Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

Today's book review in miniature is by Acasta member Nick Weremeichik

“Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History” by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

While focusing on Federal America, this book gives great insight to the Mediterranean trade network from 1801-05. The Barbary states of Tunis, Algiers, Morocco and Tripoli were taking tribute money in exchange for safe passage to trade in the Mediterranean. Muslim North Africa has been impressing sailors for a long time (including Britons) but now involved Americans also. This book tells how America’s first international war (and navy) came about, the birth of the US Marines and state of the Mediterranean during the turn of the 19th century. The Battle of the Nile and Napoleon’s African campaign gets some mention, but the focus is on “them Yanks” and the North African pirates. 

The book reads like a novel, and walks you through this obscure history almost day by day. Plenty of sources to substantiate this work, and adds some greater context to the period we portray. I enjoyed it, it was a quick read as the pages start turning. Lots of information I didn’t know before. A for-sure recommendation.

Rough Medicine

Rough Medicine, Surgeons at Sea in the Age of Sail 

by Joan Druett

a brief book review by Tony Gerard

Rough Medicine is a very interesting and readable book, although the title is a bit misleading. It might better be subtitled "Surgeons on Whaling Ships in the early to mid nineteenth century". The first chapter deals with the seventeenth century surgeon John Woodall's publication "The Surgeons Mate".  Druett makes some interesting comparisons about shipboard medicines recommended by Woodall and those carried on nineteenth century Whalers. It's remarkable how little changed over the ensuing centuries.

After that first chapter the rest of the book deals with the experiences of surgeons on whaling vessels, drawn largely from the writings of a number of surgeons so engaged. It's an interesting read, chapters deal with surgeons relation with Captains and crewmembers, native peoples in the south Pacific, the actual business of whaling, accidents aboard ship, fighting scurvy, the ship's medicine chest and more. Surgeons of the Royal Navy and the East India trade get a few passing mentions. 

 Although not focused on Naval surgeons specifically I recommend this book to anyone interested in shipboard medicine.

Jane Austen's England, a Review

A mini book review by Tony Gerard

Jane Austen's England
Daily Life in the Georgian and Regency Periods
by Roy and Lesley Adkins

Ok, so it's not a naval book, but it is still material that all Acastas should be familiar with. It covers pretty much all aspects of English life in the time frame we portray. Various chapters cover childhood, marriage, transportation, crime and punishment, religion and superstition, social status, food, leisure pursuits, medical treatment, funeral customs and much more. 

As with their other books, the Adkins have continued the practice of  using very readable, non academic wording. Once again they have liberally stocked their text with lots of actual period quotes and accounts. One of their main sources is a 19th century parson, which should be of interest to our chaplain.

I especially recommend this book to the wives and sweethearts among our members. It will be an invaluable resource for developing your first person persona as you wait for your love to return from his commission!

Men of War, Life in Nelson’s Navy

Men of War, Life in Nelson’s Navy 

by Patrick O’Brian

a very brief book review by Tony Gerard

This book is a nice little primer for anyone who is thinking about a naval impression but doesn’t know a thing about it. At less than 100 pages, and many containing pictures, it’s a very easy read. Unfortunately the pictures, while nice, don’t always go along with the text very well. An informative little book for just getting your feet wet. When you get serious get “Jack Tar “ by Roy and Lesley Adkins.

Seaman Garnerray- Voyages, Adventures et Combats

A book review by Tony Gerard

Voyages, Aventures et Combats (Seaman Garneray) 

By Louis Garneray, A new translation by Roland Wilson

While it seems, a person could spend a lifetime reading all the various accounts of British seamen and books about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars there is very little written about, or by, the opposition.

Garneray’s account is one of the few available written from the French side of the wars. Louis Garneray joined the French navy in 1796 when he was 13. Three years later he was serving as an aide to Robert Surcouf, one if the most famous French privateers. He was then captured and spent nine years as a prisoner of the British, and time he also wrote about (and previously reviewed on this website).

Garneray writing. as translated, is very readable, almost novel like in form, with many direct quotes. Written decades after the actual events this should not be taken as such. He had a tendency to stretch the truth in telling, elevating his own importance and always putting himself close to the principle characters. I would have appreciated it if he had included more of what  daily life was like on a French privateer and a bit less of the hero worship and quoted speeches of various important figures. Having said that it was a very enjoyable and easy read. I did learn some things. I was shocked to learn how lackadaisical the French navy was about desertion, especially considering the harsh penalty it drew in the British Royal Navy.

