Disillusioned by the lack of opportunity in the Royal Navy, Lieutenant King opts for a spell with the Honourable East India Company. But, a trip in an Indiaman is anything but the easy option when his captain is revealed to be an old enemy. With the added perils of privateers, storms, and the might of the French Navy, he finds there is just as much excitement in the merchant service, and wonders why he ever chose to cut and run.
Excerpt
“Fire!”
It was not the snap discharge of a crack warship. The sound rolled out in an erratic staccato, but the sudden noise and flash of bright flame that stood out against the smoke and late afternoon gloom made a dramatic impression, as Rogers knew that it must. All rushed forward to see the fall of the shots; some were very wide, another ridiculously short. Two might have found their mark, but no damage was evident on the privateer.
“A hit, sir!” Willis’s face was ecstatic. “I'm certain of it!”
That was all Rogers needed to hear. The story was now in place and could, in time, be embroidered upon. He chuckled inwardly to himself. At that moment they might have been fighting off a flood of desperate privateers, but instead he had apparently seen them off. Carefully handled, this should do his reputation no harm at all. His standing with the East India Company would be greatly improved, and all on board must acknowledge him for his true worth. Legends had grown from smaller beginnings than this. With care and a little elaboration, he could go on to build his reputation as a true fighting captain.
Professional Reviews
The Old Salt Blog
Alaric Bond's wonderful new book, Cut and Run, the fourth in his Fighting Sail series, steps away from the Royal Navy and takes us onto the decks of a merchantman - a ship of the Honorable East India Company. The ships of the "John Company," as the HEIC was colloquially known, were the connective tissue of the empire, carrying trade goods and merchants outbound and bringing back the riches of the India and China to England. In a time of war, these ships were also a virtual treasure trove for enemy privateers.
In Cut and Run, Royal Navy Lieutenant Tom King finds himself on the beach, on half pay. The frigate, HMS Pandora, on which he served so valiantly in the Battle of Camperdown (in the previous book, True Colours) is being refit and her captain has gone ashore to consider a run for Parliament. Lacking money and connections, Lt. King decides to take a position as an officer of the Pevensey Castle, a ship of the Honorable East India Company. He is joined by Robert Manning, a surgeon's mate from the Pandora, and his new wife Kate, who has arranged a position as purser's assistant on the Indiaman.
While the life on a merchant man proves to be quite different from that of a Royal Navy ship, neither the sea nor the politics of the day have fundamentally changed. Britain is still at war with France and money and influence still hold sway on land and sea. King and the Mannings are unhappy to realize that their new captain, Rogers, also served in the Royal Navy. King served with Rogers on HMS Vigilance where Rogers proved himself to be an dangerous and incompetent buffoon, who nevertheless happened to be from a wealthy and influential family. King is also not pleased to learn that Captain Rogers has given him the lowly rank of Midshipman.
King soon learns that while the Indiaman is about as large as a Royal Navy frigate, the Pevensey Castle sails like a barrel and is woefully under-gunned which will be an issue later in the book when the Indiaman must contend with French privateers.
What makes Cut and Run such an entertaining read is that it is sufficiently different from fiction focusing on the Royal Navy so that it feels fresh. At the same time, the characters and surroundings are similar enough to make a fan of Georgian naval fiction feel quite at home.
As was the case in Bond's previous books, the characters are all engaging and well drawn. His books continue to reflect the viewpoints of sailors from all ranks and positions, rather than as the account of a single heroic sailor. In Cut and Run, Tom King is somewhat closer to this role than in Bond's previous books. Nevertheless, Bond's ships are still populated with wonderfully vivid and idiosyncratic characters; from an Irish volunteer steward to a Lascar bosun, to a bosun's mate who proves too enthusiastic in combat for his own health. I am particularly fond of a red haired sailor that we met in a previous book named Johnson or Simpson, depending on which ship he is on, who has a particular knack for deserting and keeps managing to avoid the hangman's noose.
Cut and Run is a delightfully entertaining read that gives us a look at the often overlooked Georgian merchant marine. Highly recommended
Historic Naval Fiction
This latest novel displays all the skill we have come to expect from Bond with the story, as usual, following members of the crew from various ranks, not just the officers.
The book has a fresh perspective in that we are soon aboard an 'Indiaman', a ship of the Honourable East India Company, and seeing life from the view of not just merchant seamen and officers but also passengers from various stations in life. The narrative follows the ship, Pevensey Castle, as it prepares for sea in the Thames, joins it's escort and then heads out into the Atlantic.
However that does not mean that we see any less action. Tom King and other familiar faces are soon in the thick of it and Bond's skill in describing life and action at sea is, as always, evident.
Cut and Run, and indeed all of the 'Fighting Sail' series is highly recommended.
Linda Collison's Sea of Words
If you are a diehard fan of historic naval fiction you will have heard of Alaric Bond, a British author born in Surrey whose father was also a writer of some renown. If you're not an age-of-sail geek but you like tightly written historical fiction, then let me acquaint you with Alaric Bond's Fighting Sail Series, published by Fireship Press.
You can jump right in with Cut and Run, the fourth book in the loosely related series, in which young lieutenant Tom King is the central character. In this episode Tom is temporarily employed by the East India Company instead of His Majesty's Royal Navy. I found the change of pace welcome, very plausible, and I was glad for a glimpse of life aboard a merchantmen. But don't think you can relax in a deck chair because in this era a merchant ship is prey.
Bond plots well and the pacing is spot-on but what I liked best were the characters themselves and how they dealt with their various situations. Bond peoples his vessels with believable characters, both men and women, from various stations. The female characters are not just whores, vixens or termagant wives, they are real people and the author gives them the full humanity they deserve. Being a female myself, these things matter! Because Bond's characters are convincing, when the chase begins and the shooting starts I actually give a damn about what happens.
Mr. Bond doesn't always keep his good guys alive, which adds to the tension as well as to the sense of reality, yet he is definitely in charge of his story. From page one I knew I was in expert hands.
Cut and Run's well-crafted climactic chase is outstanding; my heart was racing for many pages as I agonized for Tom King and his shipmates. Even if you've never read an age-of-sail book before, you could come aboard on Bond's fourth novel and not be lost (he includes a concise nautical glossary.) In fact, you just might find yourself hooked. This is realistic historical fiction at its best.
Fleeing from a scorned past,Catherine Merit struggles with her failing medical practice and a rich man's obsession of her.Book Four in the Indignities Series
Available Now! Rated 5 ***** by readers and listeners.
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