A prequel to the series in which Midshipman Bolitho sits for his commissioning board, then joins a successful action against arms smugglers. The American Revolution is about to start and Bolitho receives his commission, but in the action has lost a friend. ( )

Great introduction to an excellent series. If you liked this one there are many more for you to enjoy. Kenneth Reeman AKA Alexander Kent writes equally well for the Age of Fighting Sail and WW 2. Richard Bolitho, from a Cornish naval family, gain his first commission and discovers that he has chosen an occupation that will cost him; shipmates and friends. ( )

Wow, that was a fast read. Blink and you miss it. ( )

In this collection it was Band of Brothers I had not previously read. As always with Kent's Bolitho series, impeccable historical research and attention to detail. Character point of view tends to wander a bit, but not so that it's distracting. Great naval, Georgian/Regency Era escapism. ( )

I have a problem with this book. The problem is not really the story itself which is an entertaining but minor tale of Bolitho as a midshipman facing the challenges of examination, smugglers and personal tragedy. The problem shows up in the subtitle of the book: A Midshipman Bolitho “Novel”. This is really more of a novelette or novella. There are 144 total pages but that includes a chapter from the next in the series, a glossary and an illustration. Add to that the fact that the story’s numbering begins of page 8 and you wind up with 110 pages of story in normal size type. As you can probably tell, I was an unsuspecting purchaser of the hardback edition. While I am a fan of the series and enjoyed this book and would recommend it, I would suggest that if you do decide to read it you get it from the library or in a used book sale. ( )