Gentleman Captain

- 'Fans of high-seas adventures by Patrick O’Brian or C. S. Forester should definitely be steered in the direction of this rousing first novel by an expert in seventeenth-century British naval history. This really is a splendid book, with terrific characters, a thrilling adventure, and a wonderful sense of time and place. The year is 1662. Matthew Quinton, born into a noble family, is a ship’s captain with a poor record, having seen his first command sink to the bottom of the sea. Surprisingly, the king asks Quinton to take command of a new vessel, the Jupiter, and set sail for Scotland, where antiroyalist rebels are causing concern. Commanding an unwilling crew, with only a few supporters, Quinton is forced to learn the ways of the sea . . . or, perhaps, die trying. Davies is a talented storyteller, with a real gift for memorable phrases and visually evocative prose. He writes, for example, about a storm’s wind “that came straight from the flatulence of hell’s own bowels.” Quinton is a likable and sympathetic lead, a gentleman who surprises even himself with his inner reserves of strength and bravery. The book is the first in a projected series, which should be jolly good news for anyone who reads this one.' - starred review in Booklist

- 'Excellent...gives us a glimpse of the Royal Navy of the Restoration while introducing a fine new naval hero who is well on his way to becoming a skilled captain, in addition to being a gentlemen. Highly recommended.' - Old Salt Blog

- 'A sprightly fictionalized account of the fatal cleft in loyalties among seamen following Charles II’s restoration in 1660...Davies, steeped in the language of the era, proceeds to depict the drama with confidence and verve, and he fashions a convincing crew of personalities and types...Along the way, Davies takes every opportunity to feed the reader some British dynastic history, but the writing is natural and well worth the instruction. A delightful tale.' - Kirkus Reviews

- 'The author does a creditable job of dramatizing life in Samuel Pepys's navy, and by the explosive climax, Quinton has developed into a hero worth rooting for and meeting again in further exploits.' - Publishers Weekly

- 'Gentleman Captain is a beautifully written and masterfully told story full of wicked intrigue, gripping suspense, stirring action, deft plot twists, and incredibly rich and compelling characters. It so effortlessly transports the reader to another place and time, you won’t want to put it down until you have reached its thrilling conclusion. J D Davies promises this is just the first volume in the journals of Matthew Quinton. It is a brilliant beginning to what is destined to be a classic series of nautical adventure.' - Eric Jay Dolin, author of Leviathan: A History of Whaling in America

- 'A splendid addition to nautical adventure, and a grand story, to boot!'—Dewey Lambdin, author of the Alan Lewrie series of novels

- 'J D Davies’s depiction of Restoration England and the British navy is impeccable, his characters truly live and breathe, and the plot kept me in suspense. Gentleman Captain is one of the rare books that I have read with a smile on my face from cover to cover. I could not recommend it more.' —Edward Chupack, author of Silver: My Own Tale as Written by Me with a Goodly Amount of Murder
 
- 'A wealth of new historic knowledge was communicated from within a storyline that was a real page turner. The underlying element of mystery made the book’s conclusion unpredictable and each chapter left you eager to know what would happen next... I certainly recommend this one.' - Five star review on Astrodene's historic naval fiction website.

In my workplace, 'The Lair', with the original UK trade paperback edition of Gentleman Captain.