Astrodene's HNF Blog
My HNF blog includes author interviews, subsequent edition releases, any other nautical literature news, etc.
(You can find my full blog which covers other subjects as well at astrodene.wordpress.com)
'The Winds of Folly' Paperback now available for order
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- 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.
The Night of the Swarm (HC)
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- Created on Sunday, 06 November 2011 00:00
- By David Hayes
If you are following Robert V. S. Redick's fantasy adventure about a giant sailing warship, The Chathrand Voyage, the latest installment The Night of the Swarm will be out in hardcover worldwide on 17 May 2012. It is now available for pre-order.
Full Fathom Five on Kindle
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- Created on Saturday, 22 October 2011 15:57
- By David Hayes
A new novella (short story) called Full Fathom Five, set during the American Civil war, was released on 18 October 2011 for Kindle.
The Author of this work is Peter A. Smalley, which may cause some confusion for fans of the genre as he should not be confused with Peter Smalley, famed for his Rennie/Hayter novels.
An Interview with Sam Willis
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- Created on Wednesday, 12 October 2011 00:00
- By David Hayes
Historic Naval Fiction is pleased to have obtained an Interview with Sam Willis on the release of his new book in the Hearts of Oak Trilogy, The Glorious First of June.
What can you tell us about your new book The Glorious First of June?
It is the story of one of Britain’s most significant but overlooked naval battles. It is unique for numerous reasons, each important in its own right:
It was the first naval battle of the French Revolutionary War. It was the only fleet battle during the Reign of Terror. It was the first fleet battle in British or French history that was fought for political ideology rather than for territory, religion or trade or at the whim of monarchs. It was the longest fleet battle for 128 years. The British won an impressive tactical victory though their fleet was undermanned and out of practice. It was the largest British naval victory for 102 years but was celebrated as a victory by the French and the British navy as well as by the Americans. It was the first naval battle witnessed and then depicted by a professional artist for 128 years – the book includes an Appendix of images made on the spot. It was witnessed by Matthew Flinders, then a Midshipman on Bellerophon, who made numerous detailed battle plans − all reproduced in the book. It was the first naval battle in the eighteenth century in which an Admiral deliberately tried to break the enemy line. It was the first battle made famous by a ‘panorama’, an artistic technique which became standard for celebrating naval battles. It was the first battle for which British officers received a medal. It was the first battle to be celebrated by an immediate Royal review of the fleet.
But of all of these claims to distinction, the most important and the most interesting is this: The Glorious First of June was, without question, the hardest-fought battle of the Age of Sail.
