- Ramage (novel)
Infobox Book
name = Ramage
title_orig =
translator =
image_caption =
author =Dudley Pope
illustrator =
cover_artist = Paul Wright
country =United Kingdom
language = English
series = Lord Ramage novels
genre = Navalhistorical novels
publisher =Weidenfeld & Nicholson
pub_date = 1965
english_pub_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback &Paperback )
pages =
isbn = NA
oclc =
preceded_by =
followed_by =Ramage and the Drumbeat "Ramage" is the first novel in the Lord Ramage novels by
Dudley Pope . It isset during theFrench Revolutionary Wars and later in the series during theNapoleonic age .Plot summary
Lord Ramage is the third lieutenant on His Majesty's ship "Sibella", but is forced into captaincy when the Captain, and the First and Second Lieutenants are killed by fire from a French ship. The French ship had fatally crippled the "Sibella" and had killedover half of her crew. As the new Captain, Ramage decides to abandon the sinking ship.He leaves the injured on the deck to be taken prisoner by the French and hopefully treatedby their surgeon. Before he abandons the ship, Ramage retrieves some documents and the late Captain's last orders. The remaining crew then loads into the four lifeboats and rows away. As they are rowing away, the crew of the French ship set the "Sibella" on fire after taking the injured off. After a few minutes of getting his thoughts together, Ramageopens the last orders of the late Captain of the "Sibella". The orders read that the "Sibella" was on a reconnaissance missions to extricate the Marchessa di Volterri along with five other nobles including the Marchessa's two cousins. Ramage decides to go through with the reconnaissance mission.Ramage eventually rescues the Marchessa and one of her cousins. The cousins' brother accuses Ramage of cowardice. Durin their time together, the Marchessa and Ramage develops a complicated relationship. After the Marchessa is returned, Ramage is sent to trial for his loss of the "Sibella"and also to the accusation of cowardice. Ramage's trial is interrupted though and he is called on to rescue an English crew whose ship had run aground. Ramage saves the stranded crew and returns to the Marchessa, but is issued the order to return to sea.
Critical reaction
Many reviewers, such as the New York Times, praised "Ramage" as "A grand tale written with panache, glitter and awesome authority, one can only rejoice that a crying need has been filled".cite web | url = http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0935526765/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books | title = Ramage (The Lord Ramage Novels) paperback | work = Amazon.com | accessdate = 2008-09-01]
References
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