Library Book of the Week

Book of the Week: Gentleman Captain, by J.D. Davies

Summary:  in 1662, Matthew Quinton, a newly minted ship’s captain, is dispatched to the Scottish Islands to intercept a large cache of stolen guns.   If he fails his King’s reign maybe very brief.

Why did I choose this book? 

I like underdogs.  In this instance the main character, Matthew Quinton, is an exemplar underdog.  He knows little about sailing but finds himself the captain of a ship. To make matters worse, he sank his first boat, and the crew of his second ship knows that he doesn’t know how to sail. Further, he suspects that the crew of this
boat may have murdered its last captain. Finally, he is uncertain of the loyalty of his fellow captains. 

I like characters that are able to admit their faults and work through them.   Matthew Quinton knows that he is not qualified to be a ship’s Captain. To help himself he teaches his knowledgeable lieutenant how to read in return for on-the-job sailing lessons.

You won’t get lost in the sails.  Even though Gentleman Captain takes places mostly on board a ship, you never get entangled in the obscure vocabulary of ships and sailing. In fact, the author pokes fun at such obscurity by having a Captain that struggles to differentiate starboard from port.

Reading Gentleman Captain you can smell the salt of the sea. You experience the frustration of waiting for the winds to become strong enough to carry the boat.  You sense the fear as the crew prepares to duel a bigger and better armed ship.

Where’s the best place to read this book?   If you are planning an ocean-side vacation or a visit to Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, Gentleman Captain will get you in the right mood.

Gentleman Captain ,  by J.D.   Davies, can be found at the Jefferson Township
Public Library