The editor and translator of the edition I have, Roland Wilson, provides a great introduction with excellent insights into Garneray as an individual, revolutionary France and the French navy and privateers at the time. He also provides excellent explanatory and supplemental notes printed on the sides of the page, much preferable to  having to look up a footnote in the back of the book!

The Seal Serpent

A book review by Tony Gerard

The Seal Serpent 

by Rob Cormes and Gary Cunningham

It has long been a favorite contention of those who believe sea serpent stories describe real, although unknown , types of animals that stories describing a long necked, plesiosaurus looking creature could actually be describing a mammal. Bernard Heuvelmans, one of the founding fathers of cryptology, actually differentiated three different types of long necked, mammalian “sea serpents” in his classic work on the subject “In the Wake of Sea Serpents”.

Cormes and Cunningham, in “The Seal Serpent”, investigate and speculate on the possibility of at least some sea serpents being an unknown type of long necked seal. While there have actually been descriptions by scientists in past centuries of long necked seals, any such creatures remain scientifically unknown today.

This is a very through investigation, and consequently not light reading.  The authors look at the “bunyip“of Australia, more or less concluding that most reports describe out of place or unknown seal types.  They relentlessly examine accounts of out of place seals and sea lions. They examine the folklore of various sea serpents and lake monsters. They examine scores of long necked sea serpent and lake monster reports looking for similar traits, behaviors and appearances. One thing I was struck by was that, although reports of the long-necked type sea serpents are common, the similarities pretty much end with a head on a long neck. Some have large eyes, others have small eyes or no visible eyes, some have a mane running down the neck, others don’t, some have ears or horns, others don’t. Heads are variously described as horse like, camel like, dog like, sheep like, cat like and yes, even seal like.

In the end the authors do something unheard of in the annals of cryptozoology literature. They relate that their thorough search through reports of long necked sea serpents has actually moved them further from a belief in a long-necked seal rather than closer. I’ve got to respect that kind of investigator.

If you have a real interest in sea serpents in particular, unknown animals or cryptozoology, then I recommend this book. If your interest in sea serpents is more general, then there are less specialized books on the subject that would probably suit you better.

Jack Nastyface

Jack Nastyface, memoirs of an English Seaman 
by William Robinson
a short review by Tony Gerard

Memoirs from actual inhabitants of the lower decks are fairly rare, and this is one of those rare gems. Robinson was a volunteer (he soon regretted that) in Nelson's navy. He was actually at Trafalgar  and several other notable actions. At less than 200 pages the book is an easy read. The first part of the book give a good, but brief and general, over view of the life of a common Royal Navy seaman of the time. The second part is a general account of Robinson's career in the Navy  up to the time of his desertion. The book concludes with a brief account of the common methods of punishment in the Royal navy and Robinson's thoughts on impressment. An excellent book which should be a part of each Acasta's personal library. I especially recommend it as a first research book for anyone just beginning a Royal Navy impression.

You can also find the Acastas on INSTAGRAM where we post images of life in the Royal Navy circa 1800-1810. It is our goal to have these images be as if you are looking through a window in time. Give us a follow and keep up with all things Acasta!

The Floating Prison

The Floating Prison,
a book review by Tony Gerard 

A remarkable Account of Nine Years’ Captivity on the British Prison Hulks During the Napoleonic Wars by Louis Garneray

Louis Garneray first went to sea at the age of 13. Captured in 1806 he was to spend the rest of the war as prisoner until peace was concluded in 1814. The book is best viewed as a historically accurate novel. First published in France in 1851, Ganeray includes many details which are improbably, such as using direct quotes for almost all conversations. The editor, Richard Rose, does a tremendous job tracing the actual historic Louis Garnery, a difficult job after over two hundred years. His excellent footnotes allow the reader to follow what is most likely truth from outright fiction, which characters are fictitious creations to move the storyline along and which events are inspired by true events which happened to someone else. There are some sections of the book that are apparently directly plagiarized from other accounts at the time.

