'High adventure and detection; cunningly spliced battle scenes which reek of blood and brine, and excitements on terra firma to match' --Literary About the AuthorDAVID DONACHIE was born in Edinburgh in 1944 and has had a variety of jobs, including selling everything from business machines to soap. He has always had an abiding interest in the naval history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The author of a number of bestselling books, he know lives in Deal with his wife, the novelist Sarah Grazebrook and their two children. what famous books are in the public domain A Shot Rolling Ship (The John Pearce Naval Series)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. I love this seriesBy Jay BazzinottiSo far there are 9 books in the John Pearce saga and I am at number 7. The story is unlike many other sea sagas. Patrick Obrian's "Jack Aubrey" books are ok, but they whitewash life in the King's Navy and also life ashore. Horatio Hornblower also has flaws because the main character become so incredibly unlikable that you don't care if he gets killed or not. The Charles Hayden saga is flagging after just three books, but the John Pearce series really makes an effort to show how life was in ruddy old England, how filthy most people were, how hard life actually was, what the politics were like and how they affected the daily man. Furthermore, the author takes pains to show how hard life at sea was, even for officers, and especially for the crew. Where O'brian's "Jack Aubrey" sails with a "happy crew" and never uses the cat or the starter, this is so incredibly unreal as to ring totally false. Donachie goes to great lengths to show the pyschological ramifications of these things while showing that men who are routinely beaten with a starter can still be "happy" or at least accepting of their lot and how even though life at sea was really, really harsh, the possibility of getting a regular meal was a real draw for men who were in danger of starvation or debtor's prison on land. One problem is that as the series draws on, Pearce seems to see less and less action, which is unfortunate because it is skill at fighting and decisiveness that makes him a compelling character. The books are filled with an enormous number of complex characters that Donachie juggles with amazing ease. These are not just high-seas adventure books but really delve into the character's motivations and psyche. I highly recommend this series, it is by far the most gritty and realistic of all the sea sagas out there.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good for action, bad for the uncontrolled incivillity of the main characterBy FWS3This book - and the John Pearce series in general - have fairly well developed plots and do not plod along through too much irrelevant sub-plot material. The action is abundant and exciting. The amount of disrespect for authority, never tolerated in the British navy of the 19th century, really does go beyond the pale and creates an idiosyncratic flaw in the main character that becomes very tiresome. The unbelievably rapid rise of John Pearce from pressed landlubber to a naval lieutenant - coupled with the acquisition of practical sea-knowledge - is a considerable stretch of one's imagination. All in all, in spite of John's petulance, the story is entertaining and the author spins a nice yarn.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Jeffery W LoftonGreat book.