Under Enemy Colours

Under Enemy Colours is the first novel by Sean Thomas Russell and I, for one, hope that it is the first of many. The notes on the cover compare this book to Patrick O'Brien and Bernard Cornwell. The comparison with Cornwell is apt but Russell is far more entertaining than the wordy and pedestrian O'Brien. I would compare Russell to Alexander Kent and Dudley Pope. Stories of Nelson's navy and it's battles with the French and others have been entertaining British readers ever since the early nineteenth century. The pattern of the stories has hardly changed during all this time with the hero winning through despite being outnimbered and outgunned and hampered by incompetant if not downright malicious superiors. This novel follows this pattern and why not? When you have found a winning formula stick with it I say! The hero of Russell's story is Lieutenant Charles Hayden who is sent by a devious First Secretary of the Admiralty to be First Lieutenant to the cowardly, malicious, incompetant, tyranical but very well connected Captain Hart. Hayden arrives at Plymouth to find the ship a shambles and the crew mutinous with the Captain away on extended leave. Despite the disaffection which is rife throughout the ship and the dispirited attitude of his fellow officers Hayden gets the ship ready for action. However, when Captain Hart arrives his reward is a tongue lashing in front of the entire crew. Somehow, despite the actions of the vindictive Captain, Hayden conducts succesful engagements with the enemy and survives Hart's attempts to end his naval career. This is the sort of book treated with contempt by the literati. In other words, it is a first class page-turner which will give hours of pleasure to anyone who will accept it for what it is. I look forward to many more adventures of Charles Hayden.