Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Wooden - like the ships., 22 Jan 2008
This is the first of fifteen novels that chart the life and career of the fictitious Nicolas Ramage through the times of Napoleon and the navy of Nelson. He starts in this adventure as a lowly lieutenant and presumably ends as a dashing and adored admiral.

However, this book, and possibly those that succeed it, are a mixed bag.

As a piece of literature, it has virtually no merit whatsoever. The character development is jerky and unreal; the dialogue, stunted and equally unreal; the similes and metaphors are mis-placed and downright painful; and the all too frequent attempts at descriptive writing leave one skipping to the end of the paragraph. But the worst of it comes with the development of the book's romantic interest. Reading this thread of story is pure agony.

That said, the setting and times are marvellous. Mr Pope would also seem to have a good working knowledge of the sailing ships of the time. This is his strength, but he does not capitalise on it enough and impart more knowledge to the reader.

If you are perhaps a teenager with an interest in the times of Napoleon, of Lord Nelson, or the sea, then this may appeal. If you are someone who can be jarred by dreadful writing, I would recommend you leave this well alone.

Lots of excitement in this book!, 20 Jun 2006
This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. ThGood action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

Better than Hornblower., 18 Jan 2003
Sibella 28, on a mission to rescue several aristocrats from Boney's clutches, is being pounded to death by a French 74, all the officers except the wounded Lt.Ramage are dead and Sibella is sinking fast. As the 74 closes in for the 'coup de grace', Ramage pulls a daring stunt and escapes, with the intention of completing the mission. This is only partially achieved, through no fault of his own, but one of the rescued thinks otherwise, being aware that Ramage's father was court-martialled for cowardice. When they are picked up by a British patrol, Ramage collects the legacy of his father's sentence as he is also accused of cowardice; here he sees first-hand the depth of feeling against his family, as he is stitched-up prior to his hearing.
He suddenly finds he has plenty of enemies wanting to step over him to gain promotion or influence; but he also discovers who his friends are ... and a little more!

Well-researched and well-written, this kept me going into the small hours; in particular the overview of each locale contains those usually-forgotten minutiae - like smells, shapes, sounds and change of terrain - that make all the difference to one's mental picture of the proceedings.

Although billed as Forester's successor, Mr.Pope is a far better wordsmith and Ramage is a far more normal character than Hornblower, in both personality and humanity; he has doubts, uncertainty, rage and lust; he's more likeable as well, one can imagine making friends with him and not having to worry about his sincerity - in short, he's human, not an extension of the Navy Board.

A damned good read.

Almost as good as Hornblower, 14 Aug 2002
Ramage is in many ways a contrary to Hornblower. He is rich, a nobleman, intuitive rather than intellectual, hopeless at mathematics, but they share the sense of duty to the navy and to the seamen serving under them.
In the first of the novels we are presented with Ramage and the most important of the characters who will follow him in the rest of the novels. It starts dramatically with Ramage waking up after a severe blow to find himself instantly promoted from 5th in command to 1st in command, since all his superiors are dead. The ship is sinking and the enemy is ready to fire the conclusive barrage.
Very good book, but if you haven't read Hornblower yet, do that first.

Ramage - Dudley Pope, 09 Jul 2002
This is the first of Dudley Pope's series of novels about Lord Nicholas Ramage, naval officer in His Majesty's navy at the time of Nelson. Pope knows his history and seafaring and spins a good yarn to boot. His writing is vivid, realistic and exciting though not in the Patrick o'Brien class of naval prose.
This opening story sees Ramage take charge of and lose his first command within an hour but this does not stop him from taking over the secret assignment given to the late Captain of Ramage's doomed frigate. Ramage has to rescue a group of patriotic Italians but in doing so he both incurs the wrath of one and the affection of another, the latter being the heroine of the piece with whom Ramage falls madly in love. There's a court scene, an excellent battle scene towards the end and Ramage gets to meet Nelson and another chap called ... Hornblower! Contrived stuff at times but hard to put down and will leave the reader looking forward to the next exciting episode - of which there are fortunately many!

Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Wooden - like the ships., 22 Jan 2008
This is the first of fifteen novels that chart the life and career of the fictitious Nicolas Ramage through the times of Napoleon and the navy of Nelson. He starts in this adventure as a lowly lieutenant and presumably ends as a dashing and adored admiral.

However, this book, and possibly those that succeed it, are a mixed bag.

As a piece of literature, it has virtually no merit whatsoever. The character development is jerky and unreal; the dialogue, stunted and equally unreal; the similes and metaphors are mis-placed and downright painful; and the all too frequent attempts at descriptive writing leave one skipping to the end of the paragraph. But the worst of it comes with the development of the book's romantic interest. Reading this thread of story is pure agony.

That said, the setting and times are marvellous. Mr Pope would also seem to have a good working knowledge of the sailing ships of the time. This is his strength, but he does not capitalise on it enough and impart more knowledge to the reader.

If you are perhaps a teenager with an interest in the times of Napoleon, of Lord Nelson, or the sea, then this may appeal. If you are someone who can be jarred by dreadful writing, I would recommend you leave this well alone.

Lots of excitement in this book!, 20 Jun 2006
This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. ThGood action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

Better than Hornblower., 18 Jan 2003
Sibella 28, on a mission to rescue several aristocrats from Boney's clutches, is being pounded to death by a French 74, all the officers except the wounded Lt.Ramage are dead and Sibella is sinking fast. As the 74 closes in for the 'coup de grace', Ramage pulls a daring stunt and escapes, with the intention of completing the mission. This is only partially achieved, through no fault of his own, but one of the rescued thinks otherwise, being aware that Ramage's father was court-martialled for cowardice. When they are picked up by a British patrol, Ramage collects the legacy of his father's sentence as he is also accused of cowardice; here he sees first-hand the depth of feeling against his family, as he is stitched-up prior to his hearing.
He suddenly finds he has plenty of enemies wanting to step over him to gain promotion or influence; but he also discovers who his friends are ... and a little more!

Well-researched and well-written, this kept me going into the small hours; in particular the overview of each locale contains those usually-forgotten minutiae - like smells, shapes, sounds and change of terrain - that make all the difference to one's mental picture of the proceedings.

Although billed as Forester's successor, Mr.Pope is a far better wordsmith and Ramage is a far more normal character than Hornblower, in both personality and humanity; he has doubts, uncertainty, rage and lust; he's more likeable as well, one can imagine making friends with him and not having to worry about his sincerity - in short, he's human, not an extension of the Navy Board.

A damned good read.

Almost as good as Hornblower, 14 Aug 2002
Ramage is in many ways a contrary to Hornblower. He is rich, a nobleman, intuitive rather than intellectual, hopeless at mathematics, but they share the sense of duty to the navy and to the seamen serving under them.
In the first of the novels we are presented with Ramage and the most important of the characters who will follow him in the rest of the novels. It starts dramatically with Ramage waking up after a severe blow to find himself instantly promoted from 5th in command to 1st in command, since all his superiors are dead. The ship is sinking and the enemy is ready to fire the conclusive barrage.
Very good book, but if you haven't read Hornblower yet, do that first.

Ramage - Dudley Pope, 09 Jul 2002
This is the first of Dudley Pope's series of novels about Lord Nicholas Ramage, naval officer in His Majesty's navy at the time of Nelson. Pope knows his history and seafaring and spins a good yarn to boot. His writing is vivid, realistic and exciting though not in the Patrick o'Brien class of naval prose.
This opening story sees Ramage take charge of and lose his first command within an hour but this does not stop him from taking over the secret assignment given to the late Captain of Ramage's doomed frigate. Ramage has to rescue a group of patriotic Italians but in doing so he both incurs the wrath of one and the affection of another, the latter being the heroine of the piece with whom Ramage falls madly in love. There's a court scene, an excellent battle scene towards the end and Ramage gets to meet Nelson and another chap called ... Hornblower! Contrived stuff at times but hard to put down and will leave the reader looking forward to the next exciting episode - of which there are fortunately many!

