Yankee Mission

Thomas Kydd 25

By: Julian Stockwin

Narrated by: Christian Rodska

Swashbuckling adventure during the great Age of Sail.

With Bonaparte held to a stalemate in Europe, the race to empire is now resumed. Britain's ambitions turn to the Spice Islands, the Dutch East Indies, where Admiral Pellew has been sent to confront the enemy's vastly rich holdings in these tropical islands. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd joins reinforcements to snatch these for the British Crown.

The two colonial masters of India and the East Indies face each other in mortal striving for the region - there can be only one victor to hold all the spoils. The colonial genius, Stamford Raffles, believes Britain should strike at the very centre of Dutch spice production, the Moluccas, rather than the fortresses one by one but is fiercely opposed. Kydd, allying himself to this cause, conspires to lead a tiny force to a triumphant conclusion - however the Dutch, stung by this loss, claim vengeance from the French. A battle for Java and an empire in the East stretches Kydd and Tyger's company to their very limits.

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Praise for Julian Stockwin's Kydd series

'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' Guardian

'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' Daily Express

'This heady adventure blends fact and fiction in rich, authoritative detail' Nautical Magazine

'Fans of fast-paced adventure will get their fill with this book' Historical Naval Society

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2022 Julian Stockwin

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE KYDD SERIES:

A very readable and enjoyable story . . . I can only recommend that you go out, beg, borrow or buy, and enjoy

In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world

This heady adventure blends fact and fiction in rich, authoritative detail

The characterization is first-class, and the reader quickly becomes involved with all that happens

There is no disputing Stockwin's ability to tell a good yarn backed by meticulous research. Stockwin's eye for authentic detail is faultless

Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line

Is some of the history about the inventions real?

I truly appreciate the detail and historical importance presented in this novel. It made me do some research on the advent of Steam in the navies of the world. I did look up Commodore Perry and could find no reference to a battle for Lake Erie though. It may be somewhere and I'll carry on my research. Overall, a thoroughly engrossing book and I'd recommend it highly.

Ok Book

I enjoy listening to previous books about Thomas Kidd, but this one was not as good. Spent too much time on recovery and steam engines and not enough time the last chapters.

One of the best

Love the dive into the technology of the Navy. I was worried this series was hitting a wall. It is only getting stronger.

Sluggish

The least enjoyable of the series so far. This book felt disjointed and sluggish. The plot was unsatisfying and spent too much time on areas I felt were irrelevant to the central character. It would not stand on it’s own as a novel and felt like a space-filler cobbled together to satisfy the author’s obligation to his publisher.

Wonderful story. When is the next coming?

Again, Christian Rodska dazzles us with the performance of our favorite Captain Kydd Who has overcome horrific conditions well physically and mentally to take out his work on the sea. We meet an old friend from the USA who has become an enemy… But the story is not over…