Commander George Holbrooke and the crew of the sloop Kestrel join a massive amphibious assault on France in 1758, after the British prime minister orders a series of descents, or swift raids on poorly defended coastal regions, to draw the French armies away from England's European allies.

While the effectiveness of these raids can be debated by historians, they birthed a new style of warfare, unveiling a new design of landing craft that is a precursor to the amphibian vessels used to invade Normandy on D-Day, nearly two centuries later.

In Perilous Shore, Holbrooke is assigned to a mission led by Commodore Richard Howe. As the commander of a fast and nimble sloop, he is quickly put to work scouting the coast, trading shots with French batteries and fighting, as usual, with an array of naval opponents.

But perhaps his biggest role here is helping to test -- and, later, to deploy -- the navy's new fleet of flatboats. They aren't fast or graceful, but they're a valuable new tool for getting large numbers of men and equipment onto an enemy beach -- and, when necessary, getting them off again. It's in the latter task that Holbrooke faces his biggest challenge and danger yet.

Chris Durbin explores yet another fascinating element of the Seven Years War, a period of history often overlooked in the field of naval fiction, and he brings to life an exciting chapter in the war with plenty of smoke and blood. His characters -- both his fictional creations and the historical figures he has woven into his story -- are well developed and colorful. And war, as readers will be reminded here, has consequences.

Durbin of course doesn't neglect Holbrooke's personal life. His ongoing courtship advances during his brief periods ashore, and his relationships with friends and shipmates come to new crossroads.

This has become one of my favorite series in the nautical line. Earlier in the series I worried the author's constant shifting between protagonists -- each book about Holbrooke is preceded and followed by one featuring his mentor, Captain Edward Carlisle -- would be an annoying conceit, but I've quickly grown fond of both characters, their unique sets of supporting characters and their very different perspectives on the war. It's time for the next one in the series!

[ visit Chris Durbin's website ]