A Call to Arms

by William C. Hammond

Overview

A Call To Arms, the fourth novel in the award-winning Cutler Family Chronicles by William C. Hammond, features the epic saga of the seafaring Cutler family of Hingham, Massachusetts, and an ever expanding cast of characters, including real historical figures Captain Edward Preble, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, Lieutenant Richard Somers, Samuel Coleridge, Bashaw Yusuf Qaramanli, and Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson. Interwoven with these historical characters is a fast-paced and gripping plot that takes the reader from Java in the Dutch East Indies to New England at the start of the nineteenth century, and on to Gibraltar, Tripoli, Malta, Sicily, Alexandria, and Cairo. Set primarily in the Mediterranean Sea during the First Barbary War (1801–1805), A Call To Arms offers the reader intriguing and often startling insights into a young republic's struggle to promote its principles of liberty, equality, and free trade in a world ravaged by the Napoleonic Wars in Europe and ruthless piracy in both the Mediterranean and Far Eastern waters. The US Navy answers the call of an aroused nation, and the fate of the young republic turns on the actions of a few heroic officers, sailors, and Marines.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493058136
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2022
Series:	Cutler Family Chronicles , #4
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,102,080
Product dimensions:	6.04(w) x 9.08(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

William C. Hammond was born in 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. An amateur historian and sailing enthusiast, he is the author of the Cutler Family Chronicles, which take place amid the rise of the American Navy. Hammond lives in New Zealand with his wife, Sheree.

Editorial Reviews

High drama on the high seas combined with political intrigue, ships of two navies, pirates, and privateers draws the reader into this compelling tale, well crafted by William Hammond. The growing Cutler family's story brings history to life even as they appear on opposite sides of an international conflict. Another well-told, fast-paced story from the pen of Mr. Hammond that is sure to further endear his readers to the well-portrayed and three-dimensional cast of characters.

William H. White

Two previous books covered the Cutlers’ naval service during the American Revolution, but The Power and the Glory is a fine stand-alone read. Hammond offers a deft blend of fictional and real characters that range the American coast from Massachusetts to Barbados, as Lt. Richard Cutler rises in the new American Navy. Hammond’s meaty tale climaxes in 1800 with a splendid ship duel between the newly built USS Constellation and La Vengeance. This battle alone is so thrilling that I am now eager to look up Hammond’s previous works, and I heartily recommend The Power and the Glory.

Historical Novels Review Online

.. . William Hammond sticks with his engaging and award-winning formula of embedding his early 19th-century characters in the culture, people and politics of the time.

Sailing

William Hammond spins a captivating tale set against the endeavors of a young nation and a family seeking to find its way in a politically and personally complicated world. How Dark the Night—and the entire Cutler chronicle—shine a glorious light on America's rich maritime history.

Quarterdeck

As always, the naval, family, and political threads are woven together in an excellent, well-written, and believable narrative by the author as [Hammond] explores the early history of the young nation. I look forward to reading the next in the series. Recommended.

Historical Naval Fiction

A rollicking good read full of battles, glory, and high-seas adventure, all firmly rooted in this nation’s maritime history, which the author knows and portrays well.

James L. Nelson

How Dark the Night, the fifth volume in the Cutler Chronicles, was a joy to read! Strong enough to stand on its own sea legs, Hammond has written a finely crafted tale of familial and maritime adventure. Hammond's masterful scene-setting places you on the wharves, on board ships, and in family settings so vividly that you feel as if you're eavesdropping on life during the Age of Sail. Best of all, How Dark the Night is a novel whose impact subtly builds to a riveting and wrenchingly emotional climax.

Dwight Jon Zimmerman

William Hammond is an impressive author able to breathe life into his characters and envelop his reader's total attention from first page to last. An outstanding continuation of a highly recommended series, How Dark the Night is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library historical fiction collections. These are the kind of books from which blockbuster movies and award-winning television mini-series are made!

Midwest Book Review

"A Call to Arms tells a grand and very interesting tale of heroism, foolishness, political maneuverings and perhaps even megalomania in one of the first major engagements of the US Navy outside the Americas. It seems to be quite open and honest. This early period of the US Navy, so far mostly neglected, seems to be much more interesting than I thought. It is an intriguing tale, taller-than-life and very well told by William C. Hammond who, in my opinion, is improving noticeably from book to book. This is a series to follow for lovers of navy fiction!"-- NavyFiction.com


"Readers who have read the previous volumes in the series will enjoy being reunited with characters who feel like family, while newcomers will find themselves cast into a maelstrom of events that are spiced with tears, heartache, joy, and pride." -- Pirates and Privateers


"Hammond deftly weaves impeccably researched history with the day-to-day lives of the Cutlers. Readers are in the room as Jamie announces his interest in obtaining an appointment as a midshipman under Captain Edward Preble and are on the quarterdeck with Richard as Portsmouth sails into the Med and is attacked by Barbary corsairs.

Hammond's intriguing plot and page-turning prose is a delight for anyone who enjoys a view of history as it happened through the eyes of well-drawn characters. This epic series fills a void in nautical fiction, offering a fresh look the Age of Sail from the American perspective." -- Quarterdeck


"As a work of fiction the book is a captivating narrative, but it is also a fascinating look back at an important chapter in our naval history by a gifted writer and historian." -- Ocean Navigator


"This book is highly recommended to those interested in naval history." -- Historical Novel Society


"A riveting novel that educates as it entertains, very much recommended reading."

-- The Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher