Command

$24.00

Praise for The Kydd Series

C

“Stockwin’s richly detailed . . . portrait of life on ship

om
A

and shore in Britain’s oceanic empire is engrossing.

He writes evocatively of shipboard routine, the panic

Command

Ky

Thomas Kydd takes command of his

d

and confusion of combat, and the terrifying ap-d

A Kydd Sea Adventure

own ship—and learns first hand about
S

m

proach of a storm at sea, and he knows how to stage
e

the power and loneliness that comes
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enthralling action scenes.”
—Publishers

Weekly

a

with ultimate responsibility.

ve

“Likable Tom and his shipmates make a snug fit in

n
n

In this seventh book of the series,

t

that page-turning Forester and O’Brian tradition—

u

Thomas Kydd has his own command at

r

d

thanks to retired Royal Navy author Stockwin.”

e

last: the brig-sloop
Teazer!
But Kydd

—Kirkus Reviews

must race the clock to make her battle-Julian Stockwin was sent at the age of ready to defend Malta against Barbary

fourteen to ts Indefatigable
,
a tough sea-

“Characterized by hazardous battles and enigmatic
pirates and the French who are franti-training school. He joined the British Navy
heroism . . . [
Quarterdeck
is] a very highly recom-J

at fi fteen, transferred to the Australian
ulian St

cally trying to rescue the remnants of
mended novel . . .”

—The Midwest Book Review

their army in the Levant. Then peace

Navy when his family emigrated there, and is suddenly declared, and the young

saw active service in Vietnam. He became

“Fast action, great characters and tremendous dia-captain fi nds himself ashore on half pay.

a teacher and an educational psychologist.

Later he was commissioned into the Royal
logue make [
Tenacious
], and the five previous Kydd
To make ends meet, he agrees to trans-Naval Reserve and was awarded the mbe.

books, top-of-the-line naval adventures.”

port convicts to Australia. Little does he know that his friend Renzi, weakened by Retired from the rnr with the rank of

—Illawarra Mercury

illness and embittered with the service, Lieutenant Commander, he now lives in

Devon, England. Visit him on the web at
o

is also bound for the colony as a settler.

www.julianstockwin.com.

c

There, at the ends of the earth, they will
kw

be forced to face their deepest fears and prove themselves against all odds

in

McBooks Press, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-59013-120-652400

Mc

Ithaca, New York

Pr B

ess o

www.mcbooks.com

Ju

J lian Sto

ulian St ckw

kwin

in

Cover painting by Geoff Hunt. Cover designed by Panda Musgrove.

ok

s

9 781590 131206

$24.00

Praise for The Kydd Series

C

“Stockwin’s richly detailed . . . portrait of life on ship

om
A

and shore in Britain’s oceanic empire is engrossing.

He writes evocatively of shipboard routine, the panic

Command

Ky

Thomas Kydd takes command of his

d

and confusion of combat, and the terrifying ap-d

A Kydd Sea Adventure

own ship—and learns first hand about
S

m

proach of a storm at sea, and he knows how to stage
e

the power and loneliness that comes
a Ad

enthralling action scenes.”
—Publishers

Weekly

a

with ultimate responsibility.

ve

“Likable Tom and his shipmates make a snug fit in

n
n

In this seventh book of the series,

t

that page-turning Forester and O’Brian tradition—

u

Thomas Kydd has his own command at

r

d

thanks to retired Royal Navy author Stockwin.”

e

last: the brig-sloop
Teazer!
But Kydd

—Kirkus Reviews

must race the clock to make her battle-Julian Stockwin was sent at the age of ready to defend Malta against Barbary

fourteen to ts Indefatigable
,
a tough sea-

“Characterized by hazardous battles and enigmatic
pirates and the French who are franti-training school. He joined the British Navy
heroism . . . [
Quarterdeck
is] a very highly recom-J

at fi fteen, transferred to the Australian
ulian St

cally trying to rescue the remnants of
mended novel . . .”

—The Midwest Book Review

their army in the Levant. Then peace

Navy when his family emigrated there, and is suddenly declared, and the young

saw active service in Vietnam. He became

“Fast action, great characters and tremendous dia-captain fi nds himself ashore on half pay.

a teacher and an educational psychologist.

Later he was commissioned into the Royal
logue make [
Tenacious
], and the five previous Kydd
To make ends meet, he agrees to trans-Naval Reserve and was awarded the mbe.

books, top-of-the-line naval adventures.”

port convicts to Australia. Little does he know that his friend Renzi, weakened by Retired from the rnr with the rank of

—Illawarra Mercury

illness and embittered with the service, Lieutenant Commander, he now lives in

Devon, England. Visit him on the web at
o

is also bound for the colony as a settler.

www.julianstockwin.com.

c

There, at the ends of the earth, they will
kw

be forced to face their deepest fears and prove themselves against all odds

in

McBooks Press, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-59013-120-652400

Mc

Ithaca, New York

Pr B

ess o

www.mcbooks.com

Ju

J lian Sto

ulian St ckw

kwin

in

Cover painting by Geoff Hunt. Cover designed by Panda Musgrove.

ok

s

9 781590 131206

Command

A Kydd Sea Adventure

The Kydd Sea Adventures
,
by Julian Stockwin
Kydd

Artemis

Seaflower

Mutiny

Quarterdeck

Tenacious

Command

The Admiral’s Daughter

Julian Stockwin

Command

A Kydd Sea Adventure

McBooks Press, Inc.

Ithaca, New York

Published by McBooks Press 2008

Copyright © 2006 by Julian Stockwin

First published in Great Britain in 2006 by Hodder and Stoughton A division of Hodder Headline

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the publisher. Requests for such permissions should be addressed to McBooks Press, Inc., ID Booth Building, 520 North Meadow St., Ithaca, NY 14850.

Cover painting by Geoff Hunt.

Cover and text design: Panda Musgrove.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows: Stockwin, Julian.

Command : a Kydd sea adventure / by Julian Stockwin.

p. cm.

ISBN: 978-1-59013-120-6 (alk. paper)

1. Kydd, Thomas (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Great Britain—History, Naval—

18th century—Fiction. 3. Seafaring life—Fiction. I. Title.

PR6119.T66C66 2007

823’.92—dc22

2006030102

Visit the McBooks Press website at www.mcbooks.com.

Printed in the United States of America 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To do great things is difficult,

but to command great things is more difficult—

Friedrich Nietzsche

“Damn you, sir! You have set my standing orders to defiance and made
Tenacious
a spectacle before the Fleet. How dare you attempt an excuse for your conduct?” Captain Rowley’s words could be heard right across the quarterdeck, even above the streaming rain and bluster of the filthy weather.

“Sir. M’ respects, but I judged it t’ be—”

“Judge? It’s not your place to judge, Mr Kydd! No, sir! It is your sworn duty to ensure my orders are strictly obeyed. All of them—and most especially my written orders.” Rowley’s nostrils flared. “And this is not the first time I have had the disagreeable necessity of remonstrating with you concerning your conduct since I have come aboard.”

“Sir, this is—”

“Enough!” Rowley shouted. “You, sir, have tried my patience too far.” Kydd’s stomach tightened. “You are now confined to your cabin until such time as the commander-in-chief is informed of your conduct and you have answered for it.”

At the words, shocked faces turned: the place for a captain to discipline an officer was the great cabin, not on deck within ear-shot of the entire watch.

“Aye aye, sir,” Kydd said thickly, and clapped on his sodden cocked hat. The die was now irrevocably cast: Captain Rowley