Home - Historic Naval Fiction

Hello and welcome to Astrodene’s Historic Naval Fiction.

This site is dedicated to the Age of Sail and the transition to steam, and in particular the time of "Nelson's Navy" when sailing ships roamed and fought throughout the oceans of the world. Probably most people have heard of Horatio Hornblower the hero created by C S Forester but over the years many more authors and their heroes have appeared and these pages will summarise them under the Authors A-Z. You can also find them via the Book Title Index. If you want to chat about them or read additional reviews and comments not on this site why not join my Historic Naval Fiction forum.

I aim to provide details of all the naval fiction novels from the age of sail that have been written, not just the Royal Navy but the US Navy, the Bombay Marine and others. Many of these books are now out of print so I have also brought links to purchase them together in the online store. Please browse the various sections for further information. Let me know if you find my pages interesting, or if you know of another author that should be included, by using the contact form available in Contact Me. If you would like to receive a monthly email notification of what's new please subscribe to my newsletter.

Review: Gather the Shadowmen by Mark M. McMillin

Details: Book Reviews; Created on Monday, 23 January 2012 00:00; By David Hayes

Gather the Shadowmen When someone mentions attacks on British shipping in home waters during the American Revolution usually one name springs to mind, John Paul Jones. I was surprised to learn therefore that there was someone possibly even more successful who I had never heard of, Luke Ryan.

Ryan was an Irish smuggler operating out of Dunkirk who became a privateer sailing with an American Letter of Marque from Benjamin Franklin and went on to command the Calonne, a 400 ton ex-French naval frigate of two decks and 36 guns with a crew of nearly 250 men of Irish, French, American and Dutch nationalities. A small band of ships sailed under his overall command.

In a new three book series Mark M. McMillin is relating a fictional story based on the exploits of this remarkable man and I have just finished the first of these Gather the Shadowmen: The Lords of the Ocean which covers the period he was smuggling through to the decision to become a privateer.

Bonhomme Richard vs Serapis (PB)

Details: Non-Fiction Releases; Created on Sunday, 22 January 2012 00:00; By Mark Lardas

Mark Lardas has a new book which is available for pre-order in paperback, Bonhomme Richard vs Serapis: Flamborough Head 1779. It will be released wordlwide on 20 June 2012.

The clash between the American Bonhomme Richard and the British HMS Serapis during the American Revolutionary War is perhaps the most famous single-ship duel in history. This epic battle between two very similar ships - and crews - off the coast of Britain in September 1779 created two naval heroes: in victory John Paul Jones became a figure that all future American naval officers would aspire to emulate, while Richard Pearson, in defeat, became a hero to the British for a tenacious defense that allowed the merchant vessels under his protection to escape.

'The Winds of Folly' Paperback now available for order

Details: Astrodene's HNF Blog; Created on Sunday, 15 January 2012 00:10; By David Hayes

The Paperback version of The Winds of Folly by Seth Hunter is now available for pre-order worldwide. It is due to be published on 2 February 2012 and this is the first version that will be available in the US.

Alaric Bond Review: The Perfect Wreck by Steven E. Maffeo

Details: Book Reviews; Created on Friday, 06 January 2012 00:00; By Alaric Bond

The Perfect Wreck The outcome of the meeting between Constitution and Java is well known, and there is a danger with any story which has a forgone conclusion that tension or excitement can be either missing, or contrived. This is definitely not the case with A Perfect Wreck; from the start, with Constitution active and potent at sea, and Java working up at Portsmouth after her capture from the French, the story pulls the reader forward with a pace that is quite compelling. Maffeo adds poignance by fleshing out the historical characters, making them real, three dimensional, and totally believable while the wealth of detail that is present throughout the book, gives a fascinating background to the story, without slowing the plot or becoming in any way instructional.

In short we have a well researched and excellently written book; one that reads as easily as any novel, and yet carries the accuracy and credibility of a good reference work. A difficult trick, but one that Maffeo has pulled off perfectly.

Astreya: The Men of the Sea (PB)

Details: Other Releases; Created on Saturday, 24 December 2011 00:00; By Seymour Hamilton

Seymour Hamilton has a new book which has just been released worldwide, Astreya: The Men of the Sea. The second book in a nautical/fantasy series is available in paperback and ebook versions.

Astreya learns from his grandfather Oron how to control his power over the shipstones aboard the great ship Cygnus. He still yearns for Lindey, left on shore against her will. Trying to purge a nagging guilt, Roaring Jack sails the Mollie south again, and this time Astreya's friend Cam is a stowaway. Adramin does everything he can to make Astreya fail.

Great Lakes Warships 1812-1815 (PB)

Details: Non-Fiction Releases; Created on Saturday, 03 December 2011 00:00; By Mark Lardas

Mark Lardas has a new book which is available for pre-order in paperback, Great Lakes Warships 1812-1815. It will be released wordlwide on 20 March 2012.

When war broke out in 1812, neither the United States Navy nor the Royal Navy had more than a token force on the Great Lakes. However, once the shooting started, it sparked a ship-building arms race that continued throughout the war. This book examines the design and development of the warships built upon the lakes during the war, emphasizing their differences from their salt-water contemporaries. It then goes onto cover their operational use as they were pitted against each other in a number of clashes on the lakes that often saws ships captured, re-crewed, and thrown back against their pervious owners. Released in 2012 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the outbreak of the war, this is a timely look at a small, freshwater naval war.

Review: The Astreya Trilogy by Seymour Hamilton

Details: Book Reviews; Created on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 00:00; By David Hayes

The Astreya Trilogy will appeal to fans of both nautical fiction and fantasy. The first book, Astreya: The Voyage South, follows the story of a young man who sets out to discover his heritage. He is the son of a mysterious shipwrecked sailor who died before he was born and about whom his mother, and the people of the village where he lived, knew little. We follow his journey, partly by sea and partly by land, as he starts to get some clues as to his ancestry and inheritance, a bracelet with a green stone which glows when he puts it on and seems to have some power.

In the second book, Astreya: The Men of the Sea, he finds himself aboard the three masted ships of his father's people, the Men of the Sea, who have been wandering the oceans for years and are feared by those on land.

The author makes full use of a fictional timeline and whilst the mysterious green stones form an element of fantasy the stories will have a familiar feel to readers of nautical fiction set in the Age of Sail. The books feature a pirate (though not the much caricatured Caribbean kind), knife fights and much more as factions within the ruling family of the Men of the Sea struggle for supremacy.

Mr Hamilton has produced a set of well rounded characters who you can empathise with and they are pacey novels which are hard to put down. I look forward to reading book 3, Astreya: The Wanderer's Curse.