Throughout the book Garneray never misses a change to expound on the cruelty of the English and their indifference to the suffering of the French prisoners. No doubt life on the hulks was miserable, but oftentimes in this respect he outdoes other contemporary accounts.

Lest the reader think I’m being completely critical of the work let me say I highly recommend this book!

The novel like style make it an easy and fast read. The fact that Garneray skips the months of dreary monotony and moves from one interesting event directly to another keeps the reader’s interest. Even events which Garneray may not have directly experienced himself, such as a duel between two inmates with razors tied to sticks or the forced facial tattooing of a prisoner who betrayed his comrades, are usually based on historic fact.

Garneray’s details of daily life on the prison hulks, when compared to other lesser known accounts, have proven to be accurate. Even those aspects which a modern reader might believe to be fiction are collaborated by other sources. An example are the “rafales”, prisoners so addicted to gambling that they lived semi naked in the bowels of the hulk and formed their own sub society.

Garneray came from a family of painters, and while imprisoned he began painting himself. It allowed him to develop an income which improved his lot and afterward he became one of France’s premier maritime artists.  Another plus for the book is that it contains plenty of illustrations, both of Garneray’s work and others of the period, as well as being illustrated with woodcuts from the original 19^th century edition done from Garneray’s sketches.  Oddly Garneray has illustrated the dress of  English sailors in a  fashion later than the actual story.

“The Floating Prison” wasn’t Ganery’s only published work. He also wrote “Voyages, aventures et combats” of his time before his capture. I’m anxious to see if there is a translation available!

Two Years Before the Mast - A Review

Two Years before the Mast 

by Richard Henry Dana, Jr  

- A short review by Tony Gerard

Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" is considered a classic and often billed as such. In my experience when a book written in the 19th century is billed as a "classic" be prepared for overly verbose descriptions and lots of moralizing commentary. That was not the case here. Dana's book is an easy and enjoyable read. 

There were many reprints of Dana's book, several in his lifetime. Apparently as time went by Dana's memories of his time as a sailor softened, and later editions were more romantic and less harsh than the original. I was fortunate to pick up the Penguin classic edition, which is a copy of the original 1840 edition.

Dana dropped out of college due to eye problems and, in 1834, signed on as a common sailor bound for California from Boston.  He gives great descriptions- around Cape Horn twice, the hide trade on the California coast, Sandwich islanders as sailors and the hard lot of a common sailor. Dana was obviously proud of becoming a competent sailor. He sometimes gets overly indulgent in his nautical descriptions of trimming sails and it often seems he is just showing off. 

Although the book was taken from experiences after the time of the Acasta there is very little that actually dates it. It is a wonderful glimpse into the life of a common sailor on a merchant sailing vessel and I highly recommend it for any Acasta who's persona back-story includes time served working aboard a merchantman and/or time on the California coast.

Seize the Fire, a Review

Seize The Fire- Heroism, Duty and the Battle of Trafalgar 

by Adam Nicolson

A short Review by Tony Gerard

In the preface Nicolson says of the book " It is an attempt to describe the mental landscape of the people who fought and commanded at one of the great battles in history and it asks, in particular, why and how the idea of the hero flowered here.'' If that had been on the back cover I'd have never bought the book. I'm not particularly interested in cultural psychology, I thought it was a book about the Battle of Trafalgar.

If you want a book about Trafalgar get " Nelson's Trafalgar" by Roy Atkins, it's excellent. 'Seize the Fire'  uses the battle as a backdrop and conveyance for the social attitudes it examines. It's not light, easy readin. I did read the book  and I learned some things. Nelson explains why the British Navy was the unstoppable juggernaut they were, and how the difference in psychology handicapped the French and Spanish navies before the first shot was fired. There is good information here about the difference in standard naval operation between the British and their opponents.  He also explains a change in attitudes, and what was acceptable behavior, in gentlemen (read officers) between the 18th and early 19th centuries. Just at the point I would become bored with excursions into cultural psychology Nicholson would bring be back around with some interesting period account. I was pleasantly surprised.

I'm not sure that this book has that much to  offer an Acasta doing a straight up "Jack Tar" only impression. I would recommend this book to our gentlemen types to give them some insight into the proper attitudes of the time and place.

Wreck of the Medusa, a Review

A mini book review by Tony Gerard

Wreck of the Medusa- 

Mutiny, Murder, and Survival on the High Seas 

by Alexander McKee.

