The King's Coat

By: Dewey Lambdin

Narrated by: John Lee

It is 1780, and 17-year-old Alan Lewrie is a brash, rebellious young libertine. So much so that his callous father believes a bit of naval discipline will turn the boy around. Fresh aboard the tall-masted Ariadne, Midshipman Lewrie heads for the war-torn Americas, finding - rather unexpectedly - that he is a born sailor, equally at home with the randy pleasures of the port and the raging battles on the high seas. But in a hail of cannonballs comes a bawdy surprise.

©1998 Dewey Lambdin (P)2010 Random House

I'm no sailor...

I know nothing of late 18th century or for that matter any type, age or style of sailing. The way Dewey Lambton writes the detail of ship handling keeps it all nice and neat. John Lee is I must say is by far one of my favorite narrators. Most people would choose Morgan Freeman or Sean Connery to narrate their biography. Not I, give me John lee. His voice skills alone could make an adventure out of this shelterd souls life without needing a drink of water. He also narrates many other good books. I will be working my way thru this series for my second time and I cant wait to be taken back to some exciting memories.

This is my second read of the Alan Love series!

Alan Lewrie could be described as despicable, womanizing, sister loving (lol), crafty, and self-absorbed. He plots and plans steals and duels. Especially in this particular book. As you find in later books, Alan grows as a person, for the most part. Despite the flaws you can't help but love Lewrie and cheer him on. I love it. READ IT. You might read reviews that say he's a womanizing sexist and therefore the author is a womanizing sexist. I'm hypothetically writing a book about a giant orangutan who fights lizard people. Hypothetically, I must be a giant orangutan who is racist towards lizard people. Please don't let the negative reviews prevent you from reading this wonderful story. Its a story of transformation. It's about a young man who finds guidance, and grows into a man, who quite possibly still needs guidance...

Great series so far

This is a great historical series. Looking forward to listening to more. Great authenticity and character development.

Excellent Read

First book in the series that I have listened to and I throughly enjoyed it. Hopefully the others in this series are as enjoyable.

An engaging lout

This is the first of the series. Consider this as a review of the first five books. Alan is a rake and a lout. At the same time, when I finish a volume, a clock starts ticking. A few months later, I want more. I have read about five royal navy series about upstanding officers, this is a refreshing change of pace.

Nautical Wow

The best 1st nautical fiction I've read since Hornblower. Couldn't put it down. The narration is the best I've ever heard in audible books. Looking forward to starting the 2nd novel !

Recommended read

A greatly entertaining novel. This was also humorous as well as an educational. I look forward to the remaining books in the series.

Baudy,but so were seamen

If you could sum up The King's Coat in three words, what would they be?

Begining, nautical career,xrated

What other book might you compare The King's Coat to and why?

Stands alone in this Genre, haven't seen anythingelse quite like it.

Which character – as performed by John Lee – was your favorite?

Alan of course, This is his story.

Who was the most memorable character of The King's Coat and why?

Alan afterall its all about him.

Any additional comments?

I STARTED READING THESE BOOKS WHEN I STUMBLED ACROSS them in the public libraryHaving read all the O'brian books thru three timesand going thru CS Foresters HornblowerI was looking for new Sea stories. Unfortunetly They did not have the early books in the series, I found this first book filled in much of Alans earlier life.(There were sometimes references to family that didn't connect for me,) I now look forward to going back and rereading those books with a better idea of what's going on. If you are looking for books on the Royal Navy during the Napolianic era then, I recomend these,One warning though is that they are not suitable for younger readers as some scenes are very explicit.

Great Glimpse at Life on 18th Century British Ship

I have read numerous books on 18th century naval fiction, but I have never been treated to such an intricate view of the inner workings of vessels from that era. Because the main character is a Midhipman, he goes places senior officers never go and takes the reader along for the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Excellent book and performance for Master and Commander lovers

A touch of Flashman and all the sea action of Master and Commander. A good read/listen. I’m in for the series.