Very good book!, 03 May 2008
In this installment of Pope's Ramage series, our hero is escorting a convoy back to England from the Caribbean. Sometime during the voyage, another British frigate appears and fires on Ramage's ship, after which Ramage and the boys board the other ship, where they are met by the other captain, who steadfastly asserts that his ship did not fire on Ramage. Well, Ramage leaves one of his lieutenants on board for the rest of voyage (the new ship joins the convoy as an escort). When the convoy arrives in England, the other captain, or course, files charges against Ramage for Ramage having boarded his ship and removing him from his command. OK, then the trial.
The whole episode with the other ship and subsequent trial read like a thriller. The reader can hardly wait to find out why the other ship fired with the captain and crew all deny having done so. A suggestion that they're under a voodoo spell is not serious, but well taken. There really seems to be no explanation. Well, the trial is conducted by an old enemy of the Ramage's, who seems hellbent on finding Ramage guilty by disallowing any testimony that might explain Ramage's actions. Everything seems hopeless. Well, as always, there's a way out of the problem. As is the case with all of Pope's (and I suppose everyone's) books, it's not whether he'll get out of it, but how. Even though the story is captivating, I must admit I was a bit unsatisfied with the finale. The solution was not quite as Perry Mason-esque as I would have liked. I would have liked a bit more suspense and a few twists to explain everything. I won't give anything way, though--you'll have to read the book! So, maybe I should take off part of a star. But all in all, it was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll keep going with the series.

Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Wooden - like the ships., 22 Jan 2008
This is the first of fifteen novels that chart the life and career of the fictitious Nicolas Ramage through the times of Napoleon and the navy of Nelson. He starts in this adventure as a lowly lieutenant and presumably ends as a dashing and adored admiral.

However, this book, and possibly those that succeed it, are a mixed bag.

As a piece of literature, it has virtually no merit whatsoever. The character development is jerky and unreal; the dialogue, stunted and equally unreal; the similes and metaphors are mis-placed and downright painful; and the all too frequent attempts at descriptive writing leave one skipping to the end of the paragraph. But the worst of it comes with the development of the book's romantic interest. Reading this thread of story is pure agony.

That said, the setting and times are marvellous. Mr Pope would also seem to have a good working knowledge of the sailing ships of the time. This is his strength, but he does not capitalise on it enough and impart more knowledge to the reader.

If you are perhaps a teenager with an interest in the times of Napoleon, of Lord Nelson, or the sea, then this may appeal. If you are someone who can be jarred by dreadful writing, I would recommend you leave this well alone.

Lots of excitement in this book!, 20 Jun 2006
This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. ThGood action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

Better than Hornblower., 18 Jan 2003
Sibella 28, on a mission to rescue several aristocrats from Boney's clutches, is being pounded to death by a French 74, all the officers except the wounded Lt.Ramage are dead and Sibella is sinking fast. As the 74 closes in for the 'coup de grace', Ramage pulls a daring stunt and escapes, with the intention of completing the mission. This is only partially achieved, through no fault of his own, but one of the rescued thinks otherwise, being aware that Ramage's father was court-martialled for cowardice. When they are picked up by a British patrol, Ramage collects the legacy of his father's sentence as he is also accused of cowardice; here he sees first-hand the depth of feeling against his family, as he is stitched-up prior to his hearing.
He suddenly finds he has plenty of enemies wanting to step over him to gain promotion or influence; but he also discovers who his friends are ... and a little more!

Well-researched and well-written, this kept me going into the small hours; in particular the overview of each locale contains those usually-forgotten minutiae - like smells, shapes, sounds and change of terrain - that make all the difference to one's mental picture of the proceedings.

Although billed as Forester's successor, Mr.Pope is a far better wordsmith and Ramage is a far more normal character than Hornblower, in both personality and humanity; he has doubts, uncertainty, rage and lust; he's more likeable as well, one can imagine making friends with him and not having to worry about his sincerity - in short, he's human, not an extension of the Navy Board.

A damned good read.

Almost as good as Hornblower, 14 Aug 2002
Ramage is in many ways a contrary to Hornblower. He is rich, a nobleman, intuitive rather than intellectual, hopeless at mathematics, but they share the sense of duty to the navy and to the seamen serving under them.
In the first of the novels we are presented with Ramage and the most important of the characters who will follow him in the rest of the novels. It starts dramatically with Ramage waking up after a severe blow to find himself instantly promoted from 5th in command to 1st in command, since all his superiors are dead. The ship is sinking and the enemy is ready to fire the conclusive barrage.
Very good book, but if you haven't read Hornblower yet, do that first.

Ramage - Dudley Pope, 09 Jul 2002
This is the first of Dudley Pope's series of novels about Lord Nicholas Ramage, naval officer in His Majesty's navy at the time of Nelson. Pope knows his history and seafaring and spins a good yarn to boot. His writing is vivid, realistic and exciting though not in the Patrick o'Brien class of naval prose.
This opening story sees Ramage take charge of and lose his first command within an hour but this does not stop him from taking over the secret assignment given to the late Captain of Ramage's doomed frigate. Ramage has to rescue a group of patriotic Italians but in doing so he both incurs the wrath of one and the affection of another, the latter being the heroine of the piece with whom Ramage falls madly in love. There's a court scene, an excellent battle scene towards the end and Ramage gets to meet Nelson and another chap called ... Hornblower! Contrived stuff at times but hard to put down and will leave the reader looking forward to the next exciting episode - of which there are fortunately many!

Very good book!, 03 May 2008
In this installment of Pope's Ramage series, our hero is escorting a convoy back to England from the Caribbean. Sometime during the voyage, another British frigate appears and fires on Ramage's ship, after which Ramage and the boys board the other ship, where they are met by the other captain, who steadfastly asserts that his ship did not fire on Ramage. Well, Ramage leaves one of his lieutenants on board for the rest of voyage (the new ship joins the convoy as an escort). When the convoy arrives in England, the other captain, or course, files charges against Ramage for Ramage having boarded his ship and removing him from his command. OK, then the trial.
The whole episode with the other ship and subsequent trial read like a thriller. The reader can hardly wait to find out why the other ship fired with the captain and crew all deny having done so. A suggestion that they're under a voodoo spell is not serious, but well taken. There really seems to be no explanation. Well, the trial is conducted by an old enemy of the Ramage's, who seems hellbent on finding Ramage guilty by disallowing any testimony that might explain Ramage's actions. Everything seems hopeless. Well, as always, there's a way out of the problem. As is the case with all of Pope's (and I suppose everyone's) books, it's not whether he'll get out of it, but how. Even though the story is captivating, I must admit I was a bit unsatisfied with the finale. The solution was not quite as Perry Mason-esque as I would have liked. I would have liked a bit more suspense and a few twists to explain everything. I won't give anything way, though--you'll have to read the book! So, maybe I should take off part of a star. But all in all, it was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll keep going with the series.

Exciting Book!, 18 Oct 2008
After the disaster of the previous book (Ramage's Challenge), this one is a welcome relief. It starts off a little slowly--getting the ship ready in England and sailing out to join the fleet off Cadiz. And Pope, in usual fashion, can't move things along quickly enough. Well, Ramage joins the fleet and is sent onshore as a a spy to get information from an informant. This episode is not particularly helpful to the story, though. Things really get good when the Franco-Spanish fleet sets sail. From here on, the book reads like a thriller and the battle is very good. Pope really rises to the challenge and gives the reader a treat. Too bad he didn't get right to the good stuff right away. This could have been a great book.

I do have some problems with weaving fictional characters into historical events. Yes, sooner or later, all our fictional heroes must be at the big battles. But Ramage seems to play too big a part. He's not just some guy on a ship shooting a gun, but a relatively major, or at least noticeable, player in the battle. I'm a bit uncomfortable with that.

