Researching naval history at the time of Nelson involves taking in a lot of technical details. But, as Katie Daysh points out, when writing naval fiction, character must come first. The Age of Sail, typically seen as between the mid-16th century into the mid-19th, has been a popular subject in fiction since the time of […]
A Merciful Sea by Katie Daysh
Arthur Courtney is a commander without a ship and without purpose. So when old friend Captain Henry Harrison offers him a place onboard HMS Lion, bound to join Nelson’s fleet in the Mediterranean, he is eager for the opportunity. But onboard discipline has broken down; Harrison is not the captain he once was. Added to […]
Bitter Passage by Colin Mills
In May 1845, Sir John Franklin, commander of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, departed England to seek a navigable route across the top of the Americas. He and his 128 men never returned. Four years later, Royal Navy Lieutenant Frederick Robinson and Assistant Surgeon Edward Adams are determined to find the men missing in the […]
The Cursed Shore by JD Davies
Philippe Kermorvant, unfairly dismissed from the French Revolutionary Navy, accepts command of a privateer from its enigmatic owner. Having ignored his early misgivings, he finds the mission quickly takes a dark turn, endangering the lives of everyone on board. Meanwhile, the British prepare for an assault on the French mainland. Lord Wilden, Philippe’s cousin, is […]
Tyranny’s Bloody Standard by JD Davies
After a daring escape from a British prison, Philippe Kermorvant returns to France and gains command of a frigate in the Mediterranean, where France is trying to rebuild its decimated fleet. Facing overwhelming odds, the fleet is forced to flee for refuge to a fortified bay. The prospect of an interminable blockade looms, but Philippe […]
Sailor of Liberty by JD Davies
In 1793 the infant French republic is assailed on all sides, by enemies within and the combined might of the great European monarchies without. A fanatical regime has taken power in Paris. In the midst of these upheavals, Philippe Kermorvant, son of an English aristocrat and a French nobleman, arrives in Brittany, his father’s homeland, […]
Sailor of Liberty by JD Davies
In 1793 the infant French republic is assailed on all sides, by enemies within and the combined might of the great European monarchies without. A fanatical regime has taken power in Paris. In the midst of these upheavals, Philippe Kermorvant, son of an English aristocrat and a French nobleman, arrives in Brittany, his father’s homeland, […]
Are we the bad guys? Writing naval historical fiction from the French point of view
Mention the ‘classic age’ of naval historical fiction and most people immediately think of the ‘age of Nelson’, Horatio Hornblower, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. The gallant British Navy, hearts of oak and the Battle of Trafalgar. But there are two sides to every story, as JD Davies writes, and his new series takes the […]