Ramage & The Drum Beat

by Pope, Dudley

  ‘Precisely,’ Nelson said. ‘When the rest of the Spanish Navy hears the details of the battle, there’ll hardly be a single man, whether cook’s mate or admiral, who won’t secretly believe deep inside him – and that’s where it matters, that’s where the fighting’s lost or won – that one British ship equals two Spanish. The first battle of the war has given them indisputable evidence.’

  ‘So from now on,’ Ramage said, ‘the Dons are likely to feel beaten before they set sail!’

  ‘I hope so!’ Nelson said soberly. ‘I hope every man, from the King and the Minister of Marine downwards, will think twice before sending the Spanish Fleet to sea – and then order it to stay in port. That’ll give us a chance to deal with the French and the Spanish ships a chance to rot.’

  The Commodore took an envelope from his pocket, gave it to Ramage, and said he would return later.

  Ramage took the envelope but, preoccupied with Nelson’s words, did not open it at once. If the Spanish Fleet had reached Cadiz safely (and they might have done but for the gale which blew them out into the Atlantic, allowing Sir John time to catch them as they struggled back) they might have gone on up to Brest, driven off the British Squadron blockading the French Fleet and let it out, and sailed for England…

  But they met a gale, then they met Sir John’s Fleet. And they lost four ships. Yet at least two of those ships, Ramage realized with a start, would not have been captured by the Commodore unless the Kathleen had delayed the Spanish van by ramming the San Nicolas…

  It’d taken him all this time to realize that. Southwick had known and the men had known – he recalled Southwick’s message from the Kathleens. But Lieutenant Nicolas Ramage had not known. And yet in a way he had. Not by thinking of it as a complete sequence of events: he hadn’t steered the Kathleen for the San Nicolas with the idea of trying to defeat a Franco-Spanish Armada against England. He’d done it to slow down Cordoba’s van. But, he realized, the greatest archway ever built was made of small bricks and rocks, and each one of them depended on the others, and they all depended on one, the keystone.

  He broke the seal of the letter. It was from one of the Admiral’s staff. The Lively frigate was leaving for England with the Commander-in-Chief’s dispatches for the Admiralty, and Lieutenant Ramage was to return in her – as a passenger – if he was well enough to be moved. In view of the fact the frigate was well below her complement, Lieutenant Ramage was to name twenty-five of the best men from among his former ship’s company and send them on board with the Master. For Lieutenant Ramage’s personal information, the letter added, another frigate was leaving the Fleet shortly for Gibraltar and then returning to England with the Marchesa di Volterra, and if Lieutenant Ramage wished to write…

  Which meant, he realized with a joy which drove away all thoughts of the pain in his head, he’d be waiting to welcome her to English soil. And if the Spring arrived at St Kew before an Admiralty letter bringing him orders, they’d walk together among the blossoms and the fresh green grass, alone for, the first time without the threat of urgency of war tapping them on the shoulder.

  Series order & Synopses

  Dates given are for first publication and (for Ramge series) year in which novel is set.

  Ned Yorke Series

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  1. Buccaneer 1981

  2. Admiral 1982

  3. Galleon 1986

  4. Corsair 1987

  5. Convoy 1979

  6. Decoy 1983

  Ramage Series

  These Titles can be read as a series, or randomly as standalone novels

  1. Ramage 1796 1965

  2. Ramage & the Drumbeat 1797 1968

  3. Ramage & the Freebooters 1797 1969

  4. Governor Ramage RN 1797 1973

  5. Ramage's Prize 1798 1974

  6. Ramage's Mutiny 1799 1977

  7. Ramage & the Rebels 1800 1978

  8. The Ramage Touch 1800 1979

  9. Ramage's Signal 1800 1980

  10. Ramage & the Guillotine 1801 1975

  11. Ramage & the Renegades 1802 1981

  12. Ramage's Devil 1803 1982

  13. Ramage's Trial 1803 1984

  14. Ramage's Challenge 1803 1985

  15. Ramage's Diamond 1804 1976

  16. Ramage at Trafalgar 1805 1986

  17. Ramage & the Saracens 1806 1988

  18. Ramage & the Dido 1806 1989

  Synopses (Fiction & non-fiction)

  Published by House of Stratus

  A. Ned Yorke Series

  Buccaneer

  It is the 1650's and Spain considers the Caribbean to be its own private sea. But England, Holland and France conspire to battle for freedom on the oceans set in days littered with the plunder of piracy. Ned Yorke, a loyal Royalist living in Barbados has a small vessel and devoted crew and together they sail, hunted by Roundheads and Spaniards, determined to pay whatever the price for freedom from tyranny. What transpires is a colourful, dramatic retelling of historical events surrounding the capture of Jamaica and the infamous raid on Santiago.