As gripping a tale as you could read, 07 Dec 2000
As usual this is a most excellent book from start to finish.It starts at first at Ramage,s home in Kent and shows a touch of family life, he then leads the reader through his jurney to London, giving a good insight into life on the road in the early 1800,s and all that this entailed. In London he gets to meet his hero Lord Nelson, and this gives the reader a chance to meet the great man. Here in London he gets his orders that will take both him and his crew to join Nelson in the greatest sea battle that this country was to face, "Trafalgar", plus as usual a few minor scrapes on the way, and with all the descriptive action that Dudley pope can put into a novel, it gives the reader a good look at life at sea and on land at the turn of the century. A most excellent read not to be missed, to say to much would just give the plot away

Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Wooden - like the ships., 22 Jan 2008
This is the first of fifteen novels that chart the life and career of the fictitious Nicolas Ramage through the times of Napoleon and the navy of Nelson. He starts in this adventure as a lowly lieutenant and presumably ends as a dashing and adored admiral.

However, this book, and possibly those that succeed it, are a mixed bag.

As a piece of literature, it has virtually no merit whatsoever. The character development is jerky and unreal; the dialogue, stunted and equally unreal; the similes and metaphors are mis-placed and downright painful; and the all too frequent attempts at descriptive writing leave one skipping to the end of the paragraph. But the worst of it comes with the development of the book's romantic interest. Reading this thread of story is pure agony.

That said, the setting and times are marvellous. Mr Pope would also seem to have a good working knowledge of the sailing ships of the time. This is his strength, but he does not capitalise on it enough and impart more knowledge to the reader.

If you are perhaps a teenager with an interest in the times of Napoleon, of Lord Nelson, or the sea, then this may appeal. If you are someone who can be jarred by dreadful writing, I would recommend you leave this well alone.

Lots of excitement in this book!, 20 Jun 2006
This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. ThGood action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

Better than Hornblower., 18 Jan 2003
Sibella 28, on a mission to rescue several aristocrats from Boney's clutches, is being pounded to death by a French 74, all the officers except the wounded Lt.Ramage are dead and Sibella is sinking fast. As the 74 closes in for the 'coup de grace', Ramage pulls a daring stunt and escapes, with the intention of completing the mission. This is only partially achieved, through no fault of his own, but one of the rescued thinks otherwise, being aware that Ramage's father was court-martialled for cowardice. When they are picked up by a British patrol, Ramage collects the legacy of his father's sentence as he is also accused of cowardice; here he sees first-hand the depth of feeling against his family, as he is stitched-up prior to his hearing.
He suddenly finds he has plenty of enemies wanting to step over him to gain promotion or influence; but he also discovers who his friends are ... and a little more!

Well-researched and well-written, this kept me going into the small hours; in particular the overview of each locale contains those usually-forgotten minutiae - like smells, shapes, sounds and change of terrain - that make all the difference to one's mental picture of the proceedings.

Although billed as Forester's successor, Mr.Pope is a far better wordsmith and Ramage is a far more normal character than Hornblower, in both personality and humanity; he has doubts, uncertainty, rage and lust; he's more likeable as well, one can imagine making friends with him and not having to worry about his sincerity - in short, he's human, not an extension of the Navy Board.

A damned good read.

Almost as good as Hornblower, 14 Aug 2002
Ramage is in many ways a contrary to Hornblower. He is rich, a nobleman, intuitive rather than intellectual, hopeless at mathematics, but they share the sense of duty to the navy and to the seamen serving under them.
In the first of the novels we are presented with Ramage and the most important of the characters who will follow him in the rest of the novels. It starts dramatically with Ramage waking up after a severe blow to find himself instantly promoted from 5th in command to 1st in command, since all his superiors are dead. The ship is sinking and the enemy is ready to fire the conclusive barrage.
Very good book, but if you haven't read Hornblower yet, do that first.

Ramage - Dudley Pope, 09 Jul 2002
This is the first of Dudley Pope's series of novels about Lord Nicholas Ramage, naval officer in His Majesty's navy at the time of Nelson. Pope knows his history and seafaring and spins a good yarn to boot. His writing is vivid, realistic and exciting though not in the Patrick o'Brien class of naval prose.
This opening story sees Ramage take charge of and lose his first command within an hour but this does not stop him from taking over the secret assignment given to the late Captain of Ramage's doomed frigate. Ramage has to rescue a group of patriotic Italians but in doing so he both incurs the wrath of one and the affection of another, the latter being the heroine of the piece with whom Ramage falls madly in love. There's a court scene, an excellent battle scene towards the end and Ramage gets to meet Nelson and another chap called ... Hornblower! Contrived stuff at times but hard to put down and will leave the reader looking forward to the next exciting episode - of which there are fortunately many!

Very good book!, 03 May 2008
In this installment of Pope's Ramage series, our hero is escorting a convoy back to England from the Caribbean. Sometime during the voyage, another British frigate appears and fires on Ramage's ship, after which Ramage and the boys board the other ship, where they are met by the other captain, who steadfastly asserts that his ship did not fire on Ramage. Well, Ramage leaves one of his lieutenants on board for the rest of voyage (the new ship joins the convoy as an escort). When the convoy arrives in England, the other captain, or course, files charges against Ramage for Ramage having boarded his ship and removing him from his command. OK, then the trial.
The whole episode with the other ship and subsequent trial read like a thriller. The reader can hardly wait to find out why the other ship fired with the captain and crew all deny having done so. A suggestion that they're under a voodoo spell is not serious, but well taken. There really seems to be no explanation. Well, the trial is conducted by an old enemy of the Ramage's, who seems hellbent on finding Ramage guilty by disallowing any testimony that might explain Ramage's actions. Everything seems hopeless. Well, as always, there's a way out of the problem. As is the case with all of Pope's (and I suppose everyone's) books, it's not whether he'll get out of it, but how. Even though the story is captivating, I must admit I was a bit unsatisfied with the finale. The solution was not quite as Perry Mason-esque as I would have liked. I would have liked a bit more suspense and a few twists to explain everything. I won't give anything way, though--you'll have to read the book! So, maybe I should take off part of a star. But all in all, it was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll keep going with the series.

Exciting Book!, 18 Oct 2008
After the disaster of the previous book (Ramage's Challenge), this one is a welcome relief. It starts off a little slowly--getting the ship ready in England and sailing out to join the fleet off Cadiz. And Pope, in usual fashion, can't move things along quickly enough. Well, Ramage joins the fleet and is sent onshore as a a spy to get information from an informant. This episode is not particularly helpful to the story, though. Things really get good when the Franco-Spanish fleet sets sail. From here on, the book reads like a thriller and the battle is very good. Pope really rises to the challenge and gives the reader a treat. Too bad he didn't get right to the good stuff right away. This could have been a great book.

I do have some problems with weaving fictional characters into historical events. Yes, sooner or later, all our fictional heroes must be at the big battles. But Ramage seems to play too big a part. He's not just some guy on a ship shooting a gun, but a relatively major, or at least noticeable, player in the battle. I'm a bit uncomfortable with that.

As gripping a tale as you could read, 07 Dec 2000
As usual this is a most excellent book from start to finish.It starts at first at Ramage,s home in Kent and shows a touch of family life, he then leads the reader through his jurney to London, giving a good insight into life on the road in the early 1800,s and all that this entailed. In London he gets to meet his hero Lord Nelson, and this gives the reader a chance to meet the great man. Here in London he gets his orders that will take both him and his crew to join Nelson in the greatest sea battle that this country was to face, "Trafalgar", plus as usual a few minor scrapes on the way, and with all the descriptive action that Dudley pope can put into a novel, it gives the reader a good look at life at sea and on land at the turn of the century. A most excellent read not to be missed, to say to much would just give the plot away

Fine book in series, 18 Oct 2008
The action starts with Ramage and crew coming across a ship whose crew and passengers have been murdered. Naturally, Ramage and the boys must find the culprits. Well, nothing happens with respect to this plot for a LONG time--it's almost forgotten. As a matter of fact, nothing really happens and the book drags for a while. At the end, the action and suspense pick up again, making this a fun book to read. But to get to the good stuff, the reader's got to pay his dues.

Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Wooden - like the ships., 22 Jan 2008
This is the first of fifteen novels that chart the life and career of the fictitious Nicolas Ramage through the times of Napoleon and the navy of Nelson. He starts in this adventure as a lowly lieutenant and presumably ends as a dashing and adored admiral.

However, this book, and possibly those that succeed it, are a mixed bag.

As a piece of literature, it has virtually no merit whatsoever. The character development is jerky and unreal; the dialogue, stunted and equally unreal; the similes and metaphors are mis-placed and downright painful; and the all too frequent attempts at descriptive writing leave one skipping to the end of the paragraph. But the worst of it comes with the development of the book's romantic interest. Reading this thread of story is pure agony.

That said, the setting and times are marvellous. Mr Pope would also seem to have a good working knowledge of the sailing ships of the time. This is his strength, but he does not capitalise on it enough and impart more knowledge to the reader.

If you are perhaps a teenager with an interest in the times of Napoleon, of Lord Nelson, or the sea, then this may appeal. If you are someone who can be jarred by dreadful writing, I would recommend you leave this well alone.

Lots of excitement in this book!, 20 Jun 2006
This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. ThGood action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

Better than Hornblower., 18 Jan 2003
Sibella 28, on a mission to rescue several aristocrats from Boney's clutches, is being pounded to death by a French 74, all the officers except the wounded Lt.Ramage are dead and Sibella is sinking fast. As the 74 closes in for the 'coup de grace', Ramage pulls a daring stunt and escapes, with the intention of completing the mission. This is only partially achieved, through no fault of his own, but one of the rescued thinks otherwise, being aware that Ramage's father was court-martialled for cowardice. When they are picked up by a British patrol, Ramage collects the legacy of his father's sentence as he is also accused of cowardice; here he sees first-hand the depth of feeling against his family, as he is stitched-up prior to his hearing.
He suddenly finds he has plenty of enemies wanting to step over him to gain promotion or influence; but he also discovers who his friends are ... and a little more!

Well-researched and well-written, this kept me going into the small hours; in particular the overview of each locale contains those usually-forgotten minutiae - like smells, shapes, sounds and change of terrain - that make all the difference to one's mental picture of the proceedings.

Although billed as Forester's successor, Mr.Pope is a far better wordsmith and Ramage is a far more normal character than Hornblower, in both personality and humanity; he has doubts, uncertainty, rage and lust; he's more likeable as well, one can imagine making friends with him and not having to worry about his sincerity - in short, he's human, not an extension of the Navy Board.

A damned good read.

Almost as good as Hornblower, 14 Aug 2002
Ramage is in many ways a contrary to Hornblower. He is rich, a nobleman, intuitive rather than intellectual, hopeless at mathematics, but they share the sense of duty to the navy and to the seamen serving under them.
In the first of the novels we are presented with Ramage and the most important of the characters who will follow him in the rest of the novels. It starts dramatically with Ramage waking up after a severe blow to find himself instantly promoted from 5th in command to 1st in command, since all his superiors are dead. The ship is sinking and the enemy is ready to fire the conclusive barrage.
Very good book, but if you haven't read Hornblower yet, do that first.

Ramage - Dudley Pope, 09 Jul 2002
This is the first of Dudley Pope's series of novels about Lord Nicholas Ramage, naval officer in His Majesty's navy at the time of Nelson. Pope knows his history and seafaring and spins a good yarn to boot. His writing is vivid, realistic and exciting though not in the Patrick o'Brien class of naval prose.
This opening story sees Ramage take charge of and lose his first command within an hour but this does not stop him from taking over the secret assignment given to the late Captain of Ramage's doomed frigate. Ramage has to rescue a group of patriotic Italians but in doing so he both incurs the wrath of one and the affection of another, the latter being the heroine of the piece with whom Ramage falls madly in love. There's a court scene, an excellent battle scene towards the end and Ramage gets to meet Nelson and another chap called ... Hornblower! Contrived stuff at times but hard to put down and will leave the reader looking forward to the next exciting episode - of which there are fortunately many!

Very good book!, 03 May 2008
In this installment of Pope's Ramage series, our hero is escorting a convoy back to England from the Caribbean. Sometime during the voyage, another British frigate appears and fires on Ramage's ship, after which Ramage and the boys board the other ship, where they are met by the other captain, who steadfastly asserts that his ship did not fire on Ramage. Well, Ramage leaves one of his lieutenants on board for the rest of voyage (the new ship joins the convoy as an escort). When the convoy arrives in England, the other captain, or course, files charges against Ramage for Ramage having boarded his ship and removing him from his command. OK, then the trial.
The whole episode with the other ship and subsequent trial read like a thriller. The reader can hardly wait to find out why the other ship fired with the captain and crew all deny having done so. A suggestion that they're under a voodoo spell is not serious, but well taken. There really seems to be no explanation. Well, the trial is conducted by an old enemy of the Ramage's, who seems hellbent on finding Ramage guilty by disallowing any testimony that might explain Ramage's actions. Everything seems hopeless. Well, as always, there's a way out of the problem. As is the case with all of Pope's (and I suppose everyone's) books, it's not whether he'll get out of it, but how. Even though the story is captivating, I must admit I was a bit unsatisfied with the finale. The solution was not quite as Perry Mason-esque as I would have liked. I would have liked a bit more suspense and a few twists to explain everything. I won't give anything way, though--you'll have to read the book! So, maybe I should take off part of a star. But all in all, it was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll keep going with the series.

Exciting Book!, 18 Oct 2008
After the disaster of the previous book (Ramage's Challenge), this one is a welcome relief. It starts off a little slowly--getting the ship ready in England and sailing out to join the fleet off Cadiz. And Pope, in usual fashion, can't move things along quickly enough. Well, Ramage joins the fleet and is sent onshore as a a spy to get information from an informant. This episode is not particularly helpful to the story, though. Things really get good when the Franco-Spanish fleet sets sail. From here on, the book reads like a thriller and the battle is very good. Pope really rises to the challenge and gives the reader a treat. Too bad he didn't get right to the good stuff right away. This could have been a great book.

I do have some problems with weaving fictional characters into historical events. Yes, sooner or later, all our fictional heroes must be at the big battles. But Ramage seems to play too big a part. He's not just some guy on a ship shooting a gun, but a relatively major, or at least noticeable, player in the battle. I'm a bit uncomfortable with that.

As gripping a tale as you could read, 07 Dec 2000
As usual this is a most excellent book from start to finish.It starts at first at Ramage,s home in Kent and shows a touch of family life, he then leads the reader through his jurney to London, giving a good insight into life on the road in the early 1800,s and all that this entailed. In London he gets to meet his hero Lord Nelson, and this gives the reader a chance to meet the great man. Here in London he gets his orders that will take both him and his crew to join Nelson in the greatest sea battle that this country was to face, "Trafalgar", plus as usual a few minor scrapes on the way, and with all the descriptive action that Dudley pope can put into a novel, it gives the reader a good look at life at sea and on land at the turn of the century. A most excellent read not to be missed, to say to much would just give the plot away

Fine book in series, 18 Oct 2008
The action starts with Ramage and crew coming across a ship whose crew and passengers have been murdered. Naturally, Ramage and the boys must find the culprits. Well, nothing happens with respect to this plot for a LONG time--it's almost forgotten. As a matter of fact, nothing really happens and the book drags for a while. At the end, the action and suspense pick up again, making this a fun book to read. But to get to the good stuff, the reader's got to pay his dues.

Great rebound from #4, 18 Aug 2006
This is the 5th book in Pope's Ramage series (see my reviews of "Ramage, Drumbeat, Triton Brig, Governor Ramage"). Ramage is given the impossible task of discovering my the mail packets are not reaching their destinations. My first thought was, "Who cares about mail packets?" Well, after reading for a while I DID. Pope turned this dull topic into a first class read. It turns out to be a mystery with a surprise. I also learned a fair amount about various aspects of British culture during this time (I can't say what that is, as it would give away the surprise!). Nevertheless, this a a very good book. Although there is the usual battle here and there, there's more intrigue than action.


