The Dark Frigate
by Charles Boardman Hawes
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Book Summary Information
Author: Charles Boardman HawesEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 1996-10-01
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 264
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Book Reviews of The Dark Frigate
Book Review: COMING OF AGE BY MARITIME MAYHEM
Summary: 3 Stars
Set in 17th century England just before the onset of the Civil War between King Charles and Oliver Cromwell, this swashbuckler relates the story of 19-year-old Philip Marsham. Far from an historical novel this book evokes an era long past in which the author displays impressive knowledge of nautical terms and tactics. Despite the deliberately antiquated vocabulary and abundance of maritime technology, the yarn captures the reader's interest from the outset. Winner of an early Newbery Medal this YA story contains serious violence and dastardly betrayals, while hinting at the author's respect for honor among "gentlemen of fortune."
The opening and latter chapters of THE DARK FRIGATE take place on land, as the orphaned boy receives hints that he may have found some relatives whom he hopes to contact in the future--assuming he survives 6 months on the high seas. The naïve youth learns a bitter lesson about girls as well, but he receives the valuable gift of a hand-hewn dirk from a Scottish blacksmith, which saves him in many dangerous situations.
Hawes has created many memorable characters:the irascible, heartless Old One, Captain Tom Jordan; his staunch first mate Malcolm, the whiny seaman in fear of dancing on air, Martin Barwick, and kindly Will Canty, a fellow of Phil's own age and liking. Landbased characters include Jamie Barwick, the red-faced Puritan gamekeeper who bore a lifelong grudge against Phil, elderly but just Sir John, a distant relative; and a Scots blacksmith with a heart of gold. Female characters, though fewer in number and of briefer appearances, also leave their mark: Nell Entick, the saucy bar wench who captured Phil's heart: Mother Taylor, the old crone who ran a pirate's B and B, who remained loyal to the very man she had warned Phil against. One wonders if he will one day woo and wed the barely mentioned girl who lives in Sir John's manor house.
Switching literary gears from the bounding main to the stability of an Admiralty courtroom, the author revels in the portrayal of British Justice. Even after the protagonist is acquitted of piracy he still has adventures, as he travels on foot back to recapture his lost innocence and seek out his family. Seemingly reluctant to end the tale after its dramatic conclusion Hawes projects readers into Phil's future in the Army. The author was clearly interested in the moral dilemma of religious Civil War, for he depicts valid admiration for both sides. But in the end Philip returns to the sea, as a passenger to the New World colonies--on his beloved Rose of Devon, which no longer plies the briney waves as a dark frigate of bloodshed and impending doom.
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