Synopses & Reviews
A sweeping novel of maritime mutiny set against the backdrop of the French Revolution that evokes such masters as Patrick O'Brian and Bernard Cornwell. At the time of the French Revolution, one of Britain's most skillful naval officers, Charles Saunders Hayden, is a young lieutenant, the son of an English father and a French mother. His abilities and his loyalty to the king of England are beyond dispute, yet his career seems doomed by his mixed heritage and lack of political connections. Consequently, Hayden is assigned to an aging frigate, the Themis, under the command of Captain Josiah Hart, a man known as Faint Hart throughout the service. As the Themis takes to sea to harass the enemy, the disaffection of the crew begins to boil over into acts of violence, and the lieutenant finds himself caught between his superior and a crew pushed toward mutiny. A revolution at sea ensues, and Hayden is wrenchingly torn between honor and duty, as the magnificent Royal Navy engages the French in a centuries-old struggle for power. This is a novel that satisfies on all levels, and will be loved by a wide range of readers: Patrick O'Brian's adoring literary following, as well as readers who love Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Jeff Shaara. Its scenes of maritime warfare match, and even surpass, O'Brian's for majesty and drama.
Review
Fans of Patrick OBrians works and other novels in the naval adventure genre will enjoy.
Library Journal
Russells encyclopedic command of nautical lore, joined to his rare ability to spin a ripping yarn, places the reader right in the middle of the action.
Neal Stephenson, New York Times bestselling author
Lieutenant Hayden is one of the most compelling and attractive heroes to appear in some time
This nascent series has ample firepower for a long run.
Military.com
First-rate
taut plotting, liberal action.
Publishers Weekly
[A] strong naval saga with vivid sea battles, strong characterizations, and a deep sense of time and place.
Midwest Book Review
Review
Praise for TAKE, BURN OR DESTROY
and#8220;[Russell is] incredibly skilled at crafting these seafaring adventures. Hayden makes for a rich character whose internal turmoil lends credence to his role as master and commander, while his crew is as varied and interesting as any of Patrick Oand#8217;Brienand#8217;s lot.and#160; Another vivid adventure with a tumultuous historical backdropand#8212;not to be missed by fans of pirates and naval strategy or by history buffs.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus
Praise for the Charles Hayden novels by S. Thomas Russell:
"Russell's encyclopedic command of nautical lore, joined to his rare ability to spin a ripping yarn, places the reader right in the middle of the action, of which there is plenty.and#160; He loves this stuff, and he makes us love it, but does us the courtesy never to oversimplify, never to gloss over the flaws of the officers, the seamen, the politicians, and their navy.and#160; Out of that ruthlessly clear-eyed vision, he creates characters and situations that stay in the reader's memory even as memories of broadsides and cutlass duels fade."--Neal Stephenson, New York Times-bestselling author of Anathem and The Baroque Cycle
"Fans of Patrick O'Brian's works and other novels in the naval adventure genre will enjoy [Under Enemy Colors] . . .and#160;A fast-paced and eventful narrative . . . The novel benefits from thorough research and a mastery of the technical details of sailing in the 1790s."--Library Journal
"A colorful account of duty and honor, punctuated by the cannonade of naval warfare."--Kirkus
"Russell's first-rate debut features taut plotting, liberal action, and . . . a complex, sympathetic hero."--Publishers Weekly
"[Under Enemy Colors] grips the audience with its insightful look at war at sea.and#160; Charles is a fantastic protagonist who keeps the exciting story line together . . . Historical readers will cherish this strong naval saga with vivid sea battles, strong characterizations, and a deep sense of time and place."--Midwest Book Review
"Vivid and evocative, especially about what Mr. Russell knows best, the sea and sailing."--The Wall Street Journal
"Late 18th-century naval warfare and the threat of mutiny take center stage in this seagoing thriller reminiscent of Patrick O'Brian."--The Sacramento Bee
Review
Praise for TAKE, BURN OR DESTROY
and#8220;[Russell is] incredibly skilled at crafting these seafaring adventures. Hayden makes for a rich character whose internal turmoil lends credence to his role as master and commander, while his crew is as varied and interesting as any of Patrick Oand#8217;Brienand#8217;s lot.and#160; Another vivid adventure with a tumultuous historical backdropand#8212;not to be missed by fans of pirates and naval strategy or by history buffs.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus
Praise for the Charles Hayden novels by S. Thomas Russell:
"Russell's encyclopedic command of nautical lore, joined to his rare ability to spin a ripping yarn, places the reader right in the middle of the action, of which there is plenty.and#160; He loves this stuff, and he makes us love it, but does us the courtesy never to oversimplify, never to gloss over the flaws of the officers, the seamen, the politicians, and their navy.and#160; Out of that ruthlessly clear-eyed vision, he creates characters and situations that stay in the reader's memory even as memories of broadsides and cutlass duels fade."--Neal Stephenson, New York Times-bestselling author of Anathem and The Baroque Cycle
