characters, this episode will be painful. A Private Revenge contains action, suspense and Woodman's excellent descriptions of time, place and naval details. However, it is perhaps the darkest novel that I have read of the Napoleonic naval genre. The series has always had strong gothic elements but this entry is the darkest. It's hard to believe but Morris is even viler than in earlier novels. Morris' desire for revenge drives the plot and leads to a bloody climax. The writing is up to Woodman's excellent standards but A Private Revenge is a very grim novel. It's only for the hardiest series enthusiasts.

After battling a typhoon and rescuing an East Indiaman, Nat arrives in China, where Britain is no longer welcome and she has to decamp, covering her losses as best she can, so Nat is put in charge of the defence of the convoy.
The vile, venal Morris (see Eye of the Fleet & Brig of War) rears his ugly head again, but with no apparent agenda in mind, other than the recovery of several thousands of specie. But his presence on board, along with his catamite, greatly disturbs Nat, as well as Mr.Q and Tregembo, wondering when and how he will wreak the revenge he has sworn on Nat.
Sabotage, treachery, kidnap and torture follow as the depths of Morris's depravity become horrifically clear, revealing more would be a spoiler.

As usual, excellent descriptions and tension-building make the pages fly by - and there are the author's notes to add plausability to the tale.

Richard Woodman has spent most of his life at sea, is an eminent Naval historian and the author of several books on Naval history, plus many fictional books. This background and a superb command of the English language make his books a joy to read. His intimate knowledge of square-riggers takes you inside the ship - you are THERE with the crew, battling the elements or the enemy, feeling each blow.

This book expands on the theme of the struggle against Napoleon, plus the new threat from the fledgling United States.
Nathaniel Drinkwater, now Captain, is increasingly involved in espionage and subversion as the Secret Service draws on his special talents to undermine Napoleon's empire-building. It is apparent that Lord Dungarth is grooming Nat as his successor, which lies uneasily on Nat's uneven shoulders.

After a few months R&R, Nat finds himself in command of a crack squadron with a remit to dissuade the US from assisting France. This involves some dissembling on Nat's part - incidentally assisted by an amorous interlude - which causes Nat a torment of conscience, and his colleagues to have doubts about his sanity. The subsequent astounding success of the mission restores his colleages' faith in his uncanny ability to correctly analyse a confusing array of facts and supposition.

This book is in 3 parts, and each could stand alone, but the constant US thread running through them ties it into one story.

As usual, excellent descriptions and tension-building make the pages fly by - and the author's notes fill in the facts behind the tale. A series to read, savour and re-read.*****

Richard Woodman's Nathaniel Drinkwater series is my favourite from the age of fighting sail. Beginning with the brilliantly Gothic Eye of the Fleet set during the American Revolution and through 20 plus years of the Napoleonic wars Woodman has rounded out the flawed but fundamentally decent Drinkwater. In The Flying Squadron Drinkwater faces some of his most difficult challenges to date.

The year is 1811 and the reader, with the benefit of historical hindsight, knows that Napoleon's reign is nearing its end. However, the situation appears far the opposite to Britain. Napoleon's Continental System has severely damaged trade and unemployment in England is rampant. To make matters worse war with the United States of America is looming; a war the embattled Royal Navy neither needs nor wants. As usual the reader can count on Woodman to produce a unique perspective on the times.

The Flying Squadron is constructed in three parts; the first set in 1811 as Drinkwater supports a peace envoy to the USA, the second set in 1812 after war is declared with Drinkwater patrolling the American coast and the third set in 1812-13 where the naval action takes place. It is very much in keeping with the series; covert actions leading to a climactic naval encounter at the conclusion. In my opinion The Flying Squadron is one of the series' best entries.

American readers may find this work difficult to read as the USA is portrayed as the enemy in the novel, especially when the reader sees in the first part that the English envoy is attempting to find a peaceful solution and that London is willing to meet Washington's terms. However, like men of other nationalities who Drinkwater has fought, the Americans are portrayed fairly with one possible exception. Woodman points out that war is a waste and the tragedy of America and Britain fighting while a tyrant rules Europe is subtly made. Perhaps Drinkwater's most effective statement in the first part is his referral to an atrocity from An Eye of the Fleet. I found its reference more shocking in The Flying Squadron than the act was in the original. Woodman savages the idea of a war of gentlemen played out like a schoolyard game.

