1792 — England is on the precipice of war. Louis XVI has been deposed. The continent is in chaos and terror reigns in the streets of France…
Under the resilient watch of Sir Hayden Reginald Cooper, the waters about England are finally emptied of pirates. A lion upon the sea, the Royal Navy's newest captain triumphantly returns from France, though an uneasy harmony barely persists.
England hurriedly prepares for war. Yet the Whigs bicker and squabble, ruinously contriving to seize power. Cooper must crowd all sail upon "Menelaus", or risk being caught in the oncoming squall. Yet within the swelling tempest he shockingly learns of the arrest of his particular friend, Captain Poulain, earmarked for execution. The defection of the Brittany fleet now perilously hangs in the balance.
Matters become dire as Louis XVI is sentenced to be guillotined. France is divided. Cooper calls upon the imprisoned Chevalier Lafayette to join the fray with England — his only way into France and to Poulain. In quest of duty, honour and hopefully victory, not to mention prizes and fortune, Cooper readies his squadron for Toulon.
And so the second instalment of Ships of War weighs anchor! Hold fast for a turbulent action-packed and somewhat cheeky naval adventure, fearlessly thundering within the precarious shadow of war — the Jacobins of France soon to behold the ingenuity, determination and utmost loyalty of their newest foe…
Historium Press
Publisher of "Ships of War"
Ships of War — Shadow of War (BOOK 2)
REVIEWs
HFC Reviews (Historical Fiction Company)
"Bradley John's undoubted strength lies in the evocative use of language to describe the sea and maritime life, and also characterization – Cooper’s personality leaps from the page, together with a range of secondary characters. The battle scenes are similarly gripping. His approach in weaving the characters’ personal observations together with a description of the action kept this reviewer turning the pages almost compulsively, eager to follow each manoeuvre..."
HFC Reviews (Historical Fiction Company)
“A written work of art, a novel that celebrates the sea, the history of the British Navy and the derring-do of its men. The battle scenes will be devoured as the pages turn. Bradley John’s writing style is so evocative that the reader will hear the snap of the sails and the bite of salt as Cooper sails forth in defence of King and Country…”
HFC Reviews (Historical Fiction Company)
"Readers will also be familiar, perhaps, with the highly successful motion picture “Master and Commander”. Bradley John's novel is very much in this tradition and of that mould. He seeks to maintain this worthy style in his own lengthy adventure story. In so doing, he displays excellent credentials with considerable style! Displaying admirable craftsmanship, a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any fan of the period and subject."
Book Synopsis
| Title | Ships of War — Shadow of War |
|---|---|
| Author | Bradley John |
| # in Series | Book two |
| Chapters | 26 + Prologue + Epilogue |
| Words | 150,000+ approximately |
| Genre | Historical naval adventure fiction |
| Setting | 1792 — England and France |
| Language | English |
| Release date | 1 December 2024 TBC |
| Publisher | Historical Fiction Company - Historium Press |
| Cover Design | White Rabbit Arts |
About the Author
Bradley John has been privately writing novels since 2003. “Ships of War”, his first publication, births a series of naval adventure fiction intended to span the length of the French Revolutionary Wars. This of course is the much loved genre which includes the thundering Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian and the popular “Master and Commander” blockbuster by Peter Weir. Owing to Bradley John’s English heritage, no guesses are needed to determine which side the book’s heroes will sail upon…
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