A King's Trade

Lambkin does it again. I find these books captivating, entertaining ...instructive (a period of history I'm not much familiar with, and a way of living that's so hard to imagination a mere 200 years later). In particular, I like Lambkin's insight into the self-doubts of our gallant captain, who is c......more

3.75 on this review, with the benefit of the doubt going to the author. I can honestly say "Mine arse on a band-box!" five times before the book is halfway compete is at least four times too many. Furthermore, the first 220 pages literally went nowhere, The entire book felt like a filler in the seri......more

Alan Lewrie is back in England after his cruise in the Caribbean. He is in hot water and despite his reputation, William Wilberforce and his Reformers want to use him as a poster boy for anti-slavery. The Reformers and his patrons admire Lewrie for his courage, cunning, and the results even as they......more

An unlikely story shot through with by-the-numbers writing. Entertaining, but not much fun. The entire novel is a setup for the final chapters, which has a fizzling payoff. Lewrie is a weak character whose actions are almost always dictated from without, and his main attributes are a ridiculous good......more

This book brings some insight into the history of slavery in the UK and the States. It also gives a curious look at the manner in which the writer believes that "interest" played a role in an officers "fortunes". It doesn't seem likely that so many people would go so far simply to benefit someone th......more