Ramage

This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. Good action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

What sets these books apart from the works of Patrick O'brian and C.S. Forrester is the emphasis on the fun and romance of the era. Everything's extravagant and exagerated, from the beauty of the maidens to the ferocity of the action! No boring passages about setting sails and chapters upon chapters of gunnery training. Its just action, action, and more action, by land and sea! Daring rescues, crazy manuvers, with punishment dealt out by Captain Nelson himself.

. ************************************************* Review of the Ramage series of novels: This is first of a series of nine books. All of these are fictional novels based on British Admiralty records of the Napoleonic era. Written in the best tradition of Forester and O'Brien, these books will capture our imagination. And if you haven't read the Hornblower series by Forester, or the Aubrey/Maturin series by O'Brien, try them also. All of these are excellent books that you will treasure and reread. I particularly like these books by Pope. I recommend that you buy them all at once and read them in order. You will be glad you did. If you enjoy reading accurate descriptions of naval maneuvers in the age of sail, or simply a good adventure yarn, Dudley Pope delivers. Pope conveys how the best of the best, handle emergency situations. He portrays these situations with realism and authenticity. Review of this book: In this novel, Ramage awakes after receiving an injury in battle to find himself in command of the rapidly sinking Sibella. The pace is fast and furious as he struggles to complete the Sibella's mission and save his crew. As any Captain who has lost his ship, this book concludes with Ramage facing a daunting courts martial board with the deck stacked against him. *************************************************

This was the first novel I have read by Pope and I throughly enjoyed it. It gets off to a very fast start, which is unusual for a sea novel. It slows down somewhat in the middle but never gets boring and the ending is very suspenseful. Ramage is an interesting and likable character. The book is well-written, for the most part, although there are lines here and there that struck me as a little corny. The tone of the book is mostly serious, but there are a couple of scenes that are pretty funny. One of the things that I particularly liked about this book was the way Pope does not romanticize the Royal Navy. He presents the Royal Navy with all its flaws; such as its tendency to promote incompetent officers from wealthy and influential families while far better officers get stuck in the lower ranks. This book shows the tremendous pressure that Royal Navy officers were under to succeed in their missions, or die trying. Pope compares very favorably with the novels I have read by Alexander Kent and Richard Woodman. In fact, I like him better than Kent. Pope is not nearly as good as Patrick O'Brian, though. Anyway, I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Ramage is the first installment in the Hornblower like Ramage series. The jacket cover states that Pope was encouraged to write the series by C.S. Forester and Ramage was published in 1965, just before Forester died. Ramage is about the same age as Hornblower and Pope even pays homage to his mentor by having Ramage recall his midshipman days with Horatio Hornblower.Unlike the first Hornblower installment, Ramage begins with the hero in command. He is unconscious in the middle of a furious sea battle and is roused by the enlisted men to assume command. Can Ramage assume command in a desperate situation, carry out his orders, gain the confidence of his men, overcome the political enemies who destroyed his father and would destroy him, and find the woman of his dreams? Of course he can! Mind you this is the first installment in the series and Ramage's position has plenty of room for subsequent insecurity. However, I have a feeling that whatever ill fortune is thrown Ramage's way, he will find a way to overcome it. What more can one ask of this genre?Pope has a thorough knowledge of sailing which shows in his writing. Unlike O'Brian, he does not bog us down with details. His writing is simple and effective. He also got the message from Forester about the importance of the American market and included a trusty American seaman as Ramage's right hand man. Nicholas Ramage may be a little too perfect and the novel is formulaic but Pope has followed the formula well. I am sure that Forester was pleased.