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Start giftingThe French Prize
This audiobook uses AI narration.
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Learn moreAcclaimed, award-winning author James L. Nelson—praised as “a master of both his period and the English language” by Patrick O’Brian—returns to the world of sea and sail in The French Prize.
Jack Biddlecomb has much to live up to, being as he is the eldest son of the esteemed Captain Isaac Biddlecomb, wealthy merchant captain, leading light of the War for American Independence, and newly minted congressman. Jack finds himself off to a promising start, however, when he’s given command of the merchant vessel Abigail bound from Philadelphia for Barbados.
But even before the dock lines are cast off, the voyage, which should have been routine, begins to look like a stormy passage indeed. Jack is saddled with two passengers, one as unpleasant as he is highborn, the other a confidant of the Abigail’s owner who cannot help meddling in the running of the ship. What’s more, with the French making prizes of American merchantmen, Abigail’s owner has armed the ship and instructed Jack to fight if need be, thrusting the first-time captain and his small crew into a naval war for which they are totally unprepared.
What Jack does not know, but soon begins to suspect, is that he is being used as part of a bigger plot, one that will have repercussions on an international scale.
James L. Nelson is the award-winning author of more than twenty works of maritime fiction and history. His books cover the gamut from Vikings to piracy in Colonial America, the naval action of the American Revolution, and the Civil War. He currently lives in Harpswell, Maine, with his former Golden Hinde shipmate and wife, Lisa.
John Lee has read more than 100 audiobooks. His work has garnered multiple Earphones Awards and won AudioFile's Best Voice in Fiction & Classics in both 2008 and 2009. Lee narrated the audiobook for A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin, volume four of A Song of Ice and Fire. He has also read for Jack London, John Banville, Charles Dickens, and Barbara Taylor Bradford. In addition, Lee narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is also an accomplished stage actor and has written and co-produced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.
Reviews
“A lively, rapidly paced yarn…This is vintage Nelson, with finely drawn characters and vivid shipboard action written by one who has sailed before the mast. Nelson is at his best describing a ship assaulted in a tempest by howling winds and heaving seas.”
“This novel immerses the reader into American maritime history with a strong protagonist and a well-told sea-faring adventure story of intrigue. The narrative moves quickly…[and] sheds light on the US presence on the high seas and the delicate balance of powers in Europe.”
“[Nelson’s] knowledge of sailing ships and how to handle them is profound, and he writes with such clarity and conviction that…[one] can follow the action and be gripped by it.”
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