The Colonial Post-Captain is the first book in a series set in the British navy during the Age of Sail. But, while many such series exist, most focus on the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras. This book, by Royal Navy veteran Chris Durbin, is set in an earlier time in history -- 1756, the beginning of the Seven Years War or, as it's called here in the States, the French & Indian War.

That might seem like a pretty minor conflict, if you learned about it in the American school system. While I recall a few brief lectures on skirmishes at some key colonial forts -- battles in which a young George Washington began to learn the art of warfare -- the war was actually much more dramatic and far-reaching.

As Durbin explains in his introduction, the war "can justly be described as the first global conflict," spanning Europe, North America, the East and West Indies, Africa and "all the oceans of the world." Although the war solidified Britain's reputation as the master of the seas, it didn't begin well -- and this book includes the French takeover of Minorca, a major defeat for the British and a source of embarrassment for the Royal Navy (which executed an admiral for his woeful leadership during the encounter -- an incident often referenced in novels set in later eras, but this is the first I've read that actually describes it).

Captain Edward Carlisle, commander of HMS Fury, is our fictional window into the events leading up to that first major battle of the war. He spends much of the book watching the buildup of the French fleet at Toulon, poised to provide rapid information to his superiors if the navy begins to move.

The book is a worthy addition to the genre. Some parts are a little unbelievable -- Carlisle, for instance, repeatedly bests a French ship that is well above his fighting strength, and a subplot involving a Barbary corsair ends just a little too conveniently -- but overall I enjoyed this introduction to Durbin's characters and their place among historical events. The romantic subplot is, fortunately, kept to a minimum, so the captain's flirtations with a wealthy Italian noblewoman never become tiresome.

If I have a complaint, it's in the rapid conversion of Midshipman George Holbrooke, serving as a master's mate on the Fury. At the book's beginning, we are told he's a listless, unambitious young officer, so much so that he's reconsidering his employment in the navy; his captain has even written to Holbrooke's father complaining of his wasted potential, and only a family bond has stopped Carlisle from putting Holbrooke off his ship entirely. Well, we're told that, but in action Holbrooke seems not just competent but aggressive in his pursuit of his duties; he's brave, resourceful and quick-thinking, and he rises rapidly from the midshipman's berth to first lieutenant. Perhaps more time could have been spent on building Holbrooke's character, giving us more time with his failings before his rapid self-improvement.

That's a nitpick, however, and does not seriously interfere with my enjoyment of the book.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the series is its potential for future plotlines. Carlisle, although a loyal officer in the British navy, is also a Virginia man, and that means his loyalties will be tested as the American colonies begin to stir in the years to come. I hope the series continues into that era!