"Stand Into Danger"
by Alexander Kent 
This is the
second book in the Richard Bolitho series. 18 year old newly promoted
to Lieutenant Bolitho is appointed as the Third Lieutenant in
the 28-gun frigate Destiny. The Captain and 1st Lieutenant, Dumaresq
and Palliser respectively, are hard but fair taskmasters and our
hero soon settles in. One of his first duties is to recruit hands
for the ship. While performing this duty, he meets one the great
characters of this series, Stockdale. Stockdale takes care of
our young lieutenant and watches his back during the battles.
The year is 1774 and they sail on a secret voyage to Rio to discover
the whereabouts of lost Spanish treasure for the Crown. There
is all the rousing action one could hope for: ship to ship, boarding,
and land engagements. This book is a great read and I read it
in one sitting. I am trying to get the entire set of Kent books
staring Bolitho and I will review them as I find them. I include
this book in the Napoleonic category because most of the books
in the series take place during the Napoleonic Wars.
Reviewed By Kenneth S. Smith, Jun 1999
Available from:
McBooks Press
Ithaca, New York
