A Sea of Gold: Thomas Kydd 21
A Sea of Gold: Thomas Kydd 21 book cover

A Sea of Gold: Thomas Kydd 21

Hardcover – January 29, 2019

by
Price
$26.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
400
Publisher
Hodder & Stoughton
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1473641075
Dimensions
6.25 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
Weight
1.44 pounds

Description

Review Tension surges through A Sea of Gold . . . In this rousing yarn, Stockwin again raises naval fiction to a new level― Quarterdeck Stockwin has surpassed himself with A Sea of Gold . . . a fine, fully favoured vintage yarn― Warships About the Author Julian Stockwin was sent at the age of fourteen to TS Indefatigable, a tough sea-training school. He joined the Royal Navy at fifteen before transferring to the Royal Australian Navy, where he served for eight years in the Far East, Antarctic waters and the South Seas. He was awarded the MBE and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He now lives in Devon with his wife Kathy. More information can be found on his website at www.JulianStockwin.com.

Features & Highlights

  • 'Tension surges through
  • A Sea of Gold
  • . . . In this rousing yarn, Stockwin again raises naval fiction to a new level'
  • -
  • Quarterdeck
  • 'Stockwin has surpassed himself with
  • A Sea of Gold
  • . . . a fine, fully favoured vintage yarn'
  • -
  • Warships
  • 1809.
  • After his heroic actions during the retreat to Corunna, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is the toast of London society. Here he falls in with the legendary frigate captain, Lord Thomas Cochrane.So begins a relationship, professional and personal, that will be unlike any that Kydd has known: a relationship that will lead him, almost simultaneously, to first glory, then ruin.The French fleet is massing in the Basque Roads in a near impregnatable position. The Admiralty orders Cochrane to command an attack, to the chagrin of more senior officers who object to being overlooked and Cochrane's reputation for daring. Cochrane insists that his new friend, Kydd, is in the forefront of the assault armada, a motley collection of rocket, bomb and fire ships that will set the anchorage ablaze - this despite Kydd's almost pathological fear of fire. The fallout from what follows will see Kydd financially ruined, with only his former shipmates, his oldest friend of all, Nicholas Renzi, and the whisper of hidden Spanish treasure promising the sea of gold that he needs to save himself.
  • ********************
  • Praise for Julian Stockwin's Kydd series
  • 'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line'
  • Daily Express
  • 'This heady adventure blends fact and fiction in rich, authoritative detail'
  • Nautical Magazine
  • 'Fans of fast-paced adventure will get their fill with this book' Historical Naval Society
  • 'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' -
  • Guardian

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(246)
★★★★
25%
(205)
★★★
15%
(123)
★★
7%
(57)
★
23%
(189)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Doesn't have the former magic.

It's an ok book but I didn't enjoy it near as much as the earlier volumes. I don't know jack about literature. I've read three thousand books but never learned how to evaluate them. Kydd seems more remote in this one.
2 people found this helpful
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Another winner

This is yet another masterful tale from one of the best maritime fiction writers in the business. There is a fair share of action with a great sea battle at the end. But what is also nice, is that it is not all broadsides and blood. In the course of the book one gets a glimpse of life among the gentry in the late Georgian era, including a fascinating expose on how the economy worked back then. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit it, but I found the minutia of early 18th century banking and marine insurance as interesting as everything else. My only quibble is the irritation I felt when the book ended without even being given a taste of the glorious reception Kydd is certain to get. It is unimaginable that such a stunning victory would be rewarded with anything less than a peerage. [Hint Hint]
1 people found this helpful
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Inventions have returned

Really liked the Kite usage, hope it returns to pull him off a mud flat in a emergency. Gives you an idea what can happen if you race into something new and get carried away. Been waiting for some form of comedy or smile creating character to enter in the world of seriousness in this series. Can't wait for his next book.
1 people found this helpful
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Product review

Met all expectations.
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Dull no action

I have read this series from the beginning. This most recent book is slow and dull. I read naval history for the action this book just doesn't have it.
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Good Book

Exciting narrative
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A good yarn

The naval history in these books is fairly accurate and the stories themselves are page turners.
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Strap on your 19th century high finance hat!

One of the better action sequences in the series. I just got bogged down in all the international financial market intrigue.
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Not up to the usual standard

I have read and enjoyed all of the Kydd books. This one got a bit slow and it was hard to understand the machinations involved in the money deals. Kydd has become an upper class dandy when in port, losing some of his old "common-man" appeal. The fighting scenes were as good as ever, but there weren't enough of them. I hope this book is an anomaly in the series.

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