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The Only Victor (Vol 18) |  | Author: Alexander Kent
Publisher: McBooks Press
Category: eBooks
This item is no longer available
Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 32651
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 384
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
ASIN: B001GMAWEU
Publication Date: February 26, 1990
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Product Description
February 1806: Vice-Admiral Bolitho carries the news of Trafalgar to southern Africa, where he is to aid the ground forces in retaking Cape Town from the Dutch. After a defiant but brief reunion with his mistress, a secret mission to Denmark nearly ends in disaster for him.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 6
 Kent does it again! March 13, 2010
Dr. Prentice Kinser III (Virginia, USA)
I had not heard of Alexander Kent until I complained at a book store that they had no copies of Patrick O'Brian's books. The owner said, "Have you read any of Alexander Kent?" I had not, and that began a wonderful new adventure. Kent writes naval stories about the same historical time period as O'Brian, but Kent often has more action scenes, which I thoroughly enjoy. If you like O'Brian, you will love Kent.
Prentice Kinser III, D.Min., Author of:Limitless Living, A Guide to Unconventional Spiritual Exploration and Growth
A transitional novel April 29, 2008
Naor Wallach (Pittsburgh, PA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's right after Trafalgar and the British admiralty appears to be concerned that Richard Bolitho is becoming another Nelson. Not only does he fight and win, he earns that admiration of his colleagues and subordinates, and he does not care about the love affair that is consuming him, leaving his wife and his lover's husband out in the cold. Oh, the scandal!
So, to remove the admiral from the poisoned looks and talk, they send him to support the invasion of South Africa. Of course, Bolitho takes a very active role in it and only barely stops himself from leading the attach in a fire ship launched from a schooner - this from a 50 year old vice admiral!!! Once that mission is over, he comes back to England, spends time with his love, and is again sent out. This time he goes to Denmark on a mission that is completely unclear. I understand why a diplomat is sent out, but why send Bolitho - a fighting admiral - to this place with nothing to command or fight? Oh, did I forget to mention that there is a battle that takes place when he leaves Copenhagen?
Another interlude at home, and then Bolitho gets to his new flagship and is out supporting the invasion of Denmark as a subordinate. So, of course he goes off and manages to pick up a sea fight against a stronger ship. This marks the only plot line that is resolved from the series as a whole as the ship he meets up with is the same ship that sunk his beloved Hyperion.
The majority of the book is concerned with Bolitho's love affair and how great it is. Unfortunately, the rest of society has different opinions on it and the turmoil extends to Bolitho's family. We have side stories of an abused midshipman who is rescued by acts of heroism taken by him and by those around him; a disfigured Lieutenant whose career is revived by Bolitho; and references to several other minor characters; Even Tom Herrick makes a comeback and he is still conflicted about his relationship with Bolitho and the ending of the book implies that the rift between these two best of friends is now complete and maybe cannot be mended.
All in all, this was a different book than most as there was little real action. The focus is on Bolitho's love affair and the three short action stories that are folded into this one book are really not a part of the story arc. Could it be that this was originally a compendium of short stories that were pulled together? Or, maybe the author is still figuring out how to write love stories in a naval setting so he added the action sequences to ensure that he does not lose his core constituency?
If I had not read the other books in the series, this one would have turned me off it altogether. As it is, I will probably read the next ones to see if they start improving.
A preoccupied Bolitho June 24, 2002
tertius3 (MI United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is by far the longest book in Kent's Bolitho series. Unlike most books earlier in the series Bolitho spends considerable time on shore iintimately nvolved with his illicit love, Catherine, and then when he is at sea again passionately longing for her. The brave stories of a scared little midshipman who eventually finds his courage, or the lieutenant who excels despite having lost half his face are nearly lost behind Bolitho's obsessive anxieties over his separation from the bold Catherine. Bolitho, now half blinded, is showing signs of tiring and retiring. The series has become a study in the accumulated effects of endless time at sea and in fighting sharp and desperate actions. Bolitho, always deeply concerned with his men, has progressively lost the closest colleagues on whom he had depended, "we happy few," an' that's no error. Still there are flashes of the old outer heroics while fighting the Dutch for Cape Town, on a secret mission to Copenhagen, and coming to the rescue of his troubled friend Herrick at sea.
 A good series gone bad January 4, 2001
Tony Epler (Washington DC, USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I read the first 16 or 17 Bolitho books in a hurry, 4 or 5 years ago, and enjoyed them quite a bit. Recently I picked up this one and was very disappointed. Rather than a good story of action and history, that I had come to expect from the author, this recent edition was dedicated almost entirely to Bolitho and Catherine mooning about each other and lamenting their separations.
 Publishers padding particularly poor November 13, 2000
David Wilson
17 out of 21 found this review helpful
I have read the Hornblower series twice and the Aubrey/Maturin series three times and I looked forward to reading another Britanic Naval series when I began Kent's Bolitho series. The series began strong but towards the end (somewhere around "Success to the Brave") the series started running out of gas. It appeared to me that the publishers requested Kent to pad the books with inane story lines (or they themselves committed the sin) in order to extend the series (at nearly US$15/book) to increase their profit. I got to the point that when I read the one of many over used phrases, such as "blood ran from the scuppers as if the ship itself was mortally wounded", I put the book down in disgust. Futhermore, I would occasionally read a few pages that reminded me of the better written books that began the series, affirming my belief that a much less talented individual had a hand in the completion of the series. I suggest to anyone looking for another Aubrey/Maturin series to pick up O'Brian's "Master and Commander" and reread that series. However, if you do pick up the Bolitho series stop investing in the books when it becomes obvious to you that the publishers are padding the stories.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 6
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