While technically outside the time period we portray (occurring in 1817), the wreck of the Medusa is an interesting and tragic story.  The Medusa was carrying a load of passengers, soldiers and dignitaries to Senegal at the end of the Napoleonic wars. Through a combination of inept leadership and poor judgment the ship ran aground on an extended sandbank off the coast of the Sahara desert. Through more poor judgment the ship is abandoned and about 150 people end up on a hastily constructed raft and are then abandoned. Fifteen of this group survive to be rescued two weeks later. The incident becomes an embarrassment for the new French government, which attempts an unsuccessful cover-up.

While I found the chapters about the voyage, wreck and the survival stories very interesting I have to confess I got bored with the politics of the coverup and only skim read most of this section. McKee also devotes a chapter to an English ship, the Alceste, which wrecked shortly after the Medusa and had many similarities. In this case the Captain made all the right decisions and didn't loose a man. I found this chapter really interesting. Another chapter is devoted to Savigny Gericault's painting of the Medusa raft survivors. Strangely the final chapter compares the Medusa case to a WWII shipwreck survivors, Airplane hijack victims in Jordan in the 1970s and even the famous soccer team airplane crash in the Andes. It was like the book tried to change from a story about history to a psychological analysis in mid stream. I kept waiting for some really relevant connection to be made here which, at least for me, never happened.

The Raft of the Méduse was painted by Théodore Géricault in 1819,

and is now displayed at the Louvre.'

The Sailing Master - a Brief Review

“The Sailing Master” 

By Lee Henschel Jr.

a mini review by Tony Gerard

This is my first time reviewing a novel and maybe I’m not the best guy for the job. Among historic re-enactors I tend to be what is referred to as a “button counter”. In other words I get caught up in small details of historical accuracy in both material and social culture.  Several of my nonhistorian friends now refuse to go to historic movies with me. They say I ruin the movie with my constant complaints about historic authenticity. During “New World” my girlfriend at the time actually got up and moved several seats away from me.

That being said, the author of “The Sailing Master” asked me to review his historic novel, so here goes….

The novel is set in 1798, the main character being a ship’s boy on a Royal Navy frigate. Right away (page 3 ) I found a couple of historic faux pas – the captain is described as having a beard, definitely not the style for a late 18th   century gentleman, and putting his thumbs in his belt loops. Belt loops didn’t appear until the early 20th century. But Mr. Henschel was kind enough to send me a free copy, so I kept reading and then… I was caught up in the story.  It’s definitely a fun read. I’m the kind of guy who goes to bed early (9pm) on a weeknight. I stayed up late reading two nights in a row.

The story is told in first person, but it’s written in a faster paced 20th century style. Henschel does throw in enough 18th century words and phrases to give the casual (read non- button counter) reader the feel of an 18th century narrative. The characters definitely have a modern mindset within a historic setting. This is especially obvious in the disrespect with which the Captain treats captured enemy officers – just not done in the 18th century by gentlemen.

Having said that it is obvious that Henschel knows sailing and 18th century navigation. That comes across and is a plus in my opinion.  

The novel is an adventure/mystery story. Several aspects are not that real life believable, but who cares? Think Michael Crighton rather than Patrick O’Brian. The story is fast paced and it kept my interest. That’s what kept me up. I was always reading just a bit more to see how this turned out, but by the time “this” was resolved there was something else- and I had to see how that turned out. As much as I love the Aubry/Maturin series I never had trouble putting it down to pick up again later. Not so for “The Sailing Master”. Be forewarned, just like real life, Henschel can take away a character you might have begun to like with no apologies. Also be warned, the book is meant to be the first of a series, and it ends as cliff hanger. I, for one, look forward to seeing what happens to ship’s boy Owen Harriet.

Another Mini Book Review

The War for all the Oceans

by Roy and Lesley Adkins

Yet another mini Book Review by Tony Gerard

This book begins with Napoleon's rise to power in 1789 and ends with his demise and exile.  It is a great overall review covering the Battle of the Nile to Waterloo and a bit of what happened afterward from the point of view of the Royal Navy. 

