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Kydd  By  cover art

Kydd

By: Julian Stockwin
Narrated by: Christian Rodska
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Publisher's summary

1793 and Europe is ablaze with war. Thomas Paine Kydd, a young wig-maker from Guildford, is seized by the press gang to be a part of the crew of the 98-gun line-of-battle ship Duke William. The ship sails immediately and Kydd has to learn the harsh realities of shipboard life fast. Despite all that he goes through in danger of tempest and battle he comes to admire the skills and courage of the seamen - taking up the challenge himself to become a true sailor. Kydd is the first book in the acclaimed series, and is based on real events.

©2001 Julian Stockwin (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Kydd

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Intriguing storyline

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am a fan of all Nineteen Century sailing stories....Aubry+Maturn, Ramage, Bilitho, Dewey Lambert, Hornblower, etc......this well written book (performed by Rodska an excellent narrator).....is right up there with the best of the group....a little bit of a unexpected yarn....that of a landsman beginning a naval career.....but with enough twists and turns to make it interesting....I will go on to the next in the series

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An Excellent Tale

Where does Kydd rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This story is a nice variant of the English naval fiction of the Napoleonic age. Most of those stories are told from the perspective of an officer, usually the captain. Telling the story from the perspective of a pressed landsman is an interesting variation.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good Sea Yarn

What did you love best about Kydd?

Interesting plot. You see life from a sailor's, not officer's, point of view.

What other book might you compare Kydd to and why?

Dewy Lambdin's series - although Lambdin is better.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly Entertaining!

Would you listen to Kydd again? Why?

Yes, I am anxious to start book two.

What did you like best about this story?

The adventure was exciting and engrossing - reels you in and keeps it interesting. Not too much "fluff", which seems to be prevalent in several of the books I've listened to.

What does Christian Rodska bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent voices - great interpretation.

Who was the most memorable character of Kydd and why?

Thomas Kydd is the main character of course, and naturally the most memorable.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book a great deal - but be forewarned - it contains a lot of sailing/nautical nomenclature of the period, and it does not go into what any of it is. As I was not familiar with those terms it made it a bit challenging to follow at times. Also, one other small criticism is that sometimes the scenes (or particular parts of the story) seem to get truncated leaving the listener wondering what happened. Don't let these things scare you off though, I'm a tough critic, and I enjoyed this book very much.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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What A Pleasant Surprise!

I began my sojourn into the world of English tall warships years ago with Patrick Obrien, then had to move on to C. S. Forester and now I have discovered, with joy, a new series of equal authenticity, imagination and eloquence in the Thomas Kydd series by Julian Stockwin.
Thank you Julian for allowing me to escape again into an incredible world that never ceases to amaze me. I am now thoroughly hooked, after finishing the first four books in the series.
All I can say is, please keep writing Julian!! Charlie Wilson

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Almost another Hornblower

Any additional comments?

I had almost lost interest in the Old Naval stories. This one woke up my interest again.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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The Enlisted Version of Ramage, Hornblower. And Auvrey

I have avidly consumed the Aubrey/Maturin series, the Ramage series, and the Hornblower series. This opening book promises something similar, but is critically different insofar as the protagonist is a pressed "foremast Jack," rather than the captain (or cimmander). I enjoyed this book and, as in the Hirnblower series, Rodska was an excellent narrator.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Easy to listen to, good story, and the nautical terms are easy to follow

What did you like best about this story?

The story of the hard life of an ordenary seaman, and not an officer like similar books.

Any additional comments?

Great serie.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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A little slow

It’s a good sea story, but drags at times. Lots of nautical terminology that can be hard to follow. It is a good book to get lost in. Excellent narration. Main character is not to be confused with the pirate William Kidd. This is not a pirate story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I was skeptical but, it pulled me in and hooked me

Would you listen to Kydd again? Why?

Yes. The story pulls you into the world he's writing about

What other book might you compare Kydd to and why?

I like the O'Brian books and found this has the same quality. It pulls you into a different world and makes you reluctant to turn it off.

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1 person found this helpful