The Cruise of the Thetis - A Tale of the Cuban Insurrection by Harry Collingwood AUDIOBOOK

Harry Collingwood, a prolific writer of late Victorian adventure fiction, situates "The Cruise of the Thetis: A Tale of the Cuban Insurrection" at a unique crossroads of imperial, technological, and revolutionary history. The story opens on the bustling streets of 1894 London, introducing two young men—Jack Singleton, an industrious Englishman marked by recent hardship, and Carlos Montijo, the Cuban-born son of a wealthy planter, whose presence hints at hidden cause and suppressed unrest. Their friendship, forged at Dulwich, gains new resonance as global events draw them together for a perilous enterprise.

Amidst the languid air of well-to-do English society, Collingwood deftly sketches the tensions—personal as well as political—between the comforts of home and the call of duty abroad. Cuba's simmering struggle for independence from Spain forms the urgent backdrop, and questions of loyalty, patriotic responsibility, and youthful invention echo through the narrative. Singleton's exhaustion and quest for convalescence entwine with Carlos's secretive mission and his father's covert involvement in the insurrection, revealing contrasting forces of privilege, oppression, and idealism.

A core element of the novel is technological ingenuity, typified by Singleton's innovative submarine design. Collingwood’s fascination with maritime adventure and engineering shines through, giving readers both the intellectual pleasures of invention and the suspense of clandestine preparation. The atmospheric tension is heightened by the necessity for secrecy, the allure of distant conflict, and the intimacy of promises exchanged on London’s familiar turf.

"The Cruise of the Thetis" stands as a testament to Collingwood’s narrative skill in blending the excitement of youthful camaraderie and the gravity of historical change. Adventurous yet thoughtful, the novel invites listeners to experience both the quiet urgency of private conversations and the tumult of an island on the brink of revolution, all conveyed in the author's fluent, evocative prose.

Audiobook time & format : 10h33m28s, OPUS, 495 Mo
Audiobook free extract time & format : 5m (see below to listen), WAV
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