As with "Nelson's Trafalgar" the Atkins (now writing as a husband and wife team) writing style is nonacademic - they're relating an exciting story, not giving a tactical evaluation. The book is liberally stocked with historic quotes, always a good thing in my opinion. I would especially recommend this book as an overview for our younger Acastas, who's life experiences would not have gone back much further than the period covered by the book.

Finding (C.S.) Forester

Finding (C.S.) Forester:

sorting through the Hornblower canon.

By Buzz Mooney

   Readers of Napoleonic-Era Royal Navy fiction almost universally express a preference for Patrick O’Brian’s brilliant Aubrey-Maturin series over all other works in the genre, but if there is a first-runner-up,  it has to be C.S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower.  Hornblower is actually a sentimental favorite of mine, because my father recommended it to me, and I finally started reading it when I found his few volumes, after he passed away. I find that I identify with Hornblower’s constant self-doubt, which compels him to pretend to be brave, in an effort to compensate for his misguided sense that he is a coward. The result, of course, is that Hornblower will stand where others will run. He will toil where others will quit, and he will persevere, where others would despair.  Hornblower is also the series that sparked my interest in the Royal Navy of this period. It was only after reading all the Hornblower I could find, and I was eager to find more about the subject, that I started reading O’Brian.

  Interested readers, however,  will find that reading Hornblower is not as easy as reading O’Brian, and not for stylistic reasons.   While O’Brian wrote his stories in narrative order, starting with MASTER AND COMMANDER in 1969, and ending with the incomplete novel posthumously published as “21”, in 2004, Forester did not follow any particular order.  Forester began with the novel THE HAPPY RETURN, set in 1808,  (Published in the US as BEAT TO QUARTERS) and ended with the HORNBLOWER AND THE CRISIS, set in 1805. The rest of the canon stretches from 1793 to 1848. This allowed Forester more flexibility in his time settings, avoiding such narrative quick-fixes as O’Brian’s several-year-long summer and fall of 1813, but resulting in some overlap among his stories; the short story Hornblower’s Charitable Offering occurs aboard the Sutherland, which Hornblower OTHERWISE commands only during  the novel A SHIP OF THE LINE.  Also, many of the books and stories were published under different titles in the UK and the US.

  The biggest difficulty in reading the entire Hornblower canon is simply FINDING all the stories. Some were published as novels, but some of the stories appeared first in magazines. No single publisher has published the entire canon, and it cannot be found in a tidy set, unlike O’Brian. The Hornblower aficionado  is almost compelled to seeking out electronic copies of some stories.  HORNBLOWER AND THE CRISIS sometimes includes Hornblower and the Big Decision/Hornblower and the Widow McCool, and  The Last Encounter, while The Hand of Destiny, Hornblower’s Charitable Offering, and Hornblower and His Majesty were only published in book form in 1976, in HORNBLOWER ONE MORE TIME, which can rarely be found for less than $800. However, those three stories and the two included with Crisis are available on line as THE HORNBLOWER ADDENDUM.

  Prospective readers may be somewhat put off by the complications I’ve mentioned, but they only apply for readers who want to read the ENTIRE canon: Most of the books are commonly available at libraries and bookstores. Perhaps, one day, we may even be able to convince a publisher to find a way to publish the entire canon, in a single series. Until then, here is a list of the Hornblower stories in approximate narrative order: Book titles are in bold caps, story titles are italicized. Approximate narrative dates and the ship to which Hornblower is assigned, are included.

MR. MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWER (Jan 1793 –Nov 1797): includes the following stories:

   Hornblower and the Even Chance (Justinian)

   Hornblower and the Cargo of Rice (Indefatigable)

   Hornblower and the Penalty of Failure (Indefatigable)

   Hornblower and the Man who Felt Queer (indefatigable)

   Hornblower and the Man Who Saw God  (Indefatigable)

   Hornblower, the Frogs, and the Lobsters (Indefatigable)

   Hornblower and the Spanish Galleys (Indefatigable)

   Hornblower  and the Examination for Lieutenant (Indefatigable)

   Hornblower and Noah’s Ark (Indefatigable)

   Hornblower, the Duchess, and the Devil (Indefatigable)

     -end MR MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWER-

The Hand of Destiny (1796, Frigate Marguerite)

Hornblower and the Big Decision (aka Hornblower and the Widow McCool  and Hornblower’s Temptation)  (1799, Renown)