Review of Ramage's Prize, 07 Nov 2002
This is the fifth book in Dudley Pope's thrilling series about Lord Nicholas Ramage. This follows on from Governor Ramage RN and finds Ramage on leave in Jamaica. Ramage is urgently called to Sir Pilcher Skinner's office, where the admiral expects him to be enthusiastic about substituting his leave for a task which could put him in favour with the commander in chief. He then returns to his house and tells his Italian lover (that he rescued in an earlier novel) that the rest of his leave is cancelled and he has to start investigating. He goes around bugging people in authority for things like regulations then…..you'll have to read it and find out.

I think that Dudley Pope is a very good author and knows his subject thoroughly. He also explains naval terminology and describes the tasks on board ship in a way that everyone can understand and enjoy. This book (and the ones before it ) are very well planned and you can always expect a twist towards the end. Even though the book proceeds at a steady pace I find it a more exciting and enjoyable read than other books covering a similar era and I'm sure you will to. The other great thing about these books is there are hundreds of them.

Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Wooden - like the ships., 22 Jan 2008
This is the first of fifteen novels that chart the life and career of the fictitious Nicolas Ramage through the times of Napoleon and the navy of Nelson. He starts in this adventure as a lowly lieutenant and presumably ends as a dashing and adored admiral.

However, this book, and possibly those that succeed it, are a mixed bag.

As a piece of literature, it has virtually no merit whatsoever. The character development is jerky and unreal; the dialogue, stunted and equally unreal; the similes and metaphors are mis-placed and downright painful; and the all too frequent attempts at descriptive writing leave one skipping to the end of the paragraph. But the worst of it comes with the development of the book's romantic interest. Reading this thread of story is pure agony.

That said, the setting and times are marvellous. Mr Pope would also seem to have a good working knowledge of the sailing ships of the time. This is his strength, but he does not capitalise on it enough and impart more knowledge to the reader.

If you are perhaps a teenager with an interest in the times of Napoleon, of Lord Nelson, or the sea, then this may appeal. If you are someone who can be jarred by dreadful writing, I would recommend you leave this well alone.

Lots of excitement in this book!, 20 Jun 2006
This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. ThGood action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

Better than Hornblower., 18 Jan 2003
Sibella 28, on a mission to rescue several aristocrats from Boney's clutches, is being pounded to death by a French 74, all the officers except the wounded Lt.Ramage are dead and Sibella is sinking fast. As the 74 closes in for the 'coup de grace', Ramage pulls a daring stunt and escapes, with the intention of completing the mission. This is only partially achieved, through no fault of his own, but one of the rescued thinks otherwise, being aware that Ramage's father was court-martialled for cowardice. When they are picked up by a British patrol, Ramage collects the legacy of his father's sentence as he is also accused of cowardice; here he sees first-hand the depth of feeling against his family, as he is stitched-up prior to his hearing.
He suddenly finds he has plenty of enemies wanting to step over him to gain promotion or influence; but he also discovers who his friends are ... and a little more!

Well-researched and well-written, this kept me going into the small hours; in particular the overview of each locale contains those usually-forgotten minutiae - like smells, shapes, sounds and change of terrain - that make all the difference to one's mental picture of the proceedings.

Although billed as Forester's successor, Mr.Pope is a far better wordsmith and Ramage is a far more normal character than Hornblower, in both personality and humanity; he has doubts, uncertainty, rage and lust; he's more likeable as well, one can imagine making friends with him and not having to worry about his sincerity - in short, he's human, not an extension of the Navy Board.

A damned good read.

Almost as good as Hornblower, 14 Aug 2002
Ramage is in many ways a contrary to Hornblower. He is rich, a nobleman, intuitive rather than intellectual, hopeless at mathematics, but they share the sense of duty to the navy and to the seamen serving under them.
In the first of the novels we are presented with Ramage and the most important of the characters who will follow him in the rest of the novels. It starts dramatically with Ramage waking up after a severe blow to find himself instantly promoted from 5th in command to 1st in command, since all his superiors are dead. The ship is sinking and the enemy is ready to fire the conclusive barrage.
Very good book, but if you haven't read Hornblower yet, do that first.

Ramage - Dudley Pope, 09 Jul 2002
This is the first of Dudley Pope's series of novels about Lord Nicholas Ramage, naval officer in His Majesty's navy at the time of Nelson. Pope knows his history and seafaring and spins a good yarn to boot. His writing is vivid, realistic and exciting though not in the Patrick o'Brien class of naval prose.
This opening story sees Ramage take charge of and lose his first command within an hour but this does not stop him from taking over the secret assignment given to the late Captain of Ramage's doomed frigate. Ramage has to rescue a group of patriotic Italians but in doing so he both incurs the wrath of one and the affection of another, the latter being the heroine of the piece with whom Ramage falls madly in love. There's a court scene, an excellent battle scene towards the end and Ramage gets to meet Nelson and another chap called ... Hornblower! Contrived stuff at times but hard to put down and will leave the reader looking forward to the next exciting episode - of which there are fortunately many!

Very good book!, 03 May 2008
In this installment of Pope's Ramage series, our hero is escorting a convoy back to England from the Caribbean. Sometime during the voyage, another British frigate appears and fires on Ramage's ship, after which Ramage and the boys board the other ship, where they are met by the other captain, who steadfastly asserts that his ship did not fire on Ramage. Well, Ramage leaves one of his lieutenants on board for the rest of voyage (the new ship joins the convoy as an escort). When the convoy arrives in England, the other captain, or course, files charges against Ramage for Ramage having boarded his ship and removing him from his command. OK, then the trial.
The whole episode with the other ship and subsequent trial read like a thriller. The reader can hardly wait to find out why the other ship fired with the captain and crew all deny having done so. A suggestion that they're under a voodoo spell is not serious, but well taken. There really seems to be no explanation. Well, the trial is conducted by an old enemy of the Ramage's, who seems hellbent on finding Ramage guilty by disallowing any testimony that might explain Ramage's actions. Everything seems hopeless. Well, as always, there's a way out of the problem. As is the case with all of Pope's (and I suppose everyone's) books, it's not whether he'll get out of it, but how. Even though the story is captivating, I must admit I was a bit unsatisfied with the finale. The solution was not quite as Perry Mason-esque as I would have liked. I would have liked a bit more suspense and a few twists to explain everything. I won't give anything way, though--you'll have to read the book! So, maybe I should take off part of a star. But all in all, it was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll keep going with the series.

Exciting Book!, 18 Oct 2008
After the disaster of the previous book (Ramage's Challenge), this one is a welcome relief. It starts off a little slowly--getting the ship ready in England and sailing out to join the fleet off Cadiz. And Pope, in usual fashion, can't move things along quickly enough. Well, Ramage joins the fleet and is sent onshore as a a spy to get information from an informant. This episode is not particularly helpful to the story, though. Things really get good when the Franco-Spanish fleet sets sail. From here on, the book reads like a thriller and the battle is very good. Pope really rises to the challenge and gives the reader a treat. Too bad he didn't get right to the good stuff right away. This could have been a great book.

I do have some problems with weaving fictional characters into historical events. Yes, sooner or later, all our fictional heroes must be at the big battles. But Ramage seems to play too big a part. He's not just some guy on a ship shooting a gun, but a relatively major, or at least noticeable, player in the battle. I'm a bit uncomfortable with that.

As gripping a tale as you could read, 07 Dec 2000
As usual this is a most excellent book from start to finish.It starts at first at Ramage,s home in Kent and shows a touch of family life, he then leads the reader through his jurney to London, giving a good insight into life on the road in the early 1800,s and all that this entailed. In London he gets to meet his hero Lord Nelson, and this gives the reader a chance to meet the great man. Here in London he gets his orders that will take both him and his crew to join Nelson in the greatest sea battle that this country was to face, "Trafalgar", plus as usual a few minor scrapes on the way, and with all the descriptive action that Dudley pope can put into a novel, it gives the reader a good look at life at sea and on land at the turn of the century. A most excellent read not to be missed, to say to much would just give the plot away

Fine book in series, 18 Oct 2008
The action starts with Ramage and crew coming across a ship whose crew and passengers have been murdered. Naturally, Ramage and the boys must find the culprits. Well, nothing happens with respect to this plot for a LONG time--it's almost forgotten. As a matter of fact, nothing really happens and the book drags for a while. At the end, the action and suspense pick up again, making this a fun book to read. But to get to the good stuff, the reader's got to pay his dues.

