HNF Log Book August 2012
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Visitor, this is your update newsletter from August 2012 There is 1 brand new naval fiction titles out in the US this month. Brief information is given below with links to the full website articles. |
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Recent Latest Release ArticlesThis month articles have appeared about the following books which have been published or are available for pre-order Fiction |
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In 2011 Captain Blackwell's Prize by V. E. Ulett was the first historic naval fiction novel to be released solely as a serialised audio book. I am pleased to advise that it has now been added to the list of publications by Fireship Press and was released last month in Paperback and ebook formats |
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Non Fiction |
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A new hardcover book by Eric Jay Dolin, When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money During the Age of Sail will be released in the US on 11 September 2012 and in the UK on 5 October 2012. |
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Featured Author |
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Each month I provide a short bio of one of the authors on the site. This month we will look at Frederick Marryat
After trying to run away to sea several times, he was permitted to enter the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1806, the year after Trafalgar, and he joined HMS Imperieuse (38) commanded by Lord Cochrane. In 1807 she sailed from Spithead as convoy escort to the Western Mediterranean where on 15 November she engaged a Maltese privateer, supposing that she was an enemy, and lost 16 men killed and wounded. About the same time Marryat got what was probably his first official mention when he saved the life of a fellow midshipman, Henry Cobbett, who had accidentally fallen overboard. During his time time aboard the ship was also in action off the Gironde, and captured many privateers and coasting vessels off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Then in April 1809 Imperieuse took part in the controversial attack on the French fleet in the Basque Roads, near Rochefort and transferred to operations in the Scheldt where Marryat contracted malaria, returning to England on HMS Victorious (74). When restored to health he joined HMS Centaur (74), in October 1809, and served under Sir Samuel Hood in the Mediterranean. While they were cruising off Toulon he again saved the life of a shipmate when he jumped overboard to rescue Thomas Moubray who had fallen from the main-yard. He then sailed as a passenger to Bermuda in HMS Atlas (64) and then on to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the schooner Chubb, where he joined the frigate HMS Aeolus (32). On 30 September 1811 while they were cruising off New York, in company with a squadron under Captain Bastard, she was laid on her beam-ends and her top-masts and mizzen-masts were blown away by a tremendous gale. Midshipman Marryat led the men who cut away the main yard in order to right the ship. Shortly afterwards he moved to the frigate HMS Spartan, participating in the capture of a number of American ships as the War of 1812 had begun by then and on 26 December 1812 he was promoted to lieutenant. His next ship was HMS Espiegle (18) which in 1812 left Portsmouth for Surinam, Demerara and Barbados where she was later employed in the protection of trade bound for Nassau, New Providence. On 8 February 1813 when running down the trades before a heavy sea, in what was becoming a recurring theme, Marryat leaped overboard in an unsuccessful attempt to save a sailor, Jacob Small, who had fallen from the main rigging. He then moved to Newcastle (60) where he served until he was promoted to commander on 13 June 1815, just in time for peace to break out. 'On the beach', he pursued scientific studies and invented a lifeboat which earned him both a gold medal from the Royal Humane Society and the nickname 'Lifeboat' and in 1819 he married Catherine Shairp, with whom he had four sons and seven daughters, and in the same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his work on adapting Sir Home Popham's flag signalling system for use by merchant shipping. Known as the Marryat code it was used for many years. By 1820 he had command of his own ship, HMS Beaver (10) at Portsmouth and in September he dined with the king on board the Royal George before sailing to St. Helena via Madeira, Teneriffe, Tristan da Cunha and the Cape of Good Hope. He remained cruising to the windward of St. Helena until the death of Napoleon when he took the opportunity to make a sketch of Napoleon's body on his deathbed, which was later published as a lithograph. Because of attacks of dysentery he now exchanged into HMS Rosario (18) and brought home dispatches informing government of the event. In 1823 he was given command of HMS Larne (20) and sailed for the East Indies. In May 1824 she joined the fleet assembling at Port Cornwallis in the Andaman Islands for an expedition to Burma. Sophie (18) and the little paddle steamer Diana were placed under his command. The senior officer of the expedition promoted him to post rank so that he could take command of HMS Tees (28) but this appointment was not confirmed by the Admiralty before July 1825 allowing 24 officers to take seniority above him. He was made a Companion of the Bath for his Burma service In 1828, commanding HMS Ariadne (20), he was employed for many months on diplomatic service at Madeira and the Azores and then spent more time searching for supposed rocks off the latter islands. This was an uninspiring work and as his first novel had now been published In November 1830 he decided to resign his commission and become a full time writer. From 1832 to 1835 Marryat edited The Metropolitan Magazine but kept producing novels and in 1836 his biggest success, Mr Midshipman Easy, was published. In 1837 he travelled to New York where he hoped to influence matters relating to international copyright. In 1839 he returned to London where he was part of Charles Dickens literary circle. Finally in 1843 he moved to a small farm at Manor Cottage in Norfolk, where he died on 9 August 1848. |
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Books with a release date this monthFirst editions or first paperback releases this month Fiction |
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For King or Commonwealth by Richard Woodman (Hardcover - US) It is due for release on 1 August 2012 |
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Pirate Fiction |
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Silver: Return to Treasure Island by Andrew Motion (Hardcover - US) It is due for release on 7 August 2012 |
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Other Nautical Fiction |
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Mistress of the Sea by Jenny Barden (Hardcover - UK) It is due for release on 30 August 2012 |
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Book Reviews |
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A review of Mark Keating's Blood Diamond by David Hayes |
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A review of V. E. Ulett's Captain Blackwell's Prize by Julian Mackrell |
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A review of Rif Winfield's British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793 - 1817 by Roger Marsh |
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Useful Links |
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Do you enjoy reading the books? If so why not chat about them in the forum at: If you are interested in newsletters you may also wish to subscribe to: Julian Stockwin's Olla-Podrida Roy & Lesley Adkins newsletter |
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Captain Frederick Marryat (1792- 1848) is probably the most influential of the early authors of naval fiction. Born on 10 July 1792 in Great George Street, Westminster, London to a Hugenot family he entered the Royal Navy at the age of 14, serving during the Napoleonic wars. Many of his sea novels are based on his own experiences and the first, The Naval Officer, or Scenes in the Life and Adventures of Frank Mildmay published in 1829 is thought to be the first fictional work written about this conflict at sea. 