Rough Passage to London: A Sea Captain's Tale, a Novel - Hardcover

Robin Lloyd

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1574093207 ISBN 13: 9781574093209

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013

Synopsis

Lyme, Connecticut, early nineteenth century. Elisha Ely Morgan is a young farm boy who has witnessed firsthand the terror of the War of 1812. Troubled by a tumultuous home life ruled by the fists of their tempestuous father, Ely's two older brothers have both left their pastoral boyhoods to seek manhood through sailing. One afternoon, the Morgan family receives a letter with the news that one brother is lost at sea; the other is believed to be dead. Scrimping as much savings as a farm boy can muster, Ely spends nearly every penny he has to become a sailor on a square-rigged ship, on a route from New York to London a route he hopes will lead to his vanished brother, Abraham. Learning the brutal trade of a sailor, Ely takes quickly to sea-life, but his focus lies with finding Abraham. Following a series of cryptic clues regarding his brother's fate, Ely becomes entrenched in a mystery deeper than he can imagine. As he feels himself drawing closer to an answer, Ely climbs the ranks to become a captain, experiences romance, faces a mutiny, meets Queen Victoria, and befriends historical legends such as Charles Dickens in his raucous quest."

About this title

Review:

Robin Lloyd is a great reporter, and he has shaped meticulous research into a rollicking story of the sea and the tall ships that sailed the North Atlantic in the 1800s. Amazingly, he hadn't planned to write a novel when he began reading about his ancestor, Elisha Ely Morgan who knew everyone of his day, from Charles Dickens to Queen Victoria. We can be glad that the more [Lloyd] read, the more he realized he had the makings of a fine story. --Bob Schieffer, chief Washington correspondent, CBS News; author of This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV

Robin Lloyd has written a meticulously researched and thoroughly entertaining tale of the sea. Drawing on an ancestor who was a well-known sea captain, Robin weaves a tale of adventure and intrigue. The characters are beautifully drawn and believable, but what makes this book so memorable is the sense of what it was like to be on board a packet ship racing across the Atlantic, every sail straining and every line taut. This book will captivate anyone who loves the sea and a well-told yarn. --David Ignatius, columnist, The Washington Post

Robin Lloyd has written a rousing yarn based on the real life of his dashing, salty ancestor, Captain Elisha Ely Morgan. Robin knows the sea and ships, and he tells this suspenseful tale wonderfully well. --Evan Thomas, author of John Paul Jones

Robin Lloyd has written a meticulously researched and thoroughly entertaining tale of the sea. Drawing on an ancestor who was a well-known sea captain, Robin weaves a tale of adventure and intrigue. The characters are beautifully drawn and believable, but what makes this book so memorable is the sense of what it was like to be on board a packet ship racing across the Atlantic, every sail straining and every line taut. This book will captivate anyone who loves the sea and a well-told yarn. --David Ignatius, columnist, The Washington Post

Robin Lloyd has written a rousing yarn based on the real life of his dashing, salty ancestor, Captain Elisha Ely Morgan. Robin knows the sea and ships, and he tells this suspenseful tale wonderfully well. --Evan Thomas, author of John Paul Jones

About the Author:

Robin Lloyd's early years were spent on the island of St. Croix, where his parents owned a dairy farm and milk plant. As a boy, he grew up sailing in the Caribbean. Lloyd was a foreign correspondent for NBC News for many years, where he reported mostly from Latin America and Africa. He also covered the White House during the Reagan and Bush administrations. Lloyd has created and produced news programs with foreign networks as well as documentaries and segments for domestic stations, including Maryland Public Television. Among his prestigious awards are four Emmys from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay region and an Overseas Press Award. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1574093207
• ISBN 13: 9781574093209
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 342