LIEUTENANT HORNBLOWER (Spring 1800- March 1803, Renown)

HORNBLOWER AND THE HOTSPUR (March 1803-April 1805, Hotspur)

HORNBLOWER  AND THE CRISIS (HORNBLOWER DURING THE CRISIS) (April 1805-Fall 1805, Hotspur)

HORNBLOWER AND THE ATROPOS (Jan 1808 Atropos)

BEAT TO QUARTERS (aka THE HAPPY RETURN) (June 1808-Summer 1808, Lydia)

SHIP OF THE LINE (aka A SHIP OF THE LINE) (May 1810-Oct 1810, Sutherland)

Hornblower’s Charitable Offering (1810, sometime during the narrative period of SHIP OF THE LINE, Sutherand)

FLYING COLORS (Nov 1810-Fall 1811, escaping captivity, through France)

Hornblower and His Majesty (1812, Royal Yacht Augusta)

COMMODORE HORNBLOWER (April 1812-Dec 1812, Nonsuch)

LORD HORNBLOWER (Oct 1813-June 1815, Porta Coeli)

ADMIRAL HORNBLOWER IN THE WEST INDIES (May 1821-Oct 1823, Crab)

The Last Encounter (1848, Hornblower’s estate at Smallbridge)

FEMALE TARS: A Book Review

A Short review by Tony Gerard-

"Female Tars- women aboard ship in the age of sail" by Suzanne J. Stark

This book basically deals with women aboard British naval ships (both in port and at sea) in three capacities 1) prostitutes 2) seamen's wives who were allowed on board and 3) women disguised as men and functioning as crewmen.

The prostitute section is just what one would expect- it really sucked to be a prostitute in 19th century English seaport. The wives section was enlightening for me. Apparently there were many more women aboard ship than I would have thought. The women disguised as men sections were also enlightening for me. While I knew about a couple of famous accounts, apparently there were more than just a few cases. The last chapter deals specifically with one such case. Mary Lacy, alias William Chandler, is an often overlooked account that the author had made a particular study of.  

An interesting read, but save it until after you've read "Jack Tar".

SLAVER CAPTAIN: A Book Review

A Short review by Tony Gerard- 

"Slaver Captain" by John Newton, edited by Vincent  McInerney

This book actually consists of a compilation of two sets of John Newton's writings. One is his thoughts on the slave trade and memoir of his time as a slave ship captain. The other is a series of letters about his life. Both were written later in life as he was on the path to becoming a minister. He is well known in certain circles as the author of the words to the hymn "Amazing Grace".

I bought this book because I wanted more first hand information about the slave trade and it was lauded as "a rare account of the African slave trade....presents a remarkably truthful picture...". 

While Newton did have a remarkable life- he was even a slave for a time himself in Sierra Leone, before becoming a slaver captain- he doesn't  really tell a juicy story. Whenever something really interesting is about to happen, say a mutiny, slave revolt or shipwreck, Newton usually covers it with something like "but the Lord mercifully delivered me from the danger" without giving any real detail on just how the Lord handled the situation. He also gives very little information about the actual conditions on, or operation of, a slave ship.

This book may be a useful insight for our Chaplain about Christian thoughts from the early 19th century, but for one looking for an actual period account of the slave trade the book is lacking.

Gibraltar- The Greatest Siege in British History

Gibraltar- The Greatest Siege in British History

by Roy and Lesley Adkins

A book review by Acasta member Tony Gerard

Like most Americans I am abysmally ignorant of world history. All I really knew about Gibraltar was that it was, at one point, key to controlling sea trade between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, it was rocky and that it had been under siege. What a story that siege was!

The siege lasted three and a half years, the longest siege in British history. Spanish forces blockaded the peninsula by both land and sea. While supply ships did sometimes bring relief supplies, for the most part the inhabitants of Gibraltar were on their own. The fact that they outlasted and persevered is real testament to human endurance. It’s a riveting story and this husband and wife team tells it well.

The Adkinses write in a non-academic style which is very readable, a pleasant change from so many books dealing with historic topics. Serious students of history need not fear however, the authors provide plenty of direct historic quotes. In fact, the quotes from several different reoccurring characters was one of the aspects that really put a human face on the story for me. Another aspect that I appreciate is that the Adkinses don’t let military tactics and maneuvers become the dominant theme. While the military situation is thoroughly covered, the events and conditions for the civilian inhabitants of Gibraltar are given equal treatment.