  Admiral

  Charles II returns from exile bringing with him unease to the Spanish Main. In this vivid description of seventeenth-century buccaneers, Ned Yorke, the leader and hero of the swashbuckling band are depended upon for the defence of Jamaica, fighting with captured Spanish guns. Daring raids on the Spanish seem inevitable, as Yorke sets out on the high seas to distant adventures on behalf of the King and his own honour.

  Galleon

  As England falls under a blanket of peace with the restoration of Charles II, in distant Jamaica all is not well. Though there is peace with Spain, there is No Peace Beyond the Line. It seems that the West Indies have become the private estate of the King of Spain. But Ned Yorke, Admiral of the Brethren, leader of the Buccaneers will not kowtow to the new Governor in Jamaica who is bent on weakening the Island’s defences and destroying its currency. Ned Yorke and his Buccaneers must not remain idle. The third in a series set in the Caribbean, Dudley Pope reveals a masterful plot of subtle, seafaring lore wound around the tense excitement of adventure on the high seas.

  Corsair

  In the 1660's Jamaica was an uneasy island, occupied by Spain but settled by the English and French. When Admiral of the Brethren, Ned Yorke, a brave, loyal Buccaneer, learns that Spain is mounting a Caribbean fleet perhaps to protect the treasures of Spanish ships, or carry an army to Jamaica, he vows to find out the truth. Yorke’s audacious attacks on Spanish camps reveal all and the Buccaneers must fight a bloody, desperate battle to try and hinder them.

  Convoy

  A deadly game of cat and mouse unravels its way out of this spine tingling war story as Lieutenant Yorke must find an answer to one vital question: how are German U-Boats sinking merchant ships from inside the convoys? In this gripping saga of heroism and intrigue, Yorke discovers the fate of one entire convoy. Only his wit and daring can lead to its survival and that of himself.

  Decoy

  It is February 1942 and the war in the Atlantic looks grim for the Allied convoys. The ‘Great Blackout’ has started, leaving the spy centre of Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire at a loss as to what the Nazis are planning. U-boat Command has changed the Hydra cipher. The Enigma cannot be broken. Cipher experts can no longer eavesdrop on Nazi command, which leaves convoys open for attack by packs of marauding Nazi submarines. Winning the Battle of the Atlantic will surely give Hitler a final victory. And who can stop him?

  B. Ramage Series

  Ramage

  1796 – sea battles raging and an attack from the French has left third-lieutenant Ramage the sole officer in charge of his frigate. With orders from Nelson to be obeyed and a daring mission to be completed, young Nicholas Ramage must rise to the challenge. Despite the grave adversity of his situation, Ramage embarks upon an intrepid rescue with quite unforeseen consequences. This thrilling adventure is the first in Dudley Pope’s popular and much-loved series.


  Ramage & the Drumbeat

  Ramage and the Drumbeat takes the brave Lord Ramage to the new world where he becomes embroiled in a series of electrifying sea battles and hazardous political shenanigans. He must once again prove his mettle as he undergoes the merciless enemy attacks. Fighting alongside Lord Nelson, this is Ramage at his best.

  Ramage & the Freebooters

  Lieutenant Lord Ramage is given command of the Triton brig and ordered to deliver three sealed dispatches to admirals in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, he is also given command of a mutinous crew that he must overcome if he is to deliver the dispatches and prevent himself from being made a convenient scapegoat…

  Governor Ramage RN

  Lieutenant Lord Ramage, expert seafarer and adventurer, undertakes to escort a convoy across the Caribbean. This seemingly routine task leads him into a series of dramatic and terrifying encounters. Lord Ramage is quick to learn that the enemy attacks from all angles and he must keep his wits about him in order to survive. Fast and thrilling, this is another highly-charged adventure from the masterly Dudley Pope.

  Ramage's Prize

  Lord Ramage returns for another highly-charged and thrilling adventure at sea. Instructed with the task of discovering why His Majesty’s dispatches keep unaccountably disappearing, Ramage finds himself involved in a situation far beyond his expectations. Based on true events, Ramage’s Prize is another gripping story from Dudley Pope.

  Ramage's Mutiny

  Mutiny and rebellion are rife on board a British ship in the Caribbean. A young British naval officer is chosen to rescue the ship from its Spanish captors - yet this means almost certain death. Lord Ramage soon learns that for his mission to succeed - and for him to stay alive - he must resort to almost any means. Will his skill prove a match for the strength of the Spanish attack?

  Ramage & the Rebels

  On a routine patrol, Ramage and his ship 'Calypso' make an horrific discovery. Caught in the process of taking a British ship, a ruthless French privateer has murdered the passengers and crew. Ramage and his men decide to track him down and set out to find his whereabouts in the Spanish Main.

