Jamie Collins's Reviews > The Commodore

Jack and Stephen return home after a voyage around the world and an absence of years. Stephen meets his young daughter for the first time but does not find the picture of domestic happiness that he wished for. Jack and Sophie are reunited but soon have a falling out over a couple of painful misunderstandings.

They return to sea, Jack having been given command of a squadron and sent publicly to harass slavers off the coast of Africa and privately to intercept a French invasion force. Already disturbed over his private troubles, he has to deal with one barely competent "flogging captain" and another who is destroying discipline on his ship by consorting with young crewmembers.

This book contains one of my favorite passages, where Stephen overhears Jack playing the violin alone and realizes that Jack has long been disguising his musical ability in order to match Stephen's skill level.