The first part has a number of lyrical passages where Woodman gets his pen rolling. He can write well and exercises his writing in a number of philosophical areas. A reader expecting more action will be disappointed although there is much dramatic tension. Drinkwater commits an uncharacteristic betrayal and is tortured by his conscience. Perhaps after becoming fond of the Drinkwater character over the last few years, Drinkwater's problems become much more serious than any naval battle. The reader can appreciate the toll on Drinkwater after nearly 20 years spent away from home and family.

In the second part Drinkwater returns to the American coast as the Commodore of a Flying Squadron with open-ended orders. The briefer second section brings to a conclusion some of the events of the first. The action is similar though being more cloak and dagger or cat and mouse. This is the area where Woodman has carved his niche for Drinkwater, in covert actions. There is always more going on than meets the eye and Drinkwater eventually figures it out.

In the third part Drinkwater is off to the South Atlantic fresh with insight from his two previous trips to the USA. In this section we see that his insight has paid off leading to a climactic naval battle. We also get the big picture of the war.

The historical perspective of The Flying Squadron is fascinating and one gets a new angle on that war. However, I don't think a couple of the characters' reflections are accurate. For instance, before war breaks out the view is expressed in the English quarters that they should be able to hold onto Canada for some period of time. I doubt that reflects the realities of the situation at the time. Also, at the novel's conclusion in March 1813 the word from Canada is not good. Historically it was. By March 1813 Fort Michilmackinac had been captured, Detroit had been captured and Americans pursued into Ohio, and the Americans repulsed in Niagara albeit with the loss of the brilliant General Isaac Brock. Woodman might want to consider a revision in any reprinting.

The Flying Squadron may not be to everyone's taste. The vocabulary is such that some of the passages are on the level of O'Brian's in his Aubrey/Maturin series. It could be challenging in a way that one wouldn't expect in this type of historical novel. I'm looking forward to Woodman wrapping up the series if he can maintain his writing at this level.

I, for one, loved this book. I enjoy good characterization and this book has some of the best character development I have read in any novels of this genre...it alone convinced me to buy the rest of Woodman's novels.

Hawthorne's Marble Faun is not a book I would recommend to the casual reader, unless you are enthralled by highly exaggerated, unrealistic melodramas involving grossly stereotyped, one-dimensional characters (Miriam and Donatello are more intriguing and less one-dimensional, although this is simply my opinion). One must take into account that this is a gothic novel and is written in a period where "political correctness" is not yet a term, and where puritanical ideals and mores are the central focus of the story-teller.Therefore, one cannot hold against Hawthorne the fact that Italians are depicted as uncivilized imbeciles (for lack of a better word), nor that sin and religion are central themes - he simply wrote in accordance with the time in which he lived. Surely the fact that he is a masterful writer excuses his weaknesses in other areas. The story itself, though overly melodramatic and at times frustratingly so, is interesting in the way soap operas or shows like Melrose Place often are; as nauseatingly emotional as the characters are, and as disgusting as their actions or predicaments may be, there is a depth of raw emotion that draws us in, and something akin to the curiosity one may have in looking at a freak show. We are repelled yet drawn in at the same time, unable to resist wondering what lies ahead, yet partially aware of what will happen, of what must happen, for the story to play through the way it was intended. I myself was drawn into the innocent one-sided romance between Donatello and Miriam that gradually grows into a torrid affair - I truly could not put the book down until I found out how it all turned out between them. However, once that part of the novel was resolved, I found little incentive to continue. Hilda was stiff, did not draw sympathy, and her religious piety mixed with a severity usually associated with bitter spinsters I personally found repellent. Kenyon, the sculpture who seeks a romance with her, was equally boring with his wimpy, "I-agree-with-anything-you-say" romantic tactics. Needless to say, I was as intrigued by their romance as by two limp noodles stuck to the bottom of a pot. My suggestion: Read up till the chapter entitled "The Bronze Pontiff's Benediction" (I won't tell if you skip through the endless descriptions of art & architecture and go straight to the good parts). Then skim for plot ("A Frolic of the Carnival" has some interesting parts) and head straight to the last chapter and the postscript that follows - a must-read, as here we get a few last words on Donatello and Miriam, as well as a summation of the question that forms the novel - here you finally discover what thought process drove Hawthorne to write this story in the first place!

A must for romantics and anyone who enjoys a bit of a philosophical challenge!

