<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> T H E B O S U N ' S C H R O N I C L E The official Ezine of the Thomas Kydd Shipmates' Network <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> VOL. 7, ISSUE 7, August 2006 Avast, Shipmates and anchors aweigh! 1 DISPATCHES 2 BOOKSHELF 3 FEATURE 4 SALTY SAYINGS 5 COMMAND REVIEWS 6 SCRAN 'N PROG 7 CONTESTS 8 NEW ON THE WEB ==================== 1 DISPATCHES + Great offer on Kydd Collection prints Art Marine, publisher of limited edition prints of the Kydd cover paintings by Geoff Hunt, is offering Shipmates a special discount offer for August and September: the prints of "Quarterdeck" and "Tenacious" for GBP 120 for the pair, plus shipping (VAT applied if within the EU). This is a saving of 25% on the usual price! Additionally, Art Marine is giving Shipmates a discount of 10% on all other prints, including the first two in a new series by Mark Myers, "Becalmed on Blockade" and "Clovelly Evening". Just enter the code KYDD2006 at the checkout. www.artmarine.co.uk + Bon vent! Having published all of Patrick O'Brian's seafaring novels, Renaud Bombard of Presses de la Cite has bought French rights in KYDD, ARTEMIS, SEAFLOWER and MUTINY. "As the proud French publisher of the great and much-lamented Patrick O'Brian, I am absolutely thrilled to have found his rightful successor in Julian Stockwin. I am definitely convinced that Kydd will soon become a household name in France - 'Bon vent' to this wonderful new series!" Julian was delighted to find he has a French link - through his wife Kathy. She is a descendant of the de Gouges family; Pierre de Gouges was an officer in the royal guard in the court of Louis XVI, his sister was maid of honour to Marie Antoinette. Pierre and his wife, along with their daughter Marie Hyacinthe Genevieve, fled to England during the French Revolution, but his sister was guillotined with the queen. Marie Hyacinthe married the English army officer Captain William Wood after a whirlwind romance in Guadeloupe, eventually settling in Tasmania, where Kathy was born two hundred years later. + Navy Days If you are visiting Plymouth for the Navy Days August 26-28 why not come aboard the tall ship "Tenacious" from the Jubilee Sailing Trust and say hello to Julian? He will be there signing copies of his book of the same name from 13:30 to 15:30 Saturday 26th. + Shipmates from Osaka to Ostrava A former teacher, Bill Payne originally hails from Indiana in the States and now lives in Osaka, Japan, with his wife Kiyomi, a professor of foreign language at Kansai University. Bill established the first English-speaking sailboat school in Japan and teaches coastal navigation for the American Sailing Association. www.bliss-osaka.info As well as sailing his vintage Yamaha Mark II sloop "Cloud 9" in Japan, Bill gets out on the water in a vintage West Wight Potter when he returns to the States. He and Kiyomi also greatly enjoy canal boat holidays in the UK. Bill was so impressed with the Kydd books that he donated several copies of the Japanese edition of KYDD to the Tenjin Matsuri yacht race as prizes, and he, Julian and Yoko Ohmori (who translates the series into Japanese) have now decided to present further prizes of the books at other yachting races around the country, including the prestigious Melbourne-Osaka Cup next year. www.osakacup.com On the other side of the planet, Captain Karel Lokaj lives in Ostrava in the Czech republic and describes himself as a "seaman with square rigger experience and a fan of naval history". He recently got in touch with Julian to tell him how much he is enjoying the Kydd books, and he hopes that they will be published in Czech at some point. Despite living in a country that is completely land-locked, Captain Lokaj says he always wanted to be a seaman and joined the Czech merchant navy, becoming a master. The fleet was sold at the end of the nineties and he now works for foreign companies. His love of the briny deep runs in the family: when Captain Lokaj's son was about nine years old, he asked his father for two sailing warships to "fight" on the carpet. Finding an appropriately coloured piece of carpet was no problem but no ship toys were available so Captain Lokaj built his son two simple toy models from scratch - HMS "Surprise" and HMS "Indefatigable" - and many enjoyable battles were fought on the carpet sea! As well as his professional interest in the sea, Captain Lokaj advises Czech modellers on various technical aspects and is a nautical terminology adviser for translators. Frustrated at the lack of a maritime dictionary in the Czech language, Captain Lokaj has set about writing one himself! + Tall Ships on