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Victory
- Thomas Kydd, Book 11
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Series: Thomas Kydd, Book 11
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
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Summary
Commander Thomas Kydd is eager to play his part in thwarting Bonaparte’s plans for the invasion of England. Joining Admiral Nelson’s command, Kydd and his ship soon find themselves at the heart of the action that leads up to the famous clash of the mighty British and French fleets at Trafalgar.
Kydd’s journey takes him from false sightings of the enemy and dramatic chases across the Atlantic, to the bloody annihilation of the enemy during the actual battle, and the heroic aftermath.
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What listeners say about Victory
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Simon
- 26-08-15
Stockwin steers a gallant course!
I had to wonder about this one when I realised that the author intended to tackle the Battle of Trafalgar. It's such a well-known part of British history that integrating fictional characters with well documented reality was always going to be a challenge. In the end I think that he got it right. I liked the fact that the mood of the nation and the importance of events to the populace both pre and post battle were covered well and formed an important part of the book.
In the end I simply wanted more of that final cataclysmic battle but I was very happy that in no way did the author have his characters try to eclipse the real heroes of the day but instead through Kydd, Renzi and a midshipman on board the flagship we got a ringside seat to one of England's finest military achievements from multiple points of view.
Christian Rodska's excellent narration carries the story well including the obviously hugely detailed knowledge the author has for naval history and terminology. I must admit I had to look a few terms up so some could find that distracting and others will also want to kick "Mr Renzi" up the derriere over his attempts to woo Kydd's sister Cecilia.
Those last two things are minor points though, this series remain well on course with "Victory".
6 people found this helpful
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- Mark Lucas
- 07-11-18
Stunning!
As with the rest of this series a beautiful combination of a terrific story, fascinating detail and depth, and crowned by the magnificent performance of Christian Rodska. This is as good as it can get in this class of story! Mark Lucas
2 people found this helpful
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- Normas Yakin
- 29-12-20
Meh...
Not sure why it got so many 5-stars. In the first chapter he almost lost a ship. He would have lost it if not for a seaman who was "dragging his foot" and firing the guns that were already loaded at the French ship. Why didn't the great Captain Kydd order it? The book was also tooting the English horn so hard, I was rooting for the Spanish/French to win... sigh.
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- Sean
- 25-12-20
5.30 am Xmas morning
and am sittin' at my kitchen table with my eyes fulla tears for a man dead 215 years,very emotional finale for his nibs,powerful writing and delivered perfectly by Mr Rodska.
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-07-20
loved it
the best in the series so far I'm totally hooked. Helped by the reader having the perfect voice for the books
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- Christopher
- 15-06-19
Brilliantly written and narrated- it just keeps on getting better
What a history lesson we are on...8 books down and still on a amazing journey Well worth your time...I can’t wait for the next 4 books
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- J WORTHY
- 16-07-17
Nelson's triumph at Trafalgar
Nelson takes centre stage rather Thomas Kydd at the build up and battle of Trafalgar. A fitting tribute to one of our Nation's heroes. A remarkable series which has been building up to this historical climax. Excellent
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- Michael
- 13-10-15
Odd Man Out
It appears to me, the author wanted to tell the story of Trafalgar, without the hero. Since the narrative breaks from the hero, to an on board midshipman, we have a good account of Nelson's death. But unlike the other naval series of this time, the hero has little to do with the battle, which leaves kind of a hole in the plot for me. Nevertheless, there is still sufficient merit to enjoy the book, and Rodska continues his great narration.
2 people found this helpful
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- Kris Fricke
- 30-05-19
kind of expositional
ehh if you want a slightly more storyline version of the campaign that led to trafalgar than the Wikipedia entry this might be it, but otherwise for a historical fiction book it spent a lot of time in sweeping exposition with little going on than the historic campaign.
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- Dean
- 28-07-18
Excellent!
Fantastic book! by far one of the best of the Kydd series! Very well done!
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- David A. Carpenter
- 29-03-18
Victory
By far the best book in this series .The action at Trafalgar as realistic and gripping as being there!
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- Talechaser
- 12-11-16
Trafalgar by proxy
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, if they had read the rest of the series and liked this sort of thing.
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
Well, I wasn't sitting so there's no 'edge of seat' going on. It moves along nicely enough, although there are some parts of the story that are 'given'. Perhaps we could have heard less of the internal agonies of Renzi. He's starting to develop Hornblower-like neuroses. I suppose the author wanted to make him more than a plot device and he went for sensitive and anxiety-riven. You want to slap his face sometimes.
Have you listened to any of Christian Rodska’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes, he's always reliable and enjoyable. Pleasant and versatile voice.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Not possible, as it's fairly long.
Any additional comments?
I think I smoke it, as Jack Aubrey would say - why we have yet another naval saga where the hero doesn't fight his ship at Trafalgar. It's writing logistics, cully. If you want a long series, you have to start your hero young and junior. He has to be brave and able, or he's not worth writing about, By the time the war reaches its crisis, he must have had lots of gratifying promotions. He should get his 'step' to post captain before Trafalgar, as opportunities must have been thinner thereafter. He's not captain of one of the famous ships at the battle, because we know them, so he's in a frigate at the time and necessarily on the sidelines. This time, we have one of his protégés on Victory, as a proxy. It works pretty well, though perhaps the structural bones are more visible than usual.
It's clear the author knows his sailoring stuff and is willing to impart, in some detail. In that sense, it's more directly pitched at a nautical-hungry readership than the more ambitious O'Brians, where the sailoring is a tasty side-dish. I like that stuff though.
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- Bill
- 18-05-16
Nice blend of fiction and fact
The author masterfully combined the facts of the battle with the fictional characters. Well done
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- scott
- 18-09-15
Great Read
What did you love best about Victory?
Midshipman Bowdens first hand narrative aboard Victory was very interesting.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Victory?
I enjoyed the fitting out of L'Aurore, It was facinating.
Have you listened to any of Christian Rodska’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Many. Chief among them the Falco series. He is as always, superb.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No Just content on a good read.