  The Ramage Touch

  Ramage Touch finds the ever-popular Lord Ramage in the Mediterranean with another daring mission to undertake. He soon makes a shocking discovery which dramatically transforms the nature of the task at hand. With the nearest English vessel a thousand miles away, Ramage must embark upon a truly perilous and life-threatening course of action. With everything stacked against him, he has only one chance to succeed…

  Ramage's Signal

  With Bonaparte Napoleon at the height of his powers, the Mediterranean can be safely considered exclusive French territory. So when Captain Ramage and his crew are sent alone into Mediterranean waters, they can expect to be outnumbered. But it is the French who discover they have an enemy they had not bargained for…

  Ramage & the Guillotine

  As France recovers from her bloody Revolution, Napoleon is amassing his armies for the Great Invasion. News in England is sketchy and the Navy must prepare to defend the land from foreign attack. Lieutenant Ramage is chosen to travel to France and embark upon the perilous quest of spying on the great Napoleon. His mission is to determine the strength of the French troops – but his discovery will mean the guillotine!

  Ramage & the Renegades

  The Treaty of Amiens is signed and Nelson's navy languishes in port. Ramage is at home on half pay and suspects Napoleon will yet break the terms of the Treaty. He is then given secret Admiralty orders to survey a small island off the coast of Brazil. He sails in Calypso, but then encounters more danger than in previous exploits.

  Ramage's Devil

  amage is suddenly caught behind enemy lines when on honeymoon in France, as the Peace of Amien unexpectedly ends. The story chronicles his escape and dashing adventures in true Ramage style, as an enemy ship is captured and a sub-plot develops involving a pursuit to the prison colony on Devil's Island.

  Ramage's Diamond

  In 1804, Ramage is newly promoted to be the youngest Captain in the Royal Navy and is despatched to blockade the French in Martinique. The passage proves difficult; a slovenly crew under the command of a now incompetent drunk having to be overcome so as to realise the objective. Diamond Rock is fortified and a French convoy dealt with as this gripping adventure proceeds, emulating the real life exploits of Commodore Samuel Hood RN.

  Ramage at Trafalgar

  Lord Ramage returns to fight in the most famous of Britain's sea battles. Summoned by Admiral Nelson himself, Ramage is sent to join the British fleet off Cadiz where the largest battle in naval history is about to take place. Finding himself in the front line of battle, Lord Ramage must fight to save his own life as well as for his country. The result is a thrilling, hair-raising adventure from one of our best-loved naval writers.

  Ramage & the Saracens

  When Ramage and the frigate Calypso are ordered to Naples, he does not expect to meet with any trouble in the Mediterranean, as Trafalgar has been won and a time of peace should prevail. However, two French ships of the line are then sighted. Moreover, upon arrival in Naples, Ramage fully expects to be put onto convoy duty, escorting merchantmen. Unexpectedly, he is given orders to set sail for Sicily where he has deal with pirates, the Saraceni, who have been terrorizing fishing ports.

  Ramage & the Dido

  In recognition of his great achievements at sea, their Lordships of the Admiralty have made Lord Nicholas Ramage captain of a ship of the line – the youngest man to be so honoured since Nelson himself. And so Ramage sets sail on the Dido, a formidable fighting weapon and the most prized war machine of the British Navy. But sooner than expected, Ramage is called upon to test the Dido to the full as his path to the Caribbean is beset with troubles. Thrilling and exhilarating, Ramage and the Dido is a fitting conclusion to Lord Ramage’s adventures at sea.

  C. Non-Fiction

  Harry Morgan's Way: The Biography of Sir Henry Morgan 1635-1688

  ‘Morgan the Pirate’ is a name long associated with all the trappings of pirate living – skull and crossbones, pieces of eight, speeding ships, almost in fact ‘with a yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum’. As legend has it, his was a life of high adventure, dastardly battles and more than a few gold coins thrown in, collected by underhand means of course. Yet if this legend is true, why did Charles II knight him at the height of his career and why was he given the exalted position of governor of Jamaica?

  In this authoritative biography, Dudley Pope lays to rest this popularised image and resurrects the man behind the myth. He reveals the real Henry Morgan to have been a brave and honourable soldier and a master tactician, with a vital role to play in world history. Pope brilliantly captures the political and historical events of the seventeenth-century Caribbean, and shows how, without Morgan’s involvement, the course of Jamaica’s history would have been very different. This is a masterly, definitive biography bringing together all the thrill of pirate life at sea with the true story of a remarkable soldier and buccaneer.

  Battle of the River Plate

  This remains the most authoritative account of the British Naval victory at the commencement of World War II. Written from British and German official records, it recounts the sinking of the Graf Spee by scuttling just ouside Montivideo harbour. As well as providing intimate detail concerning the preceding naval battle, Dudley Pope covers the personalities, the intrigue and deceptions ashore, as well as recounting Graf Spee's earlier history. A magnificent account from a renowned naval historian.

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