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The French Prize Audiobook
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Acclaimed, 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.
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“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.”
— Library Journal
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“[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.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“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.”
— Quarterdeck
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About James L. Nelson
James L. Nelson is a former professional mariner and an award-winning writer of many works of fiction and nonfiction. His books include George Washington’s Secret Navy, which won the Naval Order’s prestigious Samuel Eliot Morison Award, and Glory in the Name, which won the American Library Association’s W. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction. He has appeared on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and C-SPAN’s Book TV.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.