Posted by Pam Adams on November 06, 2007 at 00:52:24 from 134.71.192.172 user PamAdams.
In Reply to: Re: On being on or off topic and a blatanlty off-topic stir posted by andyb on November 05, 2007 at 22:46:33:
Well, since the Royal Navy and the Napoleonic wars really existed, yes, there are certain similarities in format/general plot, etc. You could certainly add Kipling's Captains Courageous and yes, Ransome's We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea, to the list of those following in the footsteps of Marryat, Dana, etc. That the sea shapes those who follow it is a very old story.
What I can say is try the books, I believe that you will enjoy them. Post Captain is the place to start, and like Ransome's books, the characters move forward in time and change and grow. (And tell terrible jokes!- An example: Why is the dogwatch shorter than the others?*)
Pam
*Answer: Because it is curtailed!