The Gun Ketch: The Naval Adventures of Alan Lewrie

Dewey Lambden is a C.S. Forester with a sense of humour and sex. He makes OBrien seem wordy and Alexander Kent seem pale and prissy.

For those with in interest in tall ships and the sailing navies, this novel covers a time period not well covered by other authors, i.e., the period between the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, when most of the British Navy was laid up out of service and pirates roamed the West Indies. Lambdin does an excellent job researching the information for his novels. While this book is one out of a series about the naval and amorous adventures of Alan Lewrie, the main plot stands alone and Lambdin fills in the reader with any incidental information on events from earlier books. A highly recommended book for filling in that time period of history.

IF YOU HAVE NOT MET EITHER LAMBDIN OR LEWRIE IN EARLIER BOOKS, YOU SHOULD FIRST READ The Kings Coat, The French Admiral, The Kings Privateer or The King's Commission BEFORE YOU READ The Gun Ketch. I issue this caution because you cannot possibly appreciate the shock of learning that Alan Lewrie is married (!) without first reading at least one (preferably all) of its predecessors. I was HORRIFIED to find in the opening pages that LT Alan Lewrie was being married on the first pages. But then, so was he! (The author shares with you the thoughts of Lewrie -- which is what make him charming.) The story that follows is a delightful story of the sea, pirates, good (and ACCURATE) sailing descriptions. Alan Lewrie is lovable because he is so real and down to earth. He is more of a person than Hornblower or Bolitho, although I commend to anyone either of their authors (Forester and Kent, respectively). I note with interest that a previous reviewer has the same opinion (see [email protected] from Cleveland, below.), although we would differ on what the "Trilogy" consists of. In any case it doesn't matter. This is good, solid writing; well-researched, greatly peopled with colorful characters that you come to care about, and the sea adventure is unparalleled. THIS IS GOOD STUFF!! READ IT. You won't be disappointed. And I think you will come to like Dewey Lambdin, as well. I suspect there is a bit of Alan Lewrie in him.

Dewey Lambdin does an excellent job portraying the image of living and working a wooden sailing vessel as well as give a feeling for what it was like in the British navy of the late 1700s. Unlike other authors who use the British navy as a setting for a plot, the author evokes the feeling that you are part of the character and the story is happening to you. The protaganist is a normal young man who was kicked out of the house for being to hard a child to handle (supposedly). Part of the assocoation with the protaganist comes from the down to earth situations he gets himself into. Like any other young 'buck' in his late teens, early twenties, he doesn't always think with his head on his shoulders when he is looking for a good time. This is definately the series for you if you want an honest look at life in the King's navy with the attending comradere, boredom and technical details. It is not for those who feel that thinking/acting like a sex a sex starved young man is unacceptable. I suggest you start reading as early in the series as you can. Start with 'The King's Coat' (if available, it might be out of print), move on through 'The French Admiral', 'The King's Commission', 'The King's Privateer', 'The Gun Ketch' and 'HMS Cockrel'. 'For King and Country' is a trilogy that begins where the protaganist begins to settle down and contains 'The King's Commission', The King's Privateer' and 'The Gun Ketch'. It will be interesting to see how the author handles the young man coming of age. That telling of that kind of transition is what will really determine if the author is as good as he appears to be.

This is Dewey Lambdin's 5th book in the Lewrie series. A far more down to earth character of the Napoleonic War British Navy heros Alan Lewrie likes his women and is first a lady's man and a seaman second. Still wondering how he ever became a British oficer, his marriage to Caroline and transfer to Captain the Bomb Ketch ALACRITY for duty in the Bahamas starts a new adventure for this lusty and unlikely hero. If you enjoy the Aubrey and Hornblower series these stories are more fun to read but will keep you turning the pages to find out how Alan escapes from one problem to another.