Great rebound from #4, 18 Aug 2006
This is the 5th book in Pope's Ramage series (see my reviews of "Ramage, Drumbeat, Triton Brig, Governor Ramage"). Ramage is given the impossible task of discovering my the mail packets are not reaching their destinations. My first thought was, "Who cares about mail packets?" Well, after reading for a while I DID. Pope turned this dull topic into a first class read. It turns out to be a mystery with a surprise. I also learned a fair amount about various aspects of British culture during this time (I can't say what that is, as it would give away the surprise!). Nevertheless, this a a very good book. Although there is the usual battle here and there, there's more intrigue than action.


Review of Ramage's Prize, 07 Nov 2002
This is the fifth book in Dudley Pope's thrilling series about Lord Nicholas Ramage. This follows on from Governor Ramage RN and finds Ramage on leave in Jamaica. Ramage is urgently called to Sir Pilcher Skinner's office, where the admiral expects him to be enthusiastic about substituting his leave for a task which could put him in favour with the commander in chief. He then returns to his house and tells his Italian lover (that he rescued in an earlier novel) that the rest of his leave is cancelled and he has to start investigating. He goes around bugging people in authority for things like regulations then…..you'll have to read it and find out.

I think that Dudley Pope is a very good author and knows his subject thoroughly. He also explains naval terminology and describes the tasks on board ship in a way that everyone can understand and enjoy. This book (and the ones before it ) are very well planned and you can always expect a twist towards the end. Even though the book proceeds at a steady pace I find it a more exciting and enjoyable read than other books covering a similar era and I'm sure you will to. The other great thing about these books is there are hundreds of them.

Should be renamed 'READER'S Challenge'!, 18 Oct 2008
This is one of the oddest books I've read in the Royal Navy genre. Pope must have been out to lunch when he wrote this one. There are three things that make this such a weak book. First, Pope keeps repeating himself. We're told something, and a few pages later, we get exactly the same thing. Did Pope just forget what he had written? Although this series really needs to be read in order, Pope does give enough review in each book for each to be read by itself. But within the same book?
Secondly, the premise of the story is just not very interesting; Ramage is sent out to rescue some admirals, generals, and lords who were vacationing in France during the peace and are captured and interned in Italy. He rescues the men through a ruse, but their wives are kept somewhere else (more about this later). The battle is good, but too short. And ya gotta read a LOT to get to the short battle. All in all, it's just not very interesting. Finally, execution of the story is absolutely ridiculous. Ramage has orders from on high to rescue the officials--no mention of their wives. After the initial rescue, he has followed his orders to the letter of the law and can return to England. The question remains whether he'll rescue the wives as well. The silly part is that none, not one, of the men try to take over or even convince him to do so! Even the admiral sits by and watches Ramage mull everything over in his mind. Either these guys are fools or don't care much about their wives. I don't know many men who would just let their wives rot in jail--wouldn't every guy pull rank (orders be damned!), take over the ship and rescue his wife? Of course! The whole thing is just plain silly.
Repetition, dullness, and silliness make this a weak, very weak, book.

Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Wooden - like the ships., 22 Jan 2008
This is the first of fifteen novels that chart the life and career of the fictitious Nicolas Ramage through the times of Napoleon and the navy of Nelson. He starts in this adventure as a lowly lieutenant and presumably ends as a dashing and adored admiral.

However, this book, and possibly those that succeed it, are a mixed bag.

As a piece of literature, it has virtually no merit whatsoever. The character development is jerky and unreal; the dialogue, stunted and equally unreal; the similes and metaphors are mis-placed and downright painful; and the all too frequent attempts at descriptive writing leave one skipping to the end of the paragraph. But the worst of it comes with the development of the book's romantic interest. Reading this thread of story is pure agony.

That said, the setting and times are marvellous. Mr Pope would also seem to have a good working knowledge of the sailing ships of the time. This is his strength, but he does not capitalise on it enough and impart more knowledge to the reader.

If you are perhaps a teenager with an interest in the times of Napoleon, of Lord Nelson, or the sea, then this may appeal. If you are someone who can be jarred by dreadful writing, I would recommend you leave this well alone.

Lots of excitement in this book!, 20 Jun 2006
This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. ThGood action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

Better than Hornblower., 18 Jan 2003
Sibella 28, on a mission to rescue several aristocrats from Boney's clutches, is being pounded to death by a French 74, all the officers except the wounded Lt.Ramage are dead and Sibella is sinking fast. As the 74 closes in for the 'coup de grace', Ramage pulls a daring stunt and escapes, with the intention of completing the mission. This is only partially achieved, through no fault of his own, but one of the rescued thinks otherwise, being aware that Ramage's father was court-martialled for cowardice. When they are picked up by a British patrol, Ramage collects the legacy of his father's sentence as he is also accused of cowardice; here he sees first-hand the depth of feeling against his family, as he is stitched-up prior to his hearing.
He suddenly finds he has plenty of enemies wanting to step over him to gain promotion or influence; but he also discovers who his friends are ... and a little more!

Well-researched and well-written, this kept me going into the small hours; in particular the overview of each locale contains those usually-forgotten minutiae - like smells, shapes, sounds and change of terrain - that make all the difference to one's mental picture of the proceedings.

Although billed as Forester's successor, Mr.Pope is a far better wordsmith and Ramage is a far more normal character than Hornblower, in both personality and humanity; he has doubts, uncertainty, rage and lust; he's more likeable as well, one can imagine making friends with him and not having to worry about his sincerity - in short, he's human, not an extension of the Navy Board.

A damned good read.

Almost as good as Hornblower, 14 Aug 2002
Ramage is in many ways a contrary to Hornblower. He is rich, a nobleman, intuitive rather than intellectual, hopeless at mathematics, but they share the sense of duty to the navy and to the seamen serving under them.
In the first of the novels we are presented with Ramage and the most important of the characters who will follow him in the rest of the novels. It starts dramatically with Ramage waking up after a severe blow to find himself instantly promoted from 5th in command to 1st in command, since all his superiors are dead. The ship is sinking and the enemy is ready to fire the conclusive barrage.
Very good book, but if you haven't read Hornblower yet, do that first.

Ramage - Dudley Pope, 09 Jul 2002
This is the first of Dudley Pope's series of novels about Lord Nicholas Ramage, naval officer in His Majesty's navy at the time of Nelson. Pope knows his history and seafaring and spins a good yarn to boot. His writing is vivid, realistic and exciting though not in the Patrick o'Brien class of naval prose.
This opening story sees Ramage take charge of and lose his first command within an hour but this does not stop him from taking over the secret assignment given to the late Captain of Ramage's doomed frigate. Ramage has to rescue a group of patriotic Italians but in doing so he both incurs the wrath of one and the affection of another, the latter being the heroine of the piece with whom Ramage falls madly in love. There's a court scene, an excellent battle scene towards the end and Ramage gets to meet Nelson and another chap called ... Hornblower! Contrived stuff at times but hard to put down and will leave the reader looking forward to the next exciting episode - of which there are fortunately many!

