Showing results by author "Alexander Kent" in All Categories

It is 1819, and Captain Adam Bolitho is ordered once again to Freetown in West Africa with secret orders for the senior officer there. The slave trade has been outlawed by many nations, but a hundred thousand slaves are still shipped out annually, the profit for slavers considered worth the risk of interception by the Royal Navy. For Adam, newly married and as fiery as ever, Africa will bring reunions and unexpected allies, and a treachery that wears the mask of friendship, and threatens the very heart of all he loves.

In February, 1806, the frigate carrying Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho drops anchor off the shores of southern Africa. Bolitho's instructions are to assist in hastening the campaign in Africa where an expeditionary force is attempting to recapture Cape Town from the Dutch. Bolitho is still brooding over the loss of his flagship, and hi socntinuing personal troubles are only brightened by his love for Catherine, Lady Somervell.

On the eve of Waterloo, a sense of finality and cautious hope pervade a nation wearied by decades of war. But peace will present its own challenges to Adam Bolitho, captain of His Majesty's Ship Unrivalled, as many of his contemporaries face the prospect of discharge. The life of a frigate captain is always lonely, even more so for Adam, mourning the death of his uncle.

Plymouth, July 1801: Richard Bolitho's small squadron, still repairing battle scars earned in heavy action at Copenhagen, has been months away from the sea. But the Admiralty needs Bolitho. After eight years of war with France, Britain must make a gesture that will show her strength and determination - and one which will dramatically weaken the French cause. The Admiralty wants to attack, so Rear-Admiral Bolitho must follow his flag's tradition of victory.

April 1797, Falmouth Bay. As France continues her bitter struggle for supremacy on land and sea, the Royal Navy receives a crippling blow at home: the Great Mutiny. Returning home after eighteen months' continuous service, Flag Captain Richard Bolitho finds himself at the centre of the crisis. And his new commander, it seems, is a man who will brook no interference...

Relentless Pursuit is the freshest Bolitho novel in years, with Adam spending as much time engaging British enemies in the 46-gun frigate Unrivalled as he does contemplating the complex morality of the duties he must perform. Sent to Sierra Leone, Adam and his powerful ship add strength to the British squadron attempting to halt the slave trade. Aggravating this volatile situation is the Dey of Algiers, looking for total war.

On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb detonated amid a crowd of 50,000 people. But thanks to Jewell, it only wounded 111 and killed 2, not the untold scores who would have otherwise died. The pressure to find the bomber was intense. Within 72 hours, Jewell went from the hero to the FBI's main suspect.

In January 2020, Donald Trump was on the fast track to an easy re-election. While his first two years had been stymied by House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the Democrats, his third year had been one of remarkable success. The United States had low unemployment and was making strides across the globe. The president's rallies were well-attended, and he was being projected to win four hundred electoral votes and about forty-five states. Then came COVID-19.

Il 27 luglio 1996 una guardia di sicurezza di nome Richard Jewell individuò uno zaino sospetto nel Centennial Olympic Park di Atlanta, teatro in quei giorni dei Giochi olimpici. All'interno c'era una bomba. La deflagrazione provocò due morti e un centinaio di feriti, ma senza l'intervento di Jewell il bilancio sarebbe stato certamente più grave. Con gli occhi del mondo puntati addosso, la città non si fermò e i giochi continuarono. La stampa e le autorità non esitarono a fare di Jewell un eroe. Tuttavia, la pressione per trovare l'attentatore era altissima.