Duty and Destiny Books In Order

Publication Order of Duty and Destiny Books

Duty and Destiny Series

Duty and Destiny is a series authored by Andrew Wareham. The series is about a family saga with a strong maritime theme. Duty and Destiny is set in a time during the French revolutionary war, and it involves the maritime career and the business dealings of Englishman, Frederick Harris, son of a Hampshire landowner. Though reluctant, he is also a very brave mariner, and despite his reluctance, he is determined to become a master of his own ship. The books should been read in chronological order.

The Friendly Sea

The Friendly Sea is the debut novel in the Duty and Destiny series. The book is an interesting story about a young naval officer in England in the late 18th century. The book’s leading character is Frederick Harris, the second born son of a landowner in Hampshire. He has chosen the sea as his area of the profession for the love of maritime life. During the French revolutionary war, he gets the opportunity to shine in the dangerous sea battle. After he is promoted, he is sent to the Caribbean where he if further promoted.

The book is packed with a lot of actions, and the characters are engaging and well drawn. The historical set up comes out clearly and reasonably and the period details are true. The author interweaves the history including the technological and the cultural changes going on during that period. It shows how the rural communities lived, the politics and the wars during that time. The author uses some humor in the story making it more fascinating to read. The history, naval traditions, and actions make the story excellent to read.

The Bitter Land

The Bitter Land is the second book in the Duty and Destiny series. The story is a continuation of the Friendly Sea, the first book in the series. The story begins as Frederick has returned to his home in England where he is given some months of half the pay on land since there are many officers than the number of ships.

He decides to marry his longtime love and then settles down hoping to live a quiet life. After some time he is selected for a very dangerous but a good paying mission since he is well known as a great risk taker. Later he is followed by some unforeseen complications gets him which might end up destroying his career.
Now expecting some years on the land, he decides to buy an old estate and his life seems settled once again. Later some tragedy hits him, and he is able to take a command sailing using his influence.

The book entails some heroic adventures and descriptive land and development of agriculture with some local politics. The author develops the main character very well making the story charming. The story is full of actions and adventures with many detailed characters. The writing style is good with an understandable language of the day and brings so much in the scenes to the life of Frederick’s adventures at sea.

The Fuzzy-Wuzzy

The fuzzy- wuzzy is the third book in the Duty and Destiny series. The author goes on building a collection of supporting characters by weaving them nicely. The story begins when Frederick has to sail his under-staffed warship to the Far East through the waters of the Spice Islands to pursue the French squad.
He manages to make up his crew at the cape, the army having a rebellious group of infantrymen who they want to get rid of without having a scandal. He fights some small actions and then later large battles in the sea of East Britain where the crew of the French is camped to be fought by the Tolai clansmen.

The story of this action causes some chaos in both Britain and France implying that he bought the alliance of Tolai known as the Fuzzy-Wuzzies with the supply of the French. Andrew Wareham balances the sea and land actions well making the book more charming. The story offers a good view of the times and has enough characters to give you more interest to read.

For the lovers of “men of iron and ships of wood,” you will like this book. The story is well paced and packed with a lot of action

Britannia’s Son

Britannia’s son is the fourth book in the Duty and Destiny series. The story is half set on the sea and half set on the land making it enjoyable as you read. The book begins as Frederick has just returned to England in great victory and with little political trivial he is honored.

Frederick takes his ship to the Mediterranean where he is injured and has to return home to recover. He later admits his feelings to a girl he has been admiring for long and is see in London where he starts getting a degree of influence.

Before the war ends, he is given a powerful frigate and sent to Ionian and Aegean seas to provide a threat to the Turks who have shown an inclination to the French for them to remain neutral. Frederick knows well that the French have taken the powerful fleet, but he does not have the knowledge of how powerful they are. The story’s hero, Fred is kind, and he is all things to everyone and universally loved and admired. The plot of the story is good with accurate historical information. The naval enthusiasts will find the book more interesting to read. the story is written in the third party who seems to be omniscient absorbing all your attention and interest.

As you read between the lines, you will learn the day to day activities of the maritime service and the political attitude of that time and the things viewed as normal in several societies. The Britannia’s describes the history of the English society in the late 18th century and the British navy at that period and the author has a good grasp of the activities during that time.