"Fans of Patrick O'Brian's works and other novels in the naval adventure genre will enjoy [Under Enemy Colors] . . .and#160;A fast-paced and eventful narrative . . . The novel benefits from thorough research and a mastery of the technical details of sailing in the 1790s."--Library Journal
"A colorful account of duty and honor, punctuated by the cannonade of naval warfare."--Kirkus
"Russell's first-rate debut features taut plotting, liberal action, and . . . a complex, sympathetic hero."--Publishers Weekly
"[Under Enemy Colors] grips the audience with its insightful look at war at sea.and#160; Charles is a fantastic protagonist who keeps the exciting story line together . . . Historical readers will cherish this strong naval saga with vivid sea battles, strong characterizations, and a deep sense of time and place."--Midwest Book Review
"Vivid and evocative, especially about what Mr. Russell knows best, the sea and sailing."--The Wall Street Journal
"Late 18th-century naval warfare and the threat of mutiny take center stage in this seagoing thriller reminiscent of Patrick O'Brian."--The Sacramento Bee
Review
Praise for A Battle Won
“[A] thrilling story of nautical warfare…A bracing tale that modernizes the seafaring classicism of Patrick OBrian for a new generation.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Readers who relish the sting of salt spray and the tang of gunpowder will enjoy every page.” —Publishers Weekly
Review
Praise for the novels of S. Thomas Russell:
“Russells encyclopedic command of nautical lore, joined to his rare ability to spin a ripping yarn, places the reader right in the middle of the action, of which there is plenty...He creates characters and situations that stay in the readers memory even as memories of broadsides and cutlass duels fade.”—Neal Stephenson, New York Times bestselling author of The Mongoliad
“Fans of Patrick O'Brians works and other novels in the naval adventure genre will enjoy…A fast-paced and eventful narrative…The novel benefits from thorough research and a mastery of the technical details of sailing in the 1790s.”—Library Journal
“A colorful account of duty and honor, punctuated by the cannonade of naval warfare.”—Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Born to an English father and a French mother, lieutenant Charles Saunders Hayden?s career is damned by his ?mixed? heritage. Assigned to the HMS
Themis, an aging frigate under the command of a captain reviled by his crew for both his brutality towards his men and his cowardice in battle, Hayden is torn between honor and duty, as the British navy engages the French in a centuries-old struggle for power.
Synopsis
Master and Commander Charles Hayden returns in the riveting new seafaring adventure from the bestselling author. 1794, the height of the French Revolutionandmdash;Charles Hayden sets off aboard the ill-fated HMS Themis with orders to destroy a French frigate sailing from Le Havre and to gather intelligence from a royalist spy. On discovering French plans for an imminent invasion of England, Hayden must return to Portsmouth to give warning before itandrsquo;s too late.
But the enemy has been lying in wait for him, and so begins a dangerous chase out into the Atlantic and into the clutches of a powerful French squadron. After a thwarted attempt to masquerade as French sailors, Hayden and his officers are taken prisoner. A shipwreck following a storm and a case of mistaken identity befall Hayden and his men, as they try in desperation to escape in order to warn the Lords of the Admiralty. Failure will mean the invasion of Englandandmdash;and the guillotine for Hayden.
Synopsis
Master and Commander Charles Hayden returns in the riveting new seafaring adventure from the bestselling author. 1794, the height of the French Revolutionandmdash;Charles Hayden sets off aboard the ill-fated HMS Themis with orders to destroy a French frigate sailing from Le Havre and to gather intelligence from a royalist spy. On discovering French plans for an imminent invasion of England, Hayden must return to Portsmouth to give warning before itandrsquo;s too late.
But the enemy has been lying in wait for him, and so begins a dangerous chase out into the Atlantic and into the clutches of a powerful French squadron. After a thwarted attempt to masquerade as French sailors, Hayden and his officers are taken prisoner. A shipwreck following a storm and a case of mistaken identity befall Hayden and his men, as they try in desperation to escape in order to warn the Lords of the Admiralty. Failure will mean the invasion of Englandandmdash;and the guillotine for Hayden.
Synopsis
Master and Commander Charles Hayden sails into a lethal fray in this epic seafaring adventure by bestselling author S. Thomas Russell.
Under the command of Captain Charles Hayden, Royal Navy frigate HMS Themis is sent to counter the threat of the French forces in the West Indies. In the middle of the vast Atlantic, Hayden discovers two Spanish noblemen, castaway in a ships boata stroke of almost impossible good fortune. The Spaniards explanation for their plight seems so improbable that Haydens officers suspect them of being criminals or even spies. But they have secrets far more shocking than thatsecrets which will haunt Hayden in his new posting.
Upon reaching the Barbados station, Hayden finds himself under the command of the vainglorious Sir William Jones, an impetuous and foolhardy officer. Refusing orders will cost Hayden his command. But accepting them might cost him his ship, his crew
and his life.
About the Author
S. THOMAS RUSSELL is a lifelong sailor whose passion for the seaandmdash;and his love of Patrick Oandrsquo;Brianandrsquo;s seafaring novelsandmdash;inspired the Charles Hayden series. He lives on Vancouver Island in Canada.