By the Mast Divided

By David Donachie

Book Overview

London: 1793. Young firebrand John Pearce, on the run from the authorities, is illegally press-ganged from the Pelican tavern into brutal life aboard HMS Brilliant, a frigate on its way to war. In the first few days Pearce discovers the Navy is a world in which he can prosper. But he is not alone; he is drawn to a group of men who eventually form an exclusive gun crew, the Pelicans, with Pearce their elected leader. Shipboard life is hard, brutal and dangerous. That anyone chooses it suggest that life ashore is worse. The Pelicans find solidarity in facing together the cruelty of their hard-nosed captain, Barclay, and the daily threat of bullying, flogging - even murder. The one light on the horizon is the captain's young, curvaceous wife, Emily. During an action-packed two weeks, as HMS Brilliant chases a French privateer across the English Channel, this disparate group of men form friendships that will last a lifetime.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0749082607
• ISBN13: 9780749082604
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Allison & Busby
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.3" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

A good start to a new series

I enjoyed Donachie's "Privateersman" series, and the new "John Pearce" series does not dissapoint. There are a lot of characters and backstories, amd the books tend to end with cliffhangers, but the story is interesting and different enough from many of the other nautical fiction books I have read. A good start to a new series.

Excellent

Young Pierce is on a secret mission for his ailing father to London when he is pressed into the navy along with several locals. Pierce, soon singled out by the captain as a troublemaker, finds himself attracted to the Captain's young wife Emily and eventually becomes the default leader of his motley band. Will Pierce escape the navy and save his father or will he be just another sailor lost at sea? I really enjoyed this novel. Although at times a bit of a Mary Sue, Pierce was an entertaining character and one I could easily identify with. The narrator does an excellent job with accents, making each character distinctive and fun. If you like O'brian's work, you will like this. It was a fun and enjoyable nautical adventure.

Fine Attention To Detail

Though this book seems to be slow of pace the rich detail makes it very interesting. I look forward to reading more books by this author. The characters are fascinating!