Thinking about traveling to Italy? Wait! Do not leave behind your most useful travel companion. Disregard Rick Steve's and Let's Go. The Marble Faun was the premiere 19th Century travel guide to Rome and should be for the 21st century traveler. This book will lead you around the ancient city without skipping any of the awe-inspiring sights. For travelers after The Marble Faun's publication in 1860, the novel was a necessary item for their European escapades. Masterfully constructing his story around four distinct characters, Miriam, Hilda, Kenyon, and Donatello, Hawthorne takes the reader on an adventure which holds as much intrigue as the splendid landmarks these travelers encounter in their own journeys. For one who enjoys art and the discussion of art, this book will provide everlasting enjoyment. Indeed, Hawthorne captures the ex-patriot community of artists who settled in Rome during the 19th century in an attempt to associate themselves and their work with the Old Masters. Through Hawthorne's exceptional narrative, the reader gains further understanding of the mindset of copyists who wish to discover the true essence of such famous works as the faun of Praxiteles. This work experiments in its narrative form and one must be willing to flow with it. The chapters at times jump from different characters and events with out much warning to the reader. In addition, Hawthorne interjects his own point of view from time to time. If the reader is sensitive to this un-structure then they will have little trouble enjoying the mystery as well as the valuable description. Hawthorne changed the standards for American travel writing with this novel. Without it, Henry James, among others, may not have followed his lead. It is time The Marble Faun won the recognition it deserves!

I'm not a big fan of The Scarlet Letter, but The Marble Faun is, in my opinion, the best American novel ever written. Although it can move slowly when Hawthorne describes various architectural sites throughout Rome, the rest of the story is a theodicy of great power and imagination. Hawthorne uses a brilliant combination of mythology, history, and humanity in this piece. A must for anybody who loves Italy. This book has been overlooked for more than three generations now...it's time it was uncovered!

7th in the series, Capt. Drinkwater's action takes place in the Baltic as Napoleon rolls up the Russians in 1807. Ostensibly carrying gold to the British ally, the Tsar, Drinkwater's cruise is episodic and nearly aimless at first, but concludes with an exciting rush under the eye of an ancient nemesis and the guns of the French. I get less of a sense of adventure and curiosity than with O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, whereas the larger political context of alliance building against Napoleon is clearer here. However, the shipboard world of H.M.S Antigone thereby becomes less central and important. Except for some pro forma sail handling, unfamiliar terms are rare, even the regular cursing. This Sheridan House book has lesser art, better paper, and double the price of Warner's series.

This is book 7 in the Drinkwater Series. I have previously read number 10, but the U.S. publisher has not been reprinting the books in the order they were written. To fully appreciate the book, you need to read the previous books in the series. Otherwise you will feel at points as if you have walked in on the middle of a story. In this particular episode, Drinkwater is off on a special mission to the Baltic, only to have his orders changed via a message sent through diplomatic channels in Sweden, and by the request of an agent picked up in Russia. Things are complicated by an unreliable lieutenant aboard the ship. Events lead to the diversion of a cargo of gold, and Drinkwater's participation in an intelligence gathering operation. One of Drinkwater's old enemies (from books 2 and 3) is reintroduced. Part of the plot seems a little contrived, but overall it is an interesting story.

Richard Woodman is perhaps the most underrated writer of naval action novels. His Nathaniel Drinkwater series, of which Baltic Mission is the seventh, combines realism, action, excellent characterization, and a gothic thread running through it. Drinkwater, who is a very decent man although not simplistically so, has to face various levels of human evil and depravity. Drinkwater has had three nemeses woven in and out of the series; the vile Morris from his first ship, the evil but cunning Edouard Santhonax, and his own wayward brother Edward. In Baltic Mission Drinkwater deals with two out of the three.

The time is 1807 and Napoleon has been checked but not defeated at Eylau. Only Csar Alexander of Russia is able to stand against Napoleon and Drinkwater is sent to the Baltic to provide encouragement/assistance to the Russians. However, Alexander may be tiring of his fight against Napoleon and Drinkwater must be sure that he doesn't enrich a potential enemy. A mission to find out the status of the combatants is in order. Along the way Drinkwater has to deal with his irascible First Lieutenant Sam Rogers who is descending into alcoholism.

Drinkwater is now in his 40s and suffering from his wounds. Series regulars Mr. Q. and Tregembo are back. Tregembo is now described as an old man although his age before was never specifically mentioned. I had the impression that Tregembo was a few years older than Drinkwater but he seems to have reached old age in one novel.

Much of Baltic Mission takes place on land so it doesn't have the same level of naval action that other novels in the series have although the rousing conclusion is in keeping with earlier series entries. This one is more cloak and dagger with continued gothic elements and suspense. While Baltic Mission doesn't have the same intensity as Eye of the Fleet or sense of grand tragedy as 1805 it's still an entertaining read and perhaps a bit of a change of pace. To this point there have been no bad entries in the series and given Woodman's writing ability I doubt there will be.