Where background explanation is needed the authors provide brief digressions which are interesting and never so long or detailed that they detract from the main storyline. Just as with a novel, I often found myself reading longer than I had intended at a setting to “see how things turned out”. The book also includes an excellent set of maps which are arranged from larger to smaller in area. I found myself referring back to these for better visualization when military maneuvers were being described.

In summation this is a very interesting story well told, and I highly recommend this book. For most of us Acastas the siege was well within our adult historic lifetime and aspects could be included in a persona backstory. If you’re just a history buff this book is still a great read. And for all you Americans out there-the siege of Gibraltar has a direct bearing on our independence totally unknown to me! Read the book to find out…

A Nelson Companion

A Nelson Companion- A guide to the Royal Navy of Jack Aubrey 

by C Maynard

a VERY short book review by Tony Gerard

This is a great little book! At less than 130 small pages this book is not meant to be a comprehensive guide, but is rather a collection of interesting information about life in the royal navy during the age of fighting sail. That said it does seem to cover almost every aspect of shipboard life in some short bites. This would be an excellent primer for anyone just developing an interest in the Royal Navy. Some labeled diagrams to go along with some of the explanations would have been great, and almost all the line drawing illustrations are from a later time period, but it really doesn’t detract that much. 

A little feature I enjoyed was “Nautical origins of common phrases and sayings” which was stuck in between various sections. The book also has a nice glossary of terms, plus a bibliography of sources, websites and a mention of museums relating to the topic. Every Acasta should have a copy of this little book!

The Days of the French Revolution

The Days of the French Revolution

by Christopher Hibbert

Another brief book review by Tony Gerard

I read this book with the goal of making myself more familiar with the conditions in France that lead up to the conflict between France and England and to learn more about what conditions in France were like throughout that period. The book covers the period from 1789 to 1795 with a concluding chapter on the advent of Bonaparte.  

This book does a pretty good job of setting out events in chronological order, and it does so in a readable enough manner. However, it doesn’t go into any real detail on what conditions and life were like at the time except in the most basic sense. 

I do have one big problem with the book. While the introduction says that “it is written for the general reader unfamiliar with the subject (that’s me), rather than the student”, Hibbert seems to assume that the non-student is somehow completely familiar with the various French political factions at the time. Girondins, Enrages, Hebertists, Indulgents, Montagnards and Sans- Coulottes all appear and reappear throughout the narrative generally with little or no accompanying explanation of who they are, where they came from or what they want. An index/glossary of who/what/why these various groups were would have sure been handy. Along that same line some formerly mentioned player will often reappear in the narrative. There as so many different names it was often hard for me to remember who was who. An index of important individuals would have been a wonderful thing to include also.

Fiddlers and Whores

Fiddlers and Whores- 

The Candid Memoirs of a surgeon in Nelson’s Fleet

by James Lowry

a Brief book review by Acasta member Tony Gerard

James Lowry was a young man, classically trained in the medical arts, who joined the British Navy as an assistant surgeon in 1798 and served until the spring of 1804. His deployment was almost exclusively on the Mediterranean- he was in on the Egyptian campaign of 1801, was briefly a prisoner of war before being exchanged, then served in Italy and Sicily before being shipwrecked in 1804. He was apparently an avid journalist, as well as a sketch artist, but unfortunately his journals and sketches were almost all lost in the wreck.

At some point after he returned to Ireland he wrote a series of letters to his brother chronicling his adventures from memory. While he was certainly involved in some serious military actions, his main interest was in Italian society and its lax (by English standards of Lowry’s time) sexual morals. While the dust jacket notes that Lowry recounts his exploits in “perhaps rather more detail than is proper” I found this true only in 19th century terms. I personally found Lowry frustratingly lacking in the details of historic life that we living historians love so much. Not only are his romantic encounters lacking in detail, but so are the accounts of his military adventures. Personally disappointing for me, his medical endeavors barely get a mention.

This is not a bad book, but it is an easy book to put down and pick up again later. If an individual had service in the Mediterranean, Sicily or Italy as part of their back story it would be an excellent resource.