the English Riviera Julian was a guest commentator on BBC radio last month for the 50th anniversary of the first Tall Ships' Race. From a vantage point on the cliff above Tor Bay, he talked to listeners about various ships in the seventy-strong fleet - and, of course, the magic of being at sea under sail! The race was won by "Christian Radich", from Norway, with "Jolie Brise" from the UK in second place, and "Tomidi" from Belgium, third. And wonderful news - Sail Training Organisation, the UK charity that organised the race, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. What better way to foster international understanding than through engendering a love of the sea in young people? www.sailtraininginternational.org + TENACIOUS U.S. edition out next month McBooks Press is using the stunning artwork Geoff Hunt painted of the Battle of the Nile as the basis for their cover for TENACIOUS. You can take a look at the cover by clicking on the American flag on the home page of the website. We have two copies of the book to give away. See CONTESTS for details. + The voyage continues "Gipsy Moth IV", one of Britain's most famous yachts, is well into her second circumnavigation of the globe, and received a very warm welcome in Sydney Harbour last month. In 1967, the then 65-year-old Francis Chichester sailed her single-handedly around the world. Last year, restored to her former glory, the 53-foot timber ketch embarked on a 22-month voyage via the trade winds route. www.gipsymoth.org + TENACIOUS audiobook out now Once again, Christian Rodska has done a superb job as reader! The audiobook is available at a special price (in CD or cassette) from the Audiobook Collection, 01225 443400. www.audiobookcollection.com For a chance to win a copy see CONTESTS ===================== 2 BOOKSHELF A double helping this month:- A New Universal Dictionary of the Marine 1815 by William Falconer, edited by William Burney. Chatham Publishing ISBN 1861 762 046 This book was first published in 1769 and Chatham has done a real service to all enthusiasts of the great age of sail by bringing out the first reprint in twenty-five years of the 1815 edition of this famous dictionary. Universally lauded for its comprehensiveness, this edition is over 850 pages long and contains priceless detail on all aspects of Nelson's navy - from maritime technology, technical aspects of shipbuilding, fitting and armament to the Royal Navy's administrative and operational practices. www.chathampublishing.com [see FEATURE, below] --- Reuben Chappell Pierhead Painter by Robert Jones, First Light. ISBN 1 84114 545 9 A fascinating tribute to Reuben Chappell, one of the last, and arguably one of the finest pierhead painters. Pierhead painting dates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and is so-called because the painter (who was often self-taught) set up his easel on the head of a pier and sought commissions from the owners or captains of vessels. Although the artists did not often have the luxury of time, they generally produced very accurate depictions of the subject matter. In his paintings Chappell records the zenith and decline of the great days of commercial sail - and the ascent of steam power. But what makes this book fascinating is not just Chappell's art, but also author Robert Jones's commentary on a special period of British maritime history. www.firstlightgallery.co.uk ==================== 3 FEATURE The men behind the mother of all maritime dictionaries William Falconer, who was also a poet of some ability, will always be rightly honoured as the original compiler of "The Universal Marine Dictionary", and William Burney as the man who produced the 1815 version. But, as in many great endeavours, there were also others who played an important role. We have Falconer's friend, George Lewis Scott, Esq., a mathematician in the service of the Prince of Wales, to thank for first suggesting the idea of the dictionary to Falconer, and Falconer, early in his sea career, had the great good luck of being taken under the wing of Archibald Campbell, a published author and a man who delighted in improving the mind of young seamen. Later, Commissioner Hanway provided a remarkable haven for Falconer to complete his great work. William Falconer was born in Edinburgh in 1730, the son of a barber. All of William's siblings were either deaf or dumb. At an early age William went to sea, at first in the merchant service and later in the Navy, where he eventually became a purser, although he went back to the merchant service for a time. When HMS "Glory" was laid up in ordinary in Chatham, Commissioner Hanway (brother of the celebrated Jonas Hanway) ordered