I am a HUGE fan of naval fiction set during the great age of sail (American Revolution, Napoleonic Wars). I find there is something extremely compelling about the whole idea of "iron men in wooden ships", the hardships they endured, the triumphs, the losses... Maybe it is also because I had an ancestor who sailed out of Dartmouth in Devon as a privateer in that era. It must be in my blood!
As a result, I have wanted to do a series of caches highlighting some of the fictional Royal Navy Captains whose stories have captivated me. This cache is the FOURTH in that series.
Captain Alan Lewrie is from Dewey Lambdin’s series of 20 books. Lewrie provides an interesting departure from other heroes of the genre, such as Ramage, Hornblower and Bolitho. Lewrie is little more than an educated, fun-loving Londoner who spends his time gambling, drinking, and pursuing women. His character shares some elements of Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey in this regard. With the help of friends, mentors, enemies, villains, and the mention of a god or two, Alan quickly rises through the ranks of the Royal Navy. He becomes the captain of his own ship and sails off to many subsequent adventures.
Lambdin's series is much bawdier than other series. Alan Lewrie doesn't quite express himself in the manner of the times, though Lambdin throws in a lot of period slang, sometimes reaching before or after the times that Lewrie is active.
Given the chance, Lewrie is lazy, casual, and inclined to be good humoured and amusing—a 'Merry Andrew' in the parlance of the day. However, what was initially a facade as an active and conscientious naval officer actually becomes real over the course of the novels. Lewrie develops into an imaginative and aggressive officer, a capable leader, and a competent seaman. He is no longer dominated by his womanizing. He is also lucky, and encourages the belief among the more superstitious of his seamen.