Sea Stories
Cold is the Sea by Edward Beach
The year is 1960 and the U.S. Navy has converted its fleet of conventional submarines to nuclear-powered ships. One submarine is carrying more explosive power than all the munitions used in both world wars. The submarine is on a secret mission when it is incapacitated with a suspicious Russian sub lurking in the vicinity.
Sea of Crisis by Joe Buff
Captain Jeffrey Fuller’s last mission forced him to sacrifice the lives of good men in order to secure a victory, a tactical decision he fears may have ended his career. Now an opportunity for redemption has come that will pit Fuller against his former Cold War adversaries.
Voyage of the Devilfish by Michael DiMercurio
Russian admiral Alexi Novskoyy, a hard-line Communist who commands the Soviet Northern Submarine Fleet, wants to resume the Cold War by starting a hot one aboard the most advanced Soviet sub, Kaliningrad.
The Devil’s Own Luck by David Donachie
In 1793, Royal Navy officer-turned-privateer Harry Ludlow plans on getting rich by capturing French trade ships.
Dauntless by Alan Evans
In 1917, an adventurous Commander is put in charge of a small force off the coast of Palestine. His orders are risky and extremely difficult…sink the “Walkure”, a ship commanded by a captain as daring as himself. This book is part of Evans’s popular Commander Smith series.
Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester
This novel (a prequel) introduces readers to the early maritime life of Hornblower. He is a seasick, slightly miserable young man as he starts a naval career. The historical background is the Napoleonic wars. The Hornblower series ends many years (and terrific novels) later with him reaching the pinnacle of the British Navy. WPL also has the series available for borrowing on DVD.
The Blooding of the Guns by Alexander Fullerton
Nicholas Everard is a young naval officer in the British navy during WWI. In this, the first volume of the Everard series, he plays a role in the Battle of Jutland, an important and decisive encounter in May 1916 involving 150 British ships and 100 ships from the German High Fleet. Action aplenty!
Second in Command by Gilbert Hackforth-Jones
Paul Dexter returns to active duty, in spite of his rather stormy past with the Admiralty. There follows a series of incidents, many hilarious, some near-calamitous in Scottish and Baltic waters. A former Commander in the Royal Navy, Hackforth-Jones knows his submarines!
Richard Bolitho, Midshipman by Alexander Kent
The story begins in October, 1772. 16-year-old Midshipman Richard Bolitho is assigned to the British 74 gun ship-of-the-line Gorgon, on a peacetime assignment to patrol the West African coast for pirates and slavers. Bolitho, who started his naval career at 12, and is a veteran at 16, has a father who is a post captain, and a grandfather who was a rear admiral. Part of a 23-volume series.
A King’s Trade by Dewey Lambdin
Royal Navy captain Alan Lewrie in hot water for “liberating” a dozen slaves from their Caribbean plantation and putting them to work on his ship. Facing the prospect of court martial and a civil trial, Lewrie reluctantly agrees to a scheme that might save his career. Volume 13 of the Alan Lewrie series.
Dead Reckoning by Sam Llewellyn
Charlie Agutter, designer of sailing yachts in England, starts losing customers when an apparent defect in a rudder he invented causes two deaths. When the same “defect” turns up during a sailing trial, Agutter uncovers sabotage. Full of sailing jargon and seaside life.
Manila Galleon by F. Van Wyck Mason
The Manila Galleon is the most fabulous treasure ship to ever sail the seas. In the 1740’s, George Anson, the father of the Modern Navy, is determined to take it home to England as a prize…no matter what the cost. A tale of high adventure.
The Convoy Commodore by Philip McCutchan
This book is the first in a series of World War II naval adventures starring Commodore Mason Kemp. On the difficult North Atlantic route between Scotland and Halifax, Kemp must deal with German surface and submarine raiders, Luftwaffe attacks, unfriendly natural elements, and the difficult personalities of crew members and military passengers alike. This prolific writer of serials is best known for “Halfhyde”, “Simon Shaw”, “Commander Shaw”, “Convoy”, and “Cameron”. He also wrote another series (”James Ogilvie”) under the pseudonym Duncan MacNeil.
By Force of Arms by James L. Nelson
As the war for independence begins in earnest, merchant seamen prepare to strike the first blows. Isaac Biddlecomb, captain of the Judea, sacrifices the ship he loved to the depths, together with the fortune he stood to gain, rather than surrender. On a brig bound for Jamaica, and now serving as a lowly mate, fate tests Isaac’s mettle.
Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
O’Brian’s stories are outstanding depictions of life on a British man-of-war. The friendship of protagonists Capt. Jack Aubrey and ship’s surgeon Stephen Maturin plays out against an expanse of ocean, with battles and adventures at sea. Most famous for his “Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin” series which was made into the award-winning movie “Master and Commander: at the far side of the world.”, which is available at WPL on DVD.
Ramage by Dudley Pope
If you enjoy lots of action, you will love the Ramage books. The emphasis here is on the fun and romance of the era. Everything’s extravagant and exaggerated. No long-winded, descriptive passages about setting sails and gunnery training. Get ready for tales of daring rescues and crazy maneuvers.
Badge of Glory by Douglas Reeman
Capt. Philip Blackwood fights to uphold his family’s Marine traditions. A unique naval series set in the early 1850s. Blackwood battles slavers in West Africa and then fights the Russians in the Crimea. This book is the first in the Blackwood Saga. Reeman also writes as Alexander Kent.
Kydd: a naval adventure by Julian Stockwin
Thomas Paine Kydd is press-ganged in Guildford, wrenched from his life as a wig maker to join the crew of the 98-gun line-of-battle ship. Stockwin deftly addresses the horrors of below-deck life of the common seaman. He is also particularly good at describing the changing character of his hero, who becomes a true sailor himself.
Captain Monsoon by Victor Suthren
Capt. Edward Mainwaring of the British Royal Navy and his man-o’-war, Pallas , are in the Indian Ocean, charged with foiling French efforts to form a fleet and attack India. A tale full of brave sailors, vicious villain, a lady in distress, and nonstop action. Part of the Mainwaring series.
Eye of the Fleet by Richard Woodman
Nathaniel Drinkwater engages in dramatic action off the coast of Spain in Admiral Rodney’s famous Moonlight Battle and the capture of the Santa Teresa. But his adventures also bring rebellion on board and lead to a perilous expedition into the Carolina swamps. Volume 1 of the Drinkwater series.