Very good book!, 03 May 2008
In this installment of Pope's Ramage series, our hero is escorting a convoy back to England from the Caribbean. Sometime during the voyage, another British frigate appears and fires on Ramage's ship, after which Ramage and the boys board the other ship, where they are met by the other captain, who steadfastly asserts that his ship did not fire on Ramage. Well, Ramage leaves one of his lieutenants on board for the rest of voyage (the new ship joins the convoy as an escort). When the convoy arrives in England, the other captain, or course, files charges against Ramage for Ramage having boarded his ship and removing him from his command. OK, then the trial.
The whole episode with the other ship and subsequent trial read like a thriller. The reader can hardly wait to find out why the other ship fired with the captain and crew all deny having done so. A suggestion that they're under a voodoo spell is not serious, but well taken. There really seems to be no explanation. Well, the trial is conducted by an old enemy of the Ramage's, who seems hellbent on finding Ramage guilty by disallowing any testimony that might explain Ramage's actions. Everything seems hopeless. Well, as always, there's a way out of the problem. As is the case with all of Pope's (and I suppose everyone's) books, it's not whether he'll get out of it, but how. Even though the story is captivating, I must admit I was a bit unsatisfied with the finale. The solution was not quite as Perry Mason-esque as I would have liked. I would have liked a bit more suspense and a few twists to explain everything. I won't give anything way, though--you'll have to read the book! So, maybe I should take off part of a star. But all in all, it was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll keep going with the series.

Exciting Book!, 18 Oct 2008
After the disaster of the previous book (Ramage's Challenge), this one is a welcome relief. It starts off a little slowly--getting the ship ready in England and sailing out to join the fleet off Cadiz. And Pope, in usual fashion, can't move things along quickly enough. Well, Ramage joins the fleet and is sent onshore as a a spy to get information from an informant. This episode is not particularly helpful to the story, though. Things really get good when the Franco-Spanish fleet sets sail. From here on, the book reads like a thriller and the battle is very good. Pope really rises to the challenge and gives the reader a treat. Too bad he didn't get right to the good stuff right away. This could have been a great book.

I do have some problems with weaving fictional characters into historical events. Yes, sooner or later, all our fictional heroes must be at the big battles. But Ramage seems to play too big a part. He's not just some guy on a ship shooting a gun, but a relatively major, or at least noticeable, player in the battle. I'm a bit uncomfortable with that.

As gripping a tale as you could read, 07 Dec 2000
As usual this is a most excellent book from start to finish.It starts at first at Ramage,s home in Kent and shows a touch of family life, he then leads the reader through his jurney to London, giving a good insight into life on the road in the early 1800,s and all that this entailed. In London he gets to meet his hero Lord Nelson, and this gives the reader a chance to meet the great man. Here in London he gets his orders that will take both him and his crew to join Nelson in the greatest sea battle that this country was to face, "Trafalgar", plus as usual a few minor scrapes on the way, and with all the descriptive action that Dudley pope can put into a novel, it gives the reader a good look at life at sea and on land at the turn of the century. A most excellent read not to be missed, to say to much would just give the plot away

Fine book in series, 18 Oct 2008
The action starts with Ramage and crew coming across a ship whose crew and passengers have been murdered. Naturally, Ramage and the boys must find the culprits. Well, nothing happens with respect to this plot for a LONG time--it's almost forgotten. As a matter of fact, nothing really happens and the book drags for a while. At the end, the action and suspense pick up again, making this a fun book to read. But to get to the good stuff, the reader's got to pay his dues.

Great rebound from #4, 18 Aug 2006
This is the 5th book in Pope's Ramage series (see my reviews of "Ramage, Drumbeat, Triton Brig, Governor Ramage"). Ramage is given the impossible task of discovering my the mail packets are not reaching their destinations. My first thought was, "Who cares about mail packets?" Well, after reading for a while I DID. Pope turned this dull topic into a first class read. It turns out to be a mystery with a surprise. I also learned a fair amount about various aspects of British culture during this time (I can't say what that is, as it would give away the surprise!). Nevertheless, this a a very good book. Although there is the usual battle here and there, there's more intrigue than action.


Review of Ramage's Prize, 07 Nov 2002
This is the fifth book in Dudley Pope's thrilling series about Lord Nicholas Ramage. This follows on from Governor Ramage RN and finds Ramage on leave in Jamaica. Ramage is urgently called to Sir Pilcher Skinner's office, where the admiral expects him to be enthusiastic about substituting his leave for a task which could put him in favour with the commander in chief. He then returns to his house and tells his Italian lover (that he rescued in an earlier novel) that the rest of his leave is cancelled and he has to start investigating. He goes around bugging people in authority for things like regulations then…..you'll have to read it and find out.

I think that Dudley Pope is a very good author and knows his subject thoroughly. He also explains naval terminology and describes the tasks on board ship in a way that everyone can understand and enjoy. This book (and the ones before it ) are very well planned and you can always expect a twist towards the end. Even though the book proceeds at a steady pace I find it a more exciting and enjoyable read than other books covering a similar era and I'm sure you will to. The other great thing about these books is there are hundreds of them.

Should be renamed 'READER'S Challenge'!, 18 Oct 2008
This is one of the oddest books I've read in the Royal Navy genre. Pope must have been out to lunch when he wrote this one. There are three things that make this such a weak book. First, Pope keeps repeating himself. We're told something, and a few pages later, we get exactly the same thing. Did Pope just forget what he had written? Although this series really needs to be read in order, Pope does give enough review in each book for each to be read by itself. But within the same book?
Secondly, the premise of the story is just not very interesting; Ramage is sent out to rescue some admirals, generals, and lords who were vacationing in France during the peace and are captured and interned in Italy. He rescues the men through a ruse, but their wives are kept somewhere else (more about this later). The battle is good, but too short. And ya gotta read a LOT to get to the short battle. All in all, it's just not very interesting. Finally, execution of the story is absolutely ridiculous. Ramage has orders from on high to rescue the officials--no mention of their wives. After the initial rescue, he has followed his orders to the letter of the law and can return to England. The question remains whether he'll rescue the wives as well. The silly part is that none, not one, of the men try to take over or even convince him to do so! Even the admiral sits by and watches Ramage mull everything over in his mind. Either these guys are fools or don't care much about their wives. I don't know many men who would just let their wives rot in jail--wouldn't every guy pull rank (orders be damned!), take over the ship and rescue his wife? Of course! The whole thing is just plain silly.
Repetition, dullness, and silliness make this a weak, very weak, book.

hard work, 08 Nov 2008
Ive tried hard with this series having read the previous books however now is the time to give up. Looking at a review for the next book this view is obviously shared by others. Ramage sets out on an impossible mission to enter a port and cut out a ship. The port is protected by no less than three forts. This impossible mission is accomplished without a hitch, ship captured, two forts destroyed, loads of prisoners taken with hardly any losses to the British and just by luck on the return journey just happens to bump into a treasure ship carrying a vast quantity of emeralds and pearls. Just unrealistic!. A couple of the fighting scenes are well presented but you have to wade through large amounts of text where nothing happens but routine activity. he just takes too long to develop a story.

Great fun and adventure!, 09 Jan 2008
In this particular book, we find Ramage sailing around the Caribbean. He's given the task of retrieving a ship that mutineers have given over to the Spanish. One captain has already failed. The task is impossible. Can Ramage do it? Of course.

Ramage is a true hero in the old style tradition. You know he will succeed; the joy in these books is reading HOW he will succeed. Rarely is the answer obvious, so his plans are almost always a surprise.
I still think this series would have made (or make) a better TV or movie series than Hornblower. There's a lot of action and adventure here.


An excellent naval yarn, 20 Sep 2001
If you enjoy Patrick O'Brian you will probably like Dudley Pope. Ramage is a naval officer in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and this novel concerns an incident in the West Indies. The mutiny in question is not on his ship, but on a vessel that is delivered to the Spanish by the mutineers (Pope clearly makes the point that mutiny may have been the only way to deal with a mad or evil Captain). Ramage has to undertake the seemingly impossible task of recapturing the vessel.

Pope is good with regard to his understanding of naval warfare of the period, but his main character lacks a foil, and in this respect O'Brian has the advantage in the construction of his novels.

Forgettable, 14 Apr 2008
This dull book suffers from all the weaknesses of Pope's writing and none of his strengths. Reading this book was like wading through the LaBrea Tar Pits. Way too much detail on trivial matters and little action and suspense. Just when things begin to get interesting, Pope pulls the rug out from under the reader and leaves him wondering what is going on. This happens over and over. There simply is no climax to any of the episodes. They just fizzle out. And they aren't filled with anything to keep the reader interested. The whole story--Ramage capturing several bomb ketches, sinking two frigates--should be a jolly ol' read. But it isn't. I'll keep plugging along with this series, but hope the next one is better.