that the captain's cabin should be fitted up with every comfort in order that Falconer could finish his dictionary. The dictionary was printed in 1769 and soon Falconer was back at sea as purser in the "Aurora". She was lost with all hands later that year after touching at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1815, a new edition was produced by William Burney, a naval antiquarian who held the post of Master at the Naval Academy at Gosport, just across from the dockyard at Portsmouth. In this semi-official position he was well placed to access the most up-to-date information. ================== 4 SALTY SAYINGS High and dry Today, if someone is left high and dry, they find themselves stranded, without resources or support. The origins of this phrase are definitely salty. A beached ship, or one that is up on blocks and in the yard for repair or storage, is said to be "high and dry". Sailors speak of the emotional effect of seeing a ship in this state, out of her natural element, the sea. ==================== 5 COMMAND REVIEWS Shipmate Reviewers All the early reviewers loved COMMAND, many saying the book is Julian's finest yet. Their only complaint was the fact of now having to endure a long wait until the next book! Mike Naylor suggested Julian cuts back on sleep and writes faster... Here's what they had to say: Jeanette Montgomery: Run out the guns for a salute to Thomas Kydd and Julian Stockwin! With his exacting, sharp writing style, the latest edition of Kydd's journey is another literary victory. A change of fortune between the main characters and a new life direction for both keeps the reader captivated and hastily devouring each chapter. It is an excellent read for devoted fans of the series and newcomers alike. Thomas Kydd is once again shown to be capable, but also untested as a commander, desiring to learn and do right by his men. To be portrayed as a fallible human is what makes this series so engrossing. >Jeannette has proudly served as helmsman on the quarterdeck of a nineteenth-century barque under full sail. Bill Aves: COMMAND is full of atmosphere, realism and historical gems. Kydd's euphoria at his promotion to captain of the brig-sloop "Teazer" is so well portrayed one could almost feel his joy! >Bill says he has no real connection with the sea but having crossed the Davis Straits in a force 8 gale has a great empathy with the men who manned Britain's Wooden Walls. Chris Teigeler: For me, COMMAND is Kydd's coming of age. The responsibility of command weighs, the lure of absolute power tempts. Of course the most important thing in a good book is the power to let the reader forget the passing hours. Well, I can tell you the hours I spent with COMMAND passed like minutes! Congratulations on a work of love based on thorough craftsmanship and done with great skill. >Chris describes himself as "a lifelong armchair sailor". Mike Naylor: COMMAND sees Kydd take his first command in HMS "Teazer" where he is faced with the decisions that have to be made by all commanders, along with the loneliness of command... Stockwin has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the time and life of the period - and the ability to explain the intricacies of the working of a sailing ship in words that we who are long removed from this era can understand... >Mike lives 600 miles from the nearest ocean - so he turns to naval fiction for his taste of salt air! Caroline Anson: COMMAND is compulsive reading, best enjoyed with the previous six novels in the series first read to fully appreciate the extent of Commander Kydd's triumph and pride in his first ship and all the emotion that flows from that. >Caroline has some illustrious naval ancestry - Admiral Anson, a hero of Kydd's day. Peter Wilson COMMAND is an excellent read. In Julian's Author's Note he cites Kydd's elevation as a watershed in the series. Other more subtle watersheds are reached, notably the turnaround in the relationship between Kydd and Renzi. Kydd is achieving, Renzi is down. For the first time in the series, Kydd is in a position to help his particular friend and reverse their roles. Kydd's experience broadens with merchant service to Australia, adding a new dimension. Julian handles all of these directions with a writing style which is both easy to read, but never short on detail. >Peter claims a life-long love of the sea and ships, and is a volunteer researcher in the Naval Historical Society of Australia. Keith Kilbane: Much more than an "Avast there, me hearties" tale, this has action, adventure, raw emotion and historical quality. > Keith is a certified sailing skipper who pays Julian the great compliment of saying that his