In Gallant Company

By Alexander Kent

As the American Revolution rages on the mainland, the British Navy prepares for action at sea. Against a growing fleet of American and French privateers, the navy must maintain its blockade of Washington's vital military supplies. Caught up in the turmoil, junior officer Richard Bolitho finds himself having to make momentous decisions in the heat of battle—decisions that could affect the lives of many men and, perhaps, even the fate of nations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RowmanLittlefield
• Release date: Apr 1, 1998
• ISBN: 9781590132470

Book preview

Reviews for In Gallant Company

[patience_crabstick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent example of its genre. Well characterized, fast paced, entertaining.

[neilsantos_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was also good. I'll start buying these when I have room for them.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is from Kent 's Bolitho series, and is more blood and guts than the Ramage Novels. Set in the American War of Independence period, there's a more gritty feel to Bolitho's adventures. Also, we see the Yanks as less than plaster saint heroes.

[fiverivers_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In the tradition of the Hornblower series, In Gallant Company is one of the early books in Kent's Richard Bolitho series. Set during the American Revolutionary years, the novel chronicles Bolitho's rise through the British Navy. The action is peppered with wonderful period details without detracting from the pace, and certainly Kent's ability to create stalwart, living characters is, as always, spot on.Recommended for pure, historical fiction escapism.

[joeldinda_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's fair to assume that many folks read Alexander Kent's books largely for the action, which is dependable, quite bloody, and convincingly chaotic. These are great strengths, and enough reason to read this author. It's also true that each book works well as a standalone novel, which is a positive trait for a writer of serial novels.

Kent's Richard Bolitho is sort of an alternative Horatio Nelson. He has a very similar, largely concurrent, career in the Royal Navy, working his way from midshipman to admiral over the course of twenty-some novels, fighting in different theaters from Nel but with similar results. He's a hero to the masses in London, inspiring to his friends and subordinates, and a bit of a loose cannon (less so than Nelson, but that is pretty much a given). Bolitho, like Nelson, has a scandalous relationship with a woman, which annoys his superiors and troubles his friends. Also like Nelson, he dies in a major battle just as victory becomes certain.

Kent--a pen name used by Douglas Reeman--wrote the first novel in this series, To Glory We Steer, in the late sixties, and I read it soon after it became available. Over the years I've read all the stories, many of them as they were published; indeed, I've read most of the earlier books several times. Obviously I like Kent's books, but it's occasionally difficult to say why. Kent's only adequate at characterization and dialog, and while it's unfair to call his plots formulaic they have a certain predictability that becomes annoying if you read three or four in quick succession. And many of the books spend too much time inside Bolitho's head. My sense is that the author works from a checklist--there will be a big sea battle, there will be a foray on land (often, but not invariably, a cutting out effort); Bolitho will ask someone to call him "Dick" (later in the series someone will call him "Equality Dick"), Bolitho will remind everyone not to load their guns prior to the cutting out expedition, someone will say "Take that man's name"; one of the officers will be a martinet and another will have personal troubles of some sort; a key character will die late in the story; Bolitho will see the likely outcomes of whatever's coming better than his superiors.

This book's certainly like that. But it's better than most of the set, as it effectively portrays Bolitho growing into the leadership role which drives the action in subsequent novels. The peripheral characters are all quite complex and interesting enough to be convincing, regardless of the author's weakness. And the action is logical, consistent with the story, and surprisingly convincing. Good work; well worth reading.

This review was also published on a dabbler's journal.