Betrayal
Thomas Kydd 13
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4.3 • 36 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' - Daily Express
Cape Colony is proving a tiresome assignment for Captain Kydd's daring commander-in-chief Commodore Popham. Rumours that South America's Spanish colonies are in a ferment of popular unrest and of a treasure hoard of silver spur him to assemble a makeshift invasion fleet and launch a bold attack on the capital of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate, Buenos Aires.
Navigating the treacherous bars and mud flats of the river, the British invasion force lands and wins a battle against improbable odds, taking the capital and the silver. But nothing is as simple as it seems in this region of the world: the uprising that will see the end of Spanish rule never arrives and the locals begin to see dark conspiracies behind the invader's actions. Soon the tiny British force finds itself surrounded by an ever more hostile population. The city begins to revolt against its liberators.
Now Kydd's men must face fierce resistance and the betrayal of their closest allies. Can they save themselves, and their prize?
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What readers are saying about BETRAYAL
'Another page-turner from a sailor who knows his craft' - 5 stars
'An outstanding addition to an excellent series' - 5 stars
'A great read and I would highly recommend it!' - 5 stars
'A really good naval series written with good taste and fine detail' - 5 stars
'A triumph' - 5 stars
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stockwin's 13th novel of Napoleonic naval warfare featuring the redoubtable Captain Thomas Kydd of the Royal Navy features more high-seas adventure, ocean battles, bloody melees, and general villainy. After capturing the Cape Colony in South Africa in last year's excellent Conquest, Kydd and his crew are anxious for action. It's 1806 and Kydd is the captain of the frigate HMS L'Aurore. When Commodore Popham decides to sail his small British squadron to South America to foment revolt against the Spanish, Kydd agrees to support the wild scheme without knowing that Popham plans to start a deadly war without the proper authority; the plan is ill-conceived, poorly supported, and doomed by treachery. Though the British capture Buenos Aires, the locals don't rise against the Spanish, as had been expected, and while Popham achieves his objective, Kydd and the crew are beset by massive enemy forces and surprising betrayals. Neither Kydd's imaginative determination, nor the courage of his men, seem likely to prevent disaster. Stockwin, who based this tale on a factual debacle easily overlooked by history, is a master of Napoleonic-era atmosphere and rich descriptions of the military, politics, and society. With the last two books, Stockwin's series is approaching the level of C.S. Forester's Hornblower books.
