Thieves Of Mercy
a stunning and heart-pounding novel of naval adventure set during the US Civil War
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
Bestselling author James Nelson brings us another maritime adventure packed with battle, duty, heroism and tragedy. Perfect for readers of Julian Stockwin, CS Forester and Alexander Kent.
"A triumph of imagination and good taut writing" -- BERNARD CORNWELL
"A master both of his period and of the English language" -- PATRICK O'BRIAN
"Nelson handles deftly the O'Brian dominated maritime genre with...tense action and battle sequences" -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Another page turner by James L Nelson. Gripping action with minute attention paid to historical accuracy." -- ***** Reader review
"A literary masterpiece" -- ***** Reader review
"Great history, great storytelling." -- ***** Reader review
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CAN HE FIND THE STRENGTH HE NEEDS, AGAINST ALL ODDS?
Having survived the bloody Battle of New Orleans and the loss of his ship, Captain Sam Bowater is given new orders - to take command of an ironclad warship being built in Memphis, Tennessee. Bowater and his men are taken up river by 'Mississippi' Mike Sullivan, one of the wild, undisciplined captains of the River Defence Squadron, only to find, on their arrival, that their ship is not even half-built and the enemy is closing in fast.
Against his better judgment, Bowater joins forces with Sullivan on board his river gunship. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Confederates once again fling themselves bravely at the overwhelming power of the Yankee invaders. The deadly fight along the Mississippi ends at last in the massive naval battle of Memphis, as the Confederates attempt to hold back the Northern advance.
Thieves of Mercy is the conclusion of James Nelson's Civil War at Sea series. The action started in Glory In The Name.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
If not quite up to the standard of his best naval historicals, Nelson's second nautical adventure set during the Civil War (after 2003's Glory in the Name) offers a rousing plot and seafaring detail as authentic as any in the Hornblower or Aubrey/Maturin books. In Memphis in the spring of 1862, while Confederate Lt. Samuel Bowater awaits his new command (of an ironclad under construction), he attends to such matters as ghostwriting a dime novel, using the plot of Hamlet, for "Mississippi" Mike Sullivan, captain of the ram General Page, and later taking Sullivan's side when the captain thinks a troupe of Shakespearean actors has plagiarized his work. Meanwhile, Bowater's lover, Wendy Atkins, is trying to escape Norfolk, Va., before the city falls to the Yankees. In this effort, she has the help of her free-spirited Aunt Molly and the hindrance of Union Lt. Roger Newcomb. After making their way out of burning Norfolk, Wendy and Molly have an improbable if diverting meeting with Abraham Lincoln. Civil War buffs, particularly Southern sympathizers, will be well pleased. FYI:A technical consultant on the film Master and Commander, Nelson has won the ALA's W.Y. Boyd Award for Excellence in Military Fiction.