Author name: Ed Frey

Missive #379 Published 2 November 2024

Hector Lynch and his companions are in the Caribbean, diving to plunder a wreck on the notorious Vipers reef, when they are spotted by a passing Spanish ship. To prevent news of their activities getting out, they cripple the Spanish vessel by burning her sails — an act of piracy — and then head for their base in Tortuga. There Hector's wife Maria awaits, for she and Hector are planning a better life for themselves — this time on the right side of the law.

This is another entertaining book in the series with one more remaining. My only criticism is the author has worn the play rather thin with how many times Hector gets locks up and manages to escape.

Missive #377 Published 31 October 2024

After twelve gloriously scandalous Flashman novels, the incomparable George MacDonald Fraser gives us a totally hilarious tale of derring-do from a different era.

This is an entertaining book but not 'totally hilarious' as touted by the book promo. I liked the Flashman humor better.

Missive #376 Published 29 October 2024

I didn't like this book very much. It is autobiographical but only up to just before the Civil War in Spain and WWII. He made a passing reference to his friendship dissolution with Hemingway but did not indicate that it was due to a dispute over the Civil War. The Best Times were the years when he was a Socialist and his books were held in high esteem. After leaving Spain he moved to the right and his writing was no longer looked upon favorably by his old friends or by publishers. This was the last book published before his death four years later; perhaps he planned on a second memoir book that covered the rest of his life?

Missive #374 Published 26 October 2024

Adams has a tendency to name-drop constantly without fully fleshing everything out to the reader. As such, while reading this, it got to a point where I simply couldn't keep track of all the characters and locations (many of which are just mentioned without being further explained or explored anyway)…An enjoyable instalment, but just consistently "pretty good" without reaching the heights of the first two.

Missive #372 Published 24 October 2024

The first third of the book is an essay with the same title as the book Adonis and Alphabet which was rather difficult reading for me. The rest of the book was an essay with the title of Ozymandias which was an easier read and I was able to understand more of what he wrote. Both of the essays were better than his later nonfiction where he tries to incorporate his philosophy into a novel.

Missive #371 Published 22 October 2024

Stories and essays about the future of war and conflict discuss tank warfare, alternative future histories, weapon systems, and the Soviet Union. This is the seventh book in the series.

Missive #370 Published 21 October 2024

A new collection of alternate history stories speculates about how world history would have been changed if the great battles, from the battle for the Philippines during World War II to Joan of Arc's campaign to free France, had been fought under different circumstances. This was the last book in the Alternate Generals Series. Not as good as the first two books but still interesting.