Signal--close action - Hardcover

Alexander Kent, pen name of Douglas Edward Reeman, joined the British Navy at 16, serving on destroyers and small craft during World War II, and eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant. He has taught navigation to yachtsmen and has served as a script adviser for television and films. His books have been translated into nearly two dozen languages.

The incomparable Michael Jayston reads up a storm with this Napoleonic-era sea story, set in the Mediterranean just before the Battle of the Nile. Jayston's impeccable pronunciation, his variations in accents and characterization, and his timing and the varying tension in his voice make this a remarkable listening experience. Commodore Richard Bolitho is tasked with taking a tiny squadron on an intelligence mission: Where are the French? There are battles and captures and blood. One can smell the powder smoke, thanks to the compatible skills of Jayston and the author. Nor are the human dimensions slighted; the characters are alive! They move and plot and think. A real achievement all around. D.R.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine