<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> T H E B O S U N ' S C H R O N I C L E All the latest news/views for fans of Julian Stockwin <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> October 2008 In this issue - model maker John Thompson shares his thoughts after meeting Julian & Kathy when he presented the "Teazer" model to them; French translator Florence Herbulot talks about the challenges and rewards of working on the Kydd books - and we meet Shipmates Terry Roberts and Glen Crochmal. TREACHERY is launched this month in the UK and the US! For readers in Australia, Canada, South Africa etc. watch out for it in your bookstores in November. 1 DISPATCHES 2 NELSON - IN HIS OWN WORDS 3 THE TEAZER MODEL IS PRESENTED TO JULIAN 4 CONTESTS 5 SHIPMATES AHOY! 6 TRANSLATING KYDD 7 SEA CHAPLAINS ==================== 1 DISPATCHES + The future of HMS Victory Julian, along with Shipmates around the world, were horrified to see recent reports in the press that the Royal Navy might sell HMS "Victory". The Navy has now strongly denied this. Defence Minister Baroness Ann Taylor said: "HMS Victory will remain part of the Royal Navy. Nothing will change in that respect. The objective for this study is the sustainability of HMS Victory as a museum ship and commissioned Royal Navy warship. Continued access depends on extensive works being carried out over the coming years. An examination of the full range of options will seek to ensure that HMS Victory is preserved in a sound condition in her home port of Portsmouth for generations to come." Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Alan Massey added: "We are extremely proud of HMS VICTORY, a truly iconic part of our maritime heritage. This unique warship is at the heart of the Royal Navy and there has never been any suggestion of giving her away or decommissioning the ship. This current media speculation concerns a study which seeks to guarantee the long term future of HMS VICTORY as she undergoes essential maintenance work." This national treasure is far too precious to lose! + Plaudits for TREACHERY Shipmates who received an advance proof copy of TREACHERY in a contest earlier in the year have been fulsome in their praise for the book. Here's what three of them said:- Tom Le Poidevin: "I thoroughly enjoyed the latest in Kydd's adventures. The setting of the book was highly atmospheric and truly captured the characteristics that have dominated the Channel Islands since 1204. It provided a great background for both Kydd and Renzi to grow in character and stature." Owen Rice: "I devoured TREACHERY in two days! As a reader of a lot of historic fiction it is refreshing to find an author who varies his subject matter and does not just focus on large set-piece battles. Anti- smuggling and smaller ships that tend to get missed by other authors are a lot more interesting due to their varied roles, also lower deck life is something many gloss over. My one criticism is I will have to wait so long for the next one!" Roger Newton: "I was fortunate enough to win an advance copy of Kydd's latest adventure in a recent Bosun competition and promptly set off for the Brittany coast with it on holiday. It was the perfect location to capture the atmosphere of his latest splendid and exciting adventure. Shipmates will not be disappointed..." + RSMA works on display The Royal Society of Marine Artists holds its annual exhibition from 15 October to 26 October at the Mall Galleries, London. A wonderful opportunity to take in the best of contemporary marine painting in Britain. + Valuable rags! Scraps of old cloth recently discovered in a dusty Sea Cadet locker have been identified as strips of the actual battle ensign of HMS "Victory" that was draped on Nelson's coffin. The poignant remnants are now displayed in the Council Chamber of the Marine Society & Sea Cadets' London headquarters. + Spreading the word in Lord of the Rings country... Julian was delighted to hear from Alison Thomas, the librarian of the Matamata Library in North New Zealand. Alison said that the Kydd series is very popular in her library and she has mounted a special display about the books there. The green pastures and rolling hills of Matamata were chosen to portray Hobbiton and the Shire in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. [A free Library Display Pack is available on request to ] ==================== 2 NELSON IN HIS OWN WORDS Fans of Julian's writing know of his long-held admiration for Admiral Horatio Nelson. During 2005, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar victory, Julian gave a number of talks around the UK in tribute to a man he feels was the greatest Briton who ever lived. And of course this month is the anniversary of his tragic death at the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson was a prolific writer and revealing communicator. We asked Julian to pick a few of his favourite Nelson quotations: "Aft the more honour, forward the better man" - speaking of the sailors on the lower deck, the officers on the quarterdeck. Julian used this as the dedication of his first book in the series. "Thank God I have done my duty" - as he lay mortally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar, these were among Nelson's last words and underscore the depth of his commitment to his country. "Sink, burn and destroy" - a powerful directive that encapsulated the offensive thrust of the British Navy under Nelson. "I had their huzzahs before, I have their hearts now" - Nelson's poignant message to Emma Hamilton as he left England for the last time. "Engage the enemy more closely" - Nelson's battle strategy was daring and successful. "I will take my turn with my brave followers" - Nelson was grievously injured many times in battle, losing the sight in one eye, and suffering an amputation of his right hand, to name just two incidents. After receiving a head wound at the Battle of the Nile he refused all offers to receive treatment ahead of others, and always demonstrated great physical courage and fortitude. "Nothing can stop the courage of English seamen" - Nelson always had a passionate faith in the British tar, which, in turn, inspired a fierce loyalty among them. "In sea affairs nothing is impossible, and nothing is improbable" - bravery and a respect for Neptune's realm combined. --- On the 21st of this month, please raise your glass to "The Immortal Memory". ==================== 3 THE TEAZER MODEL IS PRESENTED The regular posts by John Thompson to his log on the website have been consistently among the top five most popular pages visited. On September 17, John and his wife Barbara, a world- class opera singer, made the journey from their home in Birmingham to Ivybridge in Devon to present the Teazer model to the Stockwins. Although there had been a great deal of email correspondence between them, the couples had never met before. John Thompson reflects on the encounter: "I think we all, at one time or another, have sat down and wondered what a favourite author or actor is really like? That was exactly what happened to me when the time to deliver 'Teazer' to Julian and Kathy Stockwin drew close. In preparation, I re-read the bio details on Julian's website and looked at all the photographs of him from various times in his life and slowly built up an imaginary persona of the man I thought he would be. How hopelessly and utterly wrong I was; the 'real' Julian Stockwin was nothing like I expected! My imagined Stockwin was an authoritarian, a man used to command (just look at the picture in his Navy Uniform!), a stickler for the correct form or procedure and a man used to dominating a room. The real Stockwin, however, was as different to my mental picture as Thomas Kydd is from Nicholas Renzi. The first thing that struck me was his size. Julian stands well over six feet tall and is powerfully built, a fact emphasised even more by the more diminutive Kathy. It is wholly ironic that his weapon of choice is therefore the pen rather than the sword! I prepared myself for a greeting blast from a quarterdeck voice and a bear-like handshake but instead Julian was very softly spoken with just a lingering lilt of a gentle Australian accent which emerged now and again. What became very clear over the course of the day and that evening when we all sat down to dinner was Julian's quiet passion for nauticalia and particularly the Georgian era. Whilst we were all contemplating pre- dinner aperitifs at the beautiful Georgian Rectory that Julian and Kathy had installed us in, Julian had discovered an old map of Devon in a corner book case and was poring over it, absorbing the information and storing it away ready for use if necessary. Back at the Stockwin's home, Julian brought out his various man-o'-war artefacts; an authentic Navy cutlass with a notched blade as testament to its use in battle; a delicate portable ships writing set and a large cable likely to have come from the foremast shrouds of HMS "Invincible" (1758). It was clear that Julian treasures these artefacts and that they give him such a direct connection to the times that he so lovingly writes about. There was of course a mischievous side to Julian and whenever Kathy's back was turned he would furtively tip me a wink and slip another couple of biscuits off the plate into his pocket. It did him no good, however, as Kathy clearly knew all his tricks and from the other side of the room, with her back to us all, she would say, 'I know what you are up to, now put them back.' A small cameo that was so typical of Julian came when I asked him how he dealt with the press, publicity and meeting the public. He said that he loved book signings because he got to meet his readers and that people were so interesting, but he hated doing television because they always expected him to say something intelligent in a very short sound bite. >From my own perspective, I was glad to be finally handing 'Teazer' over to Julian and Kathy even though she had been a large part of my life for the past 11 months and had sat on my own sideboard for the last 6 weeks. I was so worried that she would be a disappointment to Julian and Kathy, and I felt a great sense of relief that they were so delighted with her in her finished form. I do not get attached to any of the models that I build, it is the process of making, rather than the finished product, that attracts me and once the last piece of rigging has been belayed, I take a good critical look at a model and then dismiss it from my mind and start thinking about the next one. All in all the past 12 months have been richly rewarding and my wife Barbara and I left Julian and Kathy with a deep sense of affection and respect, not so much for their skills as an author and editor, but for the kind, warm and sensitive people that they are." ==================== 4 CONTESTS Emails to Please include your full postal address. Deadline: October 25. + Win a signed hardback In which book in the Kydd series does chaplain Peake appear? We have a signed UK hardback of that title for the winner. + KYDD memorabilia In response to numerous requests for Postcard/Bookmark Packs, we have made more available. Each Pack contains an assortment of cover postcards and Julian Stockwin bookmarks. For delivery within the UK, please send a stamped self-addressed envelope to:- Postcards, PO Box 76, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0XH. There is a nominal charge of $5.00, or equivalent in local currency, for overseas mailings. Payment may be made via Paypal to Winners all: Congratulations to Peter Marks, who won last month's mega-prize - a first edition of TREACHERY and a limited edition print of the cover painting by Geoff Hunt. Peter's was the first correct entry drawn that identified the mythical Elysium waiting for sailors when they died as "Fiddler's Green". A copy of Roy and Lesley Adkins' fascinating new book on life in Nelson's navy, "Jack Tar" goes to both Brian Tatterson and Brenda Barnett. We'll have a review of the book in next month's issue. The two sets of special commemorative Nelson stamps were won by Ian Paton and Mike Brown for naming the profession of Nelson's father. ==================== 5 SHIPMATES AHOY! Julian is always delighted to hear from readers around the world and this month we feature an Australian gold mine worker and an American running an investment advisory service company. Terry Roberts is an electrical/instrument maintenance planner at the Telfer Gold Mine in the Great Sandy Desert in the north-eastern corner of Western Australia. He is part of a workforce of around 1200 people. Daily, gold production at Telfer is 1500-2000 ounces with a copper yield of 85-200 tonnes. It's a pretty remote site: supplies such as fuel and food are trucked in along a dirt road and the mine staff fly in and out of the city of Perth, a two-hour flight away. They work a shift of eight days on, six at home. Terry is a great fan of the Kydd series and told Julian, "Your books give me such pleasure. Although we have TV and radio at Telfer a good book is a real must both on the flight up and back and whilst here on the site." --- Glenn Krochmal lives in Eastern Virginia. He joined the US Navy at age 17 and spent 8 years at sea, including service in oilers, a cruiser, a destroyer and a special projects ship. Glenn was also involved in the recovery of the lost hydrogen bomb in 1966. His time at sea was not without personal drama. In 1961, three days out from harbour, Glenn became very ill with acute appendicitis. The ship had no helicopter or doctor aboard. The ship's senior corpsman, a former WWII chief, wanted to operate but he was a recovering alcoholic. The captain banned any surgery and Glenn was wrapped in ice sheets and given massive doses of penicillin. Earlier this year Glenn visited VilleFranche Sur Mer where he was stationed in the USS "Little Rock" CLG-4, the flagship of the 6th Fleet. It was an emotional experience after 45 years. "The eight years in the Navy were some of the best years of my life. But I can live without every again hearing 'this is no drill' on the 1MC [PA] system!" The Krochmals are planning a trip to the UK in 2009 and Glenn says he yearns to walk the deck of "Victory" and "Warrior" then. ==================== 6 KYDD EN FRANCAIS The Kydd series is translated into foreign languages around the world - French, German, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese and Czech. Florence Herbulot is currently putting the finishing touches to the French translation of SEAFLOWER, which will be published later this year by Agence France Presse. She kindly agreed to answer some questions about her work with the Kydd books:- Bosun: Can you tell us about your career as a translator, please. Florence: I have a