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Friday, February 27, 2015

The Guinea Boat



THE GUINEA BOAT IS GREAT!

While it features different characters and craft, The Guinea Boat can be regarded as a very satisfying sequel to Bond’s first foray into the world of freebooting during the Age of Nelson, Turn a Blind Eye. This time, his story features two likely lads who are struggling to survive in the shore-side village of Hastings, England, one firmly on the right side of the law (and bullied because of it), and the other an opportunist with his eye on profit and fortune.  The focus is a smart little fishing lugger, mortaged to a pair of roughs who demand the impossible sum of guinea a week.

In the first of several edge-of-the-seat thrills, the boys are snatched by a press gang, to be rescued by a flamboyand free-trader, whose real name is Prettyman but is known as Ugly Joe—and a rotten scoundrel of a pirate he is, indeed. And, from then on, life gets even more complicated, as he involves the boys in his nefarious doings. Excitement piles on excitement as Nat and Alex follow their different, but often converging, paths, leading up to about the best climax to a seafaring tale I have ever read. Alaric Bond is an experienced writer, and this shows, as does the deep love of the sea and sail that runs in his veins. The Guinea Boat is recommended to all lovers of tales of adventure at sea, as teenagers will enjoy it just as much as their parents and grandparents, if not even more. 

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