A Matter of Honor

Written by William C. Hammond III
Review by Rebecca Roberts

This nautical adventure, the first in a series, takes place during the American Revolution as Richard Cutler, a young rebel, signs on as a midshipman aboard the Ranger, a Continental navy sloop-of-war captained by John Paul Jones. Cutler wants independence for his country, and revenge for his older brother, Will, flogged to death by the Royal Navy. Serving alongside Jones on the Ranger and later the Bonhomme Richard, Cutler fights in spectacular sea battles, and through his travels, meets many of the key characters in the Revolution including Ben Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette and John Adams.

This adventure story is deeply researched and vividly and eloquently told. Readers gain insight into how an infantile country fought for its independence, the struggles families faced with relations on both sides of the Atlantic, and the daily hardships of life at sea. Hammond traces Cutler’s adventures from 1774 all the way through the end of the war, providing readers with everything from romance, passion, war, and strife. A powerful maritime tale, A Matter of Honor is sure to entertain anyone looking for a dramatic look at the American Revolution through the eyes of a young seaman intensely embroiled in the fight for independence.