Wooden - like the ships., 22 Jan 2008
This is the first of fifteen novels that chart the life and career of the fictitious Nicolas Ramage through the times of Napoleon and the navy of Nelson. He starts in this adventure as a lowly lieutenant and presumably ends as a dashing and adored admiral.

However, this book, and possibly those that succeed it, are a mixed bag.

As a piece of literature, it has virtually no merit whatsoever. The character development is jerky and unreal; the dialogue, stunted and equally unreal; the similes and metaphors are mis-placed and downright painful; and the all too frequent attempts at descriptive writing leave one skipping to the end of the paragraph. But the worst of it comes with the development of the book's romantic interest. Reading this thread of story is pure agony.

That said, the setting and times are marvellous. Mr Pope would also seem to have a good working knowledge of the sailing ships of the time. This is his strength, but he does not capitalise on it enough and impart more knowledge to the reader.

If you are perhaps a teenager with an interest in the times of Napoleon, of Lord Nelson, or the sea, then this may appeal. If you are someone who can be jarred by dreadful writing, I would recommend you leave this well alone.

Lots of excitement in this book!, 20 Jun 2006
This book starts out right in the thick of battle! Plenty of good action here. Pope can tell a great story. The book is an easy read--not so much detail or naval jargon that the reader gets lost. This book reminds me a little of Hornblower, but Ramage, as both a book and character, is a LOT more interesting than Hornblower. Whereas Forester gives us some action and then 90 pages at the whist table, Pope gives us more action. Hornblower spends every moment lamenting his decision to marry Maria; Ramage thinks periodically about his Truelove, but it's quickly back to planning how to get out of the next scrape. ThGood action, good story, good reading. Highly recommended!

Better than Hornblower., 18 Jan 2003
Sibella 28, on a mission to rescue several aristocrats from Boney's clutches, is being pounded to death by a French 74, all the officers except the wounded Lt.Ramage are dead and Sibella is sinking fast. As the 74 closes in for the 'coup de grace', Ramage pulls a daring stunt and escapes, with the intention of completing the mission. This is only partially achieved, through no fault of his own, but one of the rescued thinks otherwise, being aware that Ramage's father was court-martialled for cowardice. When they are picked up by a British patrol, Ramage collects the legacy of his father's sentence as he is also accused of cowardice; here he sees first-hand the depth of feeling against his family, as he is stitched-up prior to his hearing.
He suddenly finds he has plenty of enemies wanting to step over him to gain promotion or influence; but he also discovers who his friends are ... and a little more!

Well-researched and well-written, this kept me going into the small hours; in particular the overview of each locale contains those usually-forgotten minutiae - like smells, shapes, sounds and change of terrain - that make all the difference to one's mental picture of the proceedings.

Although billed as Forester's successor, Mr.Pope is a far better wordsmith and Ramage is a far more normal character than Hornblower, in both personality and humanity; he has doubts, uncertainty, rage and lust; he's more likeable as well, one can imagine making friends with him and not having to worry about his sincerity - in short, he's human, not an extension of the Navy Board.

A damned good read.

Almost as good as Hornblower, 14 Aug 2002
Ramage is in many ways a contrary to Hornblower. He is rich, a nobleman, intuitive rather than intellectual, hopeless at mathematics, but they share the sense of duty to the navy and to the seamen serving under them.
In the first of the novels we are presented with Ramage and the most important of the characters who will follow him in the rest of the novels. It starts dramatically with Ramage waking up after a severe blow to find himself instantly promoted from 5th in command to 1st in command, since all his superiors are dead. The ship is sinking and the enemy is ready to fire the conclusive barrage.
Very good book, but if you haven't read Hornblower yet, do that first.

Ramage - Dudley Pope, 09 Jul 2002
This is the first of Dudley Pope's series of novels about Lord Nicholas Ramage, naval officer in His Majesty's navy at the time of Nelson. Pope knows his history and seafaring and spins a good yarn to boot. His writing is vivid, realistic and exciting though not in the Patrick o'Brien class of naval prose.
This opening story sees Ramage take charge of and lose his first command within an hour but this does not stop him from taking over the secret assignment given to the late Captain of Ramage's doomed frigate. Ramage has to rescue a group of patriotic Italians but in doing so he both incurs the wrath of one and the affection of another, the latter being the heroine of the piece with whom Ramage falls madly in love. There's a court scene, an excellent battle scene towards the end and Ramage gets to meet Nelson and another chap called ... Hornblower! Contrived stuff at times but hard to put down and will leave the reader looking forward to the next exciting episode - of which there are fortunately many!

Very good book!, 03 May 2008
In this installment of Pope's Ramage series, our hero is escorting a convoy back to England from the Caribbean. Sometime during the voyage, another British frigate appears and fires on Ramage's ship, after which Ramage and the boys board the other ship, where they are met by the other captain, who steadfastly asserts that his ship did not fire on Ramage. Well, Ramage leaves one of his lieutenants on board for the rest of voyage (the new ship joins the convoy as an escort). When the convoy arrives in England, the other captain, or course, files charges against Ramage for Ramage having boarded his ship and removing him from his command. OK, then the trial.
The whole episode with the other ship and subsequent trial read like a thriller. The reader can hardly wait to find out why the other ship fired with the captain and crew all deny having done so. A suggestion that they're under a voodoo spell is not serious, but well taken. There really seems to be no explanation. Well, the trial is conducted by an old enemy of the Ramage's, who seems hellbent on finding Ramage guilty by disallowing any testimony that might explain Ramage's actions. Everything seems hopeless. Well, as always, there's a way out of the problem. As is the case with all of Pope's (and I suppose everyone's) books, it's not whether he'll get out of it, but how. Even though the story is captivating, I must admit I was a bit unsatisfied with the finale. The solution was not quite as Perry Mason-esque as I would have liked. I would have liked a bit more suspense and a few twists to explain everything. I won't give anything way, though--you'll have to read the book! So, maybe I should take off part of a star. But all in all, it was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll keep going with the series.

Exciting Book!, 18 Oct 2008
After the disaster of the previous book (Ramage's Challenge), this one is a welcome relief. It starts off a little slowly--getting the ship ready in England and sailing out to join the fleet off Cadiz. And Pope, in usual fashion, can't move things along quickly enough. Well, Ramage joins the fleet and is sent onshore as a a spy to get information from an informant. This episode is not particularly helpful to the story, though. Things really get good when the Franco-Spanish fleet sets sail. From here on, the book reads like a thriller and the battle is very good. Pope really rises to the challenge and gives the reader a treat. Too bad he didn't get right to the good stuff right away. This could have been a great book.

I do have some problems with weaving fictional characters into historical events. Yes, sooner or later, all our fictional heroes must be at the big battles. But Ramage seems to play too big a part. He's not just some guy on a ship shooting a gun, but a relatively major, or at least noticeable, player in the battle. I'm a bit uncomfortable with that.

As gripping a tale as you could read, 07 Dec 2000
As usual this is a most excellent book from start to finish.It starts at first at Ramage,s home in Kent and shows a touch of family life, he then leads the reader through his jurney to London, giving a good insight into life on the road in the early 1800,s and all that this entailed. In London he gets to meet his hero Lord Nelson, and this gives the reader a chance to meet the great man. Here in London he gets his orders that will take both him and his crew to join Nelson in the greatest sea battle that this country was to face, "Trafalgar", plus as usual a few minor scrapes on the way, and with all the descriptive action that Dudley pope can put into a novel, it gives the reader a good look at life at sea and on land at the turn of the century. A most excellent read not to be missed, to say to much would just give the plot away

Fine book in series, 18 Oct 2008
The action starts with Ramage and crew coming across a ship whose crew and passengers have been murdered. Naturally, Ramage and the boys must find the culprits. Well, nothing happens with respect to this plot for a LONG time--it's almost forgotten. As a