THE KING'S COMMISSION

by Dewey Lambdin ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 22, 1991

The Alan Lewrie naval adventures (The French Admiral, The King's Coat) continue, taking the one-time London rake up a couple of paygrades and into several new bedrooms, numerous naval dust-ups, and an expedition into darkest Florida. With his ancestry cleared up and his private income greatly increased, Alan Lewrie, the lad: whose debauched father forced him into George III's navy, sees the world a little differently than he did as a midshipman. He likes the navy. An authentic hero since his daring escape from the Colonials on the Chesapeake Bay, Lewrie continues to leap into the thick of whatever action is at hand, be it ship to ship with twelve-pounders, hand to hand with cutlasses, or cheek to cheek with the apparently insatiable ladies of His Majesty's remaining Caribbean possessions. Lewrie's aggressive action in H.M. Desperate finally wins him the respect of dour Captain Treghues and then a chance to compete (successfully) for a lieutenancy in front of a board of very salty senior officers. His new rank takes him to the number two spot on a catinfested sloop captained by a 50-year navy veteran who can't be charmed like the ladies. Lewrie sleeps little, learns much, and for his troubles is assigned to a political mission to turn the Indians of Florida into His Majesty's loyal native Americans. There is, of course, a very, very pretty Cherokee. Impossible to keep the sheets and yards untangled when the sailing gets serious, but that doesn't interfere with the fun.

Pub Date: March 22, 1991

ISBN: 044922452X

Page Count: -

Publisher: Donald Fine

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1991

Categories: FICTION