Clay and the Sublime Porte (The Alexander Clay Series Book 12)
In this 11th book of the series, Royal Navy captain Sir Alexander Clay has finally risen to command a ship of the line—a two-decker, 74-gun man o’war, the state of the art in 1807. Sir Alexander’s mission is primarily diplomatic: sail with a British squadron to Constantinople to help ensure that the Ottoman Empire does not form an alliance with Napoleon. But the French seem to have gotten there first. The straits of the Dardanelles are heavily fortified, and HMS Hermes must run multiple gauntlets of shot and shell in hopes that they can contrive some intrigue ashore to turn the tables.
The narrative is faithful to the tradition of other well-known nautical adventure series. Technical details are accurate, as are the historical elements—perhaps too much so in this case, as the real mission the book is based on was ultimately futile. Despite this, there is plenty of action: incessant gunfire, boarding actions with pistol and cutlass, clouds of deadly splinters and shot-up rigging crashing to the deck. But there is little conflict. Sailors forcibly pressed into service work happily alongside the men who grabbed them. An inexperienced officer with no apparent leadership skills suddenly gains his men’s respect after a few well-chosen words from a superior. Even the enemy seem to be just doing their jobs. The author misses a chance here to show us something real and human as the consequence of this bloody struggle for little gain.
