Ramage & the Rebels: The Lord Ramage Novels

I finished the first book of the series, Ramage, and I strongly recommend it to those who enjoy nautical books that depict the seafaring adventures and striking battles and strategies of the British Navy during the wars with France and Spain. It isn't quite up to the Patrick O'Brian quality, but is very close. Dudley Pope shows that with time and experience, he will be right up there with the best. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, romance and suspense.

The action starts with Ramage and crew coming across a ship whose crew and passengers have been murdered. Naturally, Ramage and the boys must find the culprits. Well, nothing happens with respect to this plot for a LONG time--it's almost forgotten. As a matter of fact, nothing really happens and the book drags for a while. At the end, the action and suspense pick up again, making this a fun book to read. But to get to the good stuff, the reader's got to pay his dues.

This novel in the Ramage series provides another twist to the exploits of the good Captain. While sent to patrol and seek out pirates and privateers in the souhern carribean, he captures a French frigate and discovers a tempting opportuntity on the Dutch island of Curacao. Finding the island on the verge of anarachy, threatened by angry privateers and rebellious locals, he accepts the surrender of the island so that he may try to save it from disaster. The story moves quickly and maintains interest right through the treacherous conclusion. One of the better novels in this series.