Sails on the Horizon, Jay Worrall
Sails on the Horizon, Jay Worrall
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Sails on the Horizon
A Novel of the Napoleonic Wars

Author: Jay Worrall

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Abridged: 4 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/19/2005


Synopsis

SAILS ON THE HORIZON
Dientes de Diablo, 1797

With his first historical high-seas adventure chronicling the exploits of Naval Commander Charles Edgemont, Jay Worrall sets sail in the rousing tradition of C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian.
The year is 1797. Napoleon Buonaparte is racking up impressive wins in the field against the enemies of revolutionary France. On the seas, England is putting up a staunch resistance.

When a modest fleet of British ships off the coast of Portugal encounters a larger force of Spanish vessels on their way to rendezvous with the French, the English are quick to seize the opportunity for a victory–even at the risk of a calamitous defeat.

Twenty-five-year-old Charles Edgemont is second lieutenant aboard the HMS Argonaut, the smallest ship in the British line of battle. When orders come for the Argonaut to engage in an all-but-suicidal maneuver to cut off the escape of the Spanish ships, he leads his gun crews bravely–until the death of the captain and the first lieutenant elevates him to command of the stricken vessel. In the chaos that follows, his defiant refusal to yield under enemy fire earns him a permanent promotion.

Thanks to the purse awarded him by the Admiralty after the fight, Charles is wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. But there are challenges when he returns home after years at sea. His newfound riches will prove no help when it comes to winning the heart of Penelope Brown, the feisty Quaker with whom Charles falls in love. Even more of a hindrance is his profession, for Penelope regards war as sinful and soldiers as little better than murderers.

Changing Penelope’s mind may just be the hardest battle Charles has ever fought–at least until fresh orders send him back to sea, where he faces a more traditional and equally formidable adversary in a series of stirring battles of will and might.

About The Author

Jay Worrall is the author of Sails on the Horizon. Born into a military family and raised as a Quaker, Worrall grew up in a number of countries around the world. During the Vietnam War he worked with refugees in the Central Highlands of that country, and afterwards taught English in Japan. Worrall has also worked to develop innovative and humane prison programs, policies, and administration. He is married and the proud father of five sons, and he now lives and works in Pennsylvania.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Arwen on August 15, 2007

This is the first naval historical novel series I've read that comes close to capturing the pleasure of the Hornblower books. While they're still Forster lite (they don't have the seriousness of the Jack Aubrey books, which I could never get into), they have something of the thoughtfulness and human......more

Goodreads review by Don on July 12, 2020

Excellent Napoleonic navy tale. Enjoyed the slight historic fiction crossover. Love with a Quaker lady an unusual and character-formative twist.......more

Goodreads review by B on January 16, 2021

I really enjoyed the start of this series. Looking forward to the other books. It starts right in the middle of a battle, so no laying about waiting for action. The story on shore is good, but if there is a fault to the book that is where it is for me. The love interest, although I think an unusual......more

Goodreads review by Shawkat on June 22, 2017

Satisfactory at best The story is good. However I felt that the author spent too much time in describing the warfare scenes. The first one was interesting but later ones became boring. Also the storyline was quite predictable.......more

Goodreads review by Viva on September 26, 2021

Spoilers ahead. Probably the best Hornblower clone out of the ones I read so far (Lewrie, Kidd, Ramage, Drinkwater). The writing is easy to read and flows easily. Coming off the Drinkwater (ND) series, probably the best thing about this book is the lack of a recurring evil antagonist or multiple cala......more


Quotes

“Inspired by the salty tales of seasoned maritime novelists C. S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian, [Worrall] delicately balances action and adventure with introspection. . . . Fans of seafaring military sagas will welcome [Sails on the Horizon].”
–Booklist


“Well-executed . . . demonstrating Worrall’s expertise in ship and sea warfare history . . . Readers will root for [Charles Edgemont]. . . . He handily defeats veteran seamen, takes enormous chances and is always rewarded.”
–Publishers Weekly