1636

Commander Cantrell in the West Indies

By: Eric Flint, Charles E. Gannon

Narrated by: George Guidall

Eddie Cantrell, now married to the king of Denmark’s daughter, is sent by Admiral Simpson to the Caribbean to secure access to the most valuable commodity on that continent - not the gold and silver which the Spanish treasure, but the oil which up-time machines and industry need. The admiral has also provided Eddie’s small task force with the new steam-powered frigates that have just come out of the navy’s shipyards. Even with the frigates, a giant obstacle stands in his way: the Gulf-girdling Spanish presence in the New World. So a diversion is needed, carried out by an up-time car mechanic and a down-time mercenary colonel who also happens to be the last earl of Ireland. Their mission: grab the oil fields on Trinidad, and so distract the attention of Spain’s New World governors. While the Spanish galleons and troops head for Trinidad, Commander Cantrell’s smallest and fastest steam sloop will make a run to the Louisiana coast. There, her crew will wind their way up the bayous to the real New World prize: the Jennings Oil Field. But Cantrell’s plans could be wrecked in a multitude of ways. He faces often-hostile natives, rambunctious Dutch ship captains, allied colonies on the brink of starvation, and vicious social infighting that can barely be contained by his capable and passionate new wife. When the galleons finally come out in force to engage his small flotilla, Eddie will discover that the Spanish aren’t the only enemies who will be coming against him in a fateful Caribbean show-down.

©2014 Eric Flint & Charles E. Gannon (P)2014 Recorded Books

enjoyable and fun

very good plot, wirth my time, but 20 word review requirements torks me off a bit

Great story!

I really liked this book. I found it as enjoyable as any Hornblower book I ever read. As always, the characters are multi-dimensional, and my favorite couple, Eddie Cantrell and his voluptuous bride, Anne Catherine, are always a delight. Highly recommended!

great book to read loved every minute.

love the book would suggest it to anyone who is into alternative histories and adventure.

Heir to 1634

What made the experience of listening to 1636 the most enjoyable?

How the author tied in some of the characters and events from the Baltic War and some of the offshoots from the Italian series (love the Wild Geese). 1636 Kremlin Games was listed as the next Ring of Fire book after the Baltic War, but I'd say this one should be considered the logical book to fill that role, along with the three books in the Italian saga. I'd add I haven't read/listened to some other offshoots like the Ram Rebellion, Bavarian Gambit, Devil's Opera, etc.

What other book might you compare 1636 to and why?

Baltic War and the Galileo Affair, as it has some of those intrigues and characters brought together. Plus, some actual big battles.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

Wonderful. One of my favorite narrators.

Any additional comments?

I don't know if the written version has maps and reference material, but half the time I listen to a Ring of Fire book I need one available to visualize a place, or a real person and their actual history, and the tech (such as the difference between Dutch and Spanish fighting ships of the 1600s).

I'm a sucker for naval stories

Must be all the Star Trek I grew up on. The novel continues the promotion of ham radio, gun play and steampunkish goodness you'd expect from the 1632 series.

Ahoy!!

Before I get started on this book, I first have to say I love this series. That being said, I don't think I've wanted to read another book in this series as much as I want to read the sequel to this one. I couldn't stop listening. I listened to this book in one sitting, and I didn't want it to end. The adventures of Eddie Cantrell are truly fascinating, and I love the imagery that Flint and Gannon put into this book. They have done to the Caribbean and the Spanish Main what Flint and his co-authors have done with Europe and the 30 years war. If you have enjoyed the other books in the Ring of Fire series, you are going to love this one.

George Guidall just continues to produce fantastic audiobooks. This book is done with the same excellence that all of his other narrations have had. This is a five star book all around.

Poorly Described Battles

It is difficult to take seriously the uptime battle leaders. No military on earth feels bad for destroying the enemy. Mike Stearns feels terrible for killing his murderous enemy. Eddie Cantrell should be a Social Worker, rather than a Commander. In real life, wars are won by killing the bad guys, not feeling sorry for them! Also, no army or navy personnel are allowed to constantly argue with
higher-ups. In real life, that is extreme insubordination. No military organization can run like that! Except for the above comments, the story was fairly good.

Excellent!!! One of the Best in Series!!!

Loved the Navel Battles!!! And Eddie has long been one of my favorite storylines!!! Hope we get back to the New World in the future!!!

More, and more detailed Grantville adventures

Any additional comments?

Found this a very satisfying read/escape. The amount of historical detail and sheer volume of historical, as well as foreign names forced me to absorb the book at a much higher level than is normal for me. This allowed for an enjoyably easy read and produced the much sought after "Zen" mode while listening. May be a bit much if you need to follow every plot twist and character, but it works great for me! Can see myself rereading this in the future, something I never do!

great book

This is on par with the first book 1632. Really well done you can't put it down. Can't say enough about it. Like I said my second favorite book in the series.