words "ring true". Keith particularly enjoyed the "wonderful account of fitting out and working up" in COMMAND. David Pearson: This is the best book in the series to date with its blend of strong storyline, credible and developed characterisation and historical fact. What I particularly liked was the development of Kydd's character as he faces the reality of command and the underlying theme of the book which is about both Renzi and Kydd taking command of their lives. It builds on the previous books and leaves me looking forward impatiently to the next. >David is a lawyer who has always had a love of history and historical fiction. He discovered KYDD when the Geoff Hunt cover caught his eye - and has been a keen follower of Kydd and Renzi ever since. Peter Mills: Stockwin genuinely captures the elation of first command, tempered by the sheer magnitude of the challenge to equip and crew a ship. Into a maelstrom of competing emotional needs and ambition is thrown an unexpected peace, an unexpected opportunity as captain of a convict transport and an unequally unexpected encounter with his particular friend, Renzi. COMMAND treads a fine line between the desire to excel and the unrealistic ambition which hazards the really valuable things in life. In the end, both Kydd and Renzi rediscover what is of value - but we will have to wait to see how this impacts on both them and those who share their lives. >Peter, somewhat tongue in cheek, remarked: "As the Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force, I am not supposed to take delight in the escapades of our sister service..." ==================== 6 SCRAN 'N PROG Moose muffle When Kydd visited Halifax in TENACIOUS, he probably didn't realise that muffle, the nose and pendulous overhanging upper lip of the moose, weighing in at about three pounds, was considered a culinary delight there! In fact, a dish of moose muffle found its way to a dinner in honour of Captain Houghton in the wardroom, in chapter one: "Moose muffle," Pringle, captain of marines, called over the hubbub. He inspected the piece of meat he had speared. "Spring moose is better in June, you'll find, once the beast has a mort of fat on him." Moose muffle soup was also a delicacy of the time. One contemporary recipe called for: one moose muffle, a knuckle of veal, onions, thyme, marjoram, clove, cayenne, salt, force-meat balls fried in butter, tomato sauce, yolks of 12 hard-boiled eggs - and a bottle of old port! ==================== 7 CONTESTS + Win a U.S. hardback edition of TENACIOUS To go into a lucky draw for a chance to win one of two copies, email the Bosun with your full postal address and put "McBooks Draw" in the subject line. There is a paperback of QUARTERDECK, also published in September, as a runner-up prize. === + COMMAND launch contest In April we launched a 6-part contest for a very special prize in October to celebrate the launch of COMMAND - a Collector's Edition of COMMAND, a paperweight made of 200-year-old ship's timbers, a copy of "Clippers, Packets and Men O'War" and "Sea Poems". By request, here are the first four questions again:- >In what town was the house of Madame Dahouet? >In ARTEMIS Kydd tastes "bibingka" - name two ingredients. >In SEAFLOWER who was mastheaded for "rank boneheadedness"? >In MUTINY of what material was the decking of "Trinity Yacht" made? And here's the fifth question: >In QUARTERDECK, what sum did the second lieutenant nominate for the officer's mess subscription per head? The last question will be in next month's newsletter. You can either send in your answers now for the first five questions and submit the last one next month - or wait until the September issue of the Chronicle and submit them all together. === + Win the audiobook of TENACIOUS Just email the Bosun with the name of the bay associated with the Battle of the Nile for a chance to win a copy. Deadline: August 25 ==================== 8 NEW ON THE WEB We've revamped BOOKSHELF on the website. Why not take a look? www.JulianStockwin.com -> SEA -> WORDS & IMAGES -> BOOKSHELF Click on NEW on the front page of the website to see a list of all the items that have been recently added to the website. =================== And if you'd like to help "spread the word" about the Kydd series email the Bosun for a free Shipmate Ambassador Pack. The Pack contains information about Julian and the books plus laminated bookmarks and series postcards. (There is a small charge to cover postage for Shipmates living outside the UK). --- Please also consider writing reviews about Julian's books on Amazon. Do let us know if you post a comment! Yours aye, THE BOSUN ++ Download back issues from the Website ++