Hornblower and His Majesty
C.S. Forester
This short story is spinoff of the Hornblower canon. Captaining the Royal Yacht may be an honour but it turns out to be a dubious honour. A thankless task but dire consequences should something go wrong. Has anyone ever heard of the name of the captain of Elizabeth's Royal Yacht Britannia? The Royal Yacht here is a vessel under sail lacking the diesel engines and navigation aids her antecedents enjoyed.
Spoilers Follow
This review threatens to be longer than the book itself. This is an amusing fragment that fails of any resolution.
If you've watched The Madness of King George then you're aware of the maladies of George III, the king who lost the colonies.
At the time medicine was crude by today's standards and mental illness not understood. George and his doctor are brought aboard the yacht to take the airs and its captain admonished to maintain quiet at all times.
When the yacht encounters dense fog a fog bell was critical quiet or no. The inept captain of the yacht's screening vessel gets separated from his charge and in the ensuing stew the yacht is beset by an American Privateer.
The king comes on deck in the middle of the havoc and cannon fire that ensues and finds it a delightful show.
No comments:
Post a Comment