diploma in translation from ESIT, the Paris Sorbonne school. I have been a translator for many years now specialising in sailing but with several other interests such as mechanical engineering, management and botanics. Aside from technical texts I have translated some 150 books, about half of which are linked to the sea and sailing. I started with Eric C Hiscock, then many others such as Clare Francis, Joshua Slocum, Alexander Kent and Joseph Conrad. I had the wonderful opportunity of working on Patrick O'Brian's saga, of which I translated 16 books. Bosun: Do you sail yourself? Florence: I have been a sailor most of my life, racing and cruising. My father Jean-Jacques Herbulot was a naval architect. Bosun: What is the main difficulty in translating Julian's works? Florence: It is finding the right kind of language, words and situations to create an atmosphere which is not too modern. Another difficulty is the slang, popular and regional language of the crews: there is not a real equivalent in French, so I have to find a middle way between coarse and stiff styles. As for the technical side, there are a lot of documents, either in French or in English, so I can find out about most things, if needed. And if stuck, I can always ask my author! With Julian's books, I think the greatest difficulty for me is that he is a born teacher, always finding a pedagogical aspect to his description of fights and sail handling: I have had to learn how to fight with a cutlass, how to fire a cannon. And in SEAFLOWER I had to learn Caribbean cooking... Bosun: Do you have a favourite book so far? Florence: No, the first three are all good reading, the situations interesting. The books are very rich in action and adventure. I think the fourth book MUTINY will be captivating for French readers, dealing as it does with the story of the great mutiny at the Nore, which up to now has rarely been told. Bosun: And is there one character you warm to more than others? Florence: I can't say I have a favourite. The evolution of Kydd is very interesting and Renzi is a wonderful man... =================== 7 GOD'S WORK AT SEA Throughout much of the eighteenth century the status of the ship's chaplain was quite low, with sometimes fairly disreputable parsons taking up appointments at sea. The historian Clowes was moved to say: "Naval chaplains, until after the close of the long wars, were still very often discredits to their cloth." Pay may have been a factor - for some time a chaplain only received the same money as an ordinary seaman, plus one groat (fourpence) for every member of the crew. The situation had improved by the 1790s, however, and the chaplain was accepted as a member of the wardroom and given a considerable rise in pay. After 1812 every ship of the fifth rate and above was allowed a chaplain, although few served in ships below third rate, and in 1814 there were only 51 chaplains aboard His Majesty's ships. At sea in Kydd's day, the only official requirement for routines in the ship's week was for church to be rigged on Sunday. After the captain had inspected the men a church pennant was hoisted; the captain and officers stood on the quarterdeck, the men in the waist. When the service was finished (conducted by the captain if there was no chaplain aboard) the men had their dinner and then were usually given the afternoon off, "wind, weather and the malice of the enemy permitting". A small number of sea-going men of the cloth took on broader responsibilities and functioned as confidential secretaries to admirals, especially those with foreign languages. Alexander Scott is perhaps the most famous of these. He became Nelson's secretary, and was entrusted with sensitive matters. Scott was a convivial man who enjoyed music and carried a library of 650 volumes to sea with him. However he was haunted all his life by the scenes of suffering he witnessed in the cockpit during battles. Scott tended Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar when he was mortally wounded; later, he sat with Nelson's corpse for more than a week when it lay in state in Greenwich. Some sea chaplains recorded their experiences at sea and achieved a degree of literary fame when their diaries were published. Cooper Willyams wrote a vivid and detailed description of operations against the French in the Caribbean in his "Account of the Campaign in the West Indies in the year 1794." Another naval chaplain of note was Robert Knopwood, who became a leading figure in the young colony of Australia. --- For a chance to win a copy of the Kydd hardback in which one of the characters is a sea chaplain, see CONTESTS, above. =================== Coming next month: It's our November-December Bumper Issue! There's a double helping of ASK JULIAN, Davy Jones's Locker, a tribute to marine artist W L Wyllie, a Kydd Quiz - and some very special salty prizes. Yours aye, THE BOSUN ++ Download back issues from the WebSite ++