Bill Hammond

Set during the Quasi-War against the French Republic during the late 1790’s, The Power and the Glory offers the reader a stirring and authentic look at the birth of the modern United States Navy during the Age of Fighting Sail. Whether confronting French pirates off the coast of Nantucket or heavily armed French frigates in the Caribbean Sea, Capt. Thomas Truxtun, Capt. Silas Talbot, Lt. Richard Cutler and other early naval heroes --most real, some fictional -- personify the best of American honor and courage.

Beyond electrifying sea battles and the challenge to French colonial rule in Haiti and in the French West Indies, The Power and the Glory provides intriguing glimpses into everyday life of the era, be they in the bedroom of the Cutler clapboard home in Hingham, on the island of Barbados where the Cutlers own a sugar cane plantation and run a far-reaching commercial enterprise, or aboard Adm. Sir Hyde Parker’s flagship in Port Royal, Jamaica. And at the center of all the excitement, passion and intrigue are two of the finest “super frigates” ever constructed: USS Constellation and her sister ship, USS Constitution.

As with all books in the series, the author’s careful research and attention to detail, coupled with his thorough knowledge of sailing and the ways of the sea, bring American history alive in a refreshing and entertaining fashion.


EARLY PRAISE

“I highly recommend this historical fiction series. It’s as good as the novels of Patrick O’Brian. Start with the first book and read all three -- then wait, as I must, with great anticipation for the release of Book IV and other novels in the series. Bill Hammond is a master writer of nautical fiction whose literary gifts are yours to enjoy.”
--Karen Larson, Good Old Boat magazine

"In the finest maritime tradition William C Hammond's seafaring novels sail boldly in the wake of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester. You can feel the sea roll beneath the keel, hear the wind in the rigging and the almighty crack of the canvas sails - an epic and exhilarating adventure series."
--Helen Hollick,author of The Forever Queen and the Sea Witch Voyages

“Once again Bill Hammond returns us to the founding days of the U.S. Navy, when such doughty captains as Rodgers and Truxtun set our standards for courage and seamanship. Well done!”
--David Poyer, author of Ghosting and The Towers

"William C. Hammond's The Power and the Glory is the third novel in an action-packed series focusing on the nautical adventures of a fictional New England family during the late 1790s and early 1800s. The Cutler family controlled a vast array of commercial enterprises and is closely connected with the fledgling US Navy in the decade following the American Revolution--when the United Kingdom and France swapped roles as enemy/​ally of the US. Well-researched and well-written, Hammond's work combines fast-paced fiction with history--masterfully weaving together real people, places and events with fictional characters to conjure up a totally immersive, detailed and believable yarn. Within the first couple of chapters, Hammond had me completely "reeled in."

As I eagerly raced through the pages, I found myself comparing Hammond's work to two other, well-known books: Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander and Michael Crichton's Pirate Latitudes. I can honestly say that Hammond's book merits the comparison... and comes out on top in many areas.

Like many others who watched the 2003 movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World starring Russell Crowe, I picked up a copy of the first in author Patrick O'Brian's 21-installment Aubrey-Maturin series of books--bearing the same title and upon which the movie was based. I must admit to being consistently challenged by the often impenetrable nautical jargon O'Brian sprinkled throughout the novel. Hammond, on the other hand, has struck the right balance of historical and lexicographical faithfulness while employing a writing style a bit less taxing for today's reader.

At times The Power and the Glory is also evocative of Michael Crichton's Pirate Latitudes; but seemed to hold together better than Crichton's posthumously published work. Hammond's narrative was extremely well crafted, much easier to follow, and benefited from a seemingly closer entwinement with historical fact. Noteworthy in this regard was Hammond's descriptions of the behind-the-scenes political and diplomatic machinations amongst the various nations and their Navies as they struggled to control sea lanes, commerce and territory across the Atlantic and Caribbean. In this regard, the background he provides on the Haitian Independence struggle is particularly fascinating.

The Power and the Glory will appeal to a wide audience and is a quick and enjoyable read. My only regret is that I joined Lt. Richard Cutler (the novel's main character) a bit late--starting off with Mr. Hammond's third novel instead of his first!"

John Cathcart
Reviewer, Military Writers Society of America and Award-winning author of Delta 7