William H. White has been an historian specializing in the maritime heritage and American involvement in the Age of Sail for most of his adult life. A life-long sailor himself, he continues to sail and race actively in his home waters. He has sailed under square rig, giving him a knowledgeable and first hand insight to the complex workings of the vessels about which he writes. He served as an officer in the United States Navy in the '60's and was actively involved in naval operations for three years in Vietnam.
He serves on the Board of Trustees of the USS Constitution Museum in Boston, and the LYNX Educational Foundation. He has been a consultant to the reproduction 1812 privateer Lynx and was named a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society. For many years he was a Trustee and officer of the National Maritime Historical Society and heavily involved in their operations. Early in 2012 White was elected to the Board of Trustees of Operation Sail, Inc. OpSail was one of the main sponsors and participants in The War of 1812 Bicentennial commemorative events.
As well as some factual works he has written three fiction series, the War of 1812 trilogy featuring Isaac Biggs, one about the Barbary Wars featuring Oliver Baldwin and the Edward Ballantyne series.
Age of Sail: Fiction
AOS Naval Fiction |
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| Series: War of 1812 Trilogy (Isaac Biggs) | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| 1810 | A Press Of Canvas | Isaac Biggs is pressed out of a US merchant ship into the Royal Navy |
| 1813 | A Fine Tops'l Breeze | Isaac ships as Third Mate on the Salem privateer General Washington |
| 1814 | The Evening Gun | Isaac captains a sloop rigged raider assisting the effort in Maryland |
| Series: Oliver Baldwin | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| 1803 | The Greater The Honor | Young Oliver Baldwin arrives in Boston to serve aboard the newly launched US brig Argus under Stephen Decatur |
| 1807 | In Pursuit of Glory | Baldwin serves aboard the U.S. frigate Chesapeake until the beginning of the War of 1812 |
| Series: Edward Ballantyne | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| 1790 | When Fortune Frowns | Edward Ballantyne serves aboard HMS Pandora while she pursues the Bounty mutineers |
| 1794 | Gun Bay | Nine merchants and a Royal Navy frigate are wrecked on a reef |
| Series: Edward Ballantyne/Oliver Baldwin | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| 1813 | In Hostile Waters | Ballantyne and Baldwin find themselves on opposite sides when USS Argus engages HMS Pelican |
Non-Fiction
AOS Naval Non-Fiction |
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| Series: n/a | ||
| Year | Book | Comment |
| "...our flag was still there" | The Sea History Press Guide to the War of 1812 - Its History and Bicentennial Commemorations | |
The author’s official web site is seafiction.net