(The pictures above are links to amazon, in case you want to see others' reviews; we got this series out of our local public library.)

These may not be great literature, but they're great reads. They are not suitable for children who can read on this level, because of the type of sex scenes; otherwise, I'm sure my twelve-year-old, who reads only adult books, would love it. They are the fictional adventures of a young gentleman who is forced to join the British navy.

When we described this series to my mother-in-law, she asked whether the books were as good as C.S Forester's Horatio Hornblower series. No idea, we'll have to read those next! Apparently the hero in the Hornblower series is a much more upstanding individual than Alan Lewrie, perhaps more boring a character, but much more suitable for family reading.