Live the Adventure!

Coming in October
cover for thomas kydd novels
The Thomas Kydd Novels – Click to download a complete listing


…more

446 Comments on “Live the Adventure!”

  1. When ‘Kydd’ was first released I was in withdrawals between Patrick O’Brian’s releases.

    I felt I got lucky to pick up the first edition of the paperback (was there ever a hardback release?).

    I once asked about how to tell the difference between a Snow. Ketch, Brig, Brigantine (see Charlestown in Cornwall), Hoy, Billander, Tartane, Lugger, Yawl.

    I then discovered Architectura Navalis by Chapman.

    But all I really wanted to say was that I have re-read Victory, and how much I admire the writing and structural integrity of how you threw in the bits in the Admiralty to highlight the strategic dilemmas.

    Some might call ’em ghosts in the machine, but ’twas an an elegant solution to enlarging the picture.

    Reply

  2. I was introduced to Thomas Kidd while on overseas travels during my working years. I went through to The Admirals Daughter only to be distracted by life’s surprises. Now with the bug and retirement, I’ve been clearing out my library and came across these first issues. I quickly recalled the draw they created and have become reacquainted with them. I’m now through Conquest with others on my desk awaiting attention. Beyond the entertainment value, I want to thank you for the colorful and accurate history lessons you bestow upon your readers. The maps you provide are particularly helpful.

    Reply

  4. I am fortunate that I happened onto this series. The writing quality and level of interest are consistently good. Does anyone know if any were made into movies? Thank you.

    Reply

    • I disagree. I used to watch for the next release and found them enjoyable with plenty of action and a touch of humor. As the series went on the plots morphed away from both humor and action and more toward espionage and politics. While I am still reading them, it isn’t with the same zeal.

      Reply

      • Guess you can’t satisfy all readers all of the time, Ron, but many have told me they’ve found the latest titles the best in the series

        Reply

    • Not as yet, Robert, but there is some interest in the US and I’m hopeful that at some point there will be either a movie or TV series

      Reply

  5. From Texas. I was a combat medic in Viet Nam and knew someone like Kydd. There are real warrirors like him in every time and place of war.

    Reply

  6. You’re a gifted storyteller, Julian – the Kydd series are some of the best books I’ve ever read. I’m about a fifth through the way of Privateer’s Revenge. Cheers from the U.S.

    Reply

  7. Just closing the last pages of Command, I stand in the bow of the Suffolk and watch the waves kicked up by the prow surge by looking forward to the adventures, trials, and tribulations of Commander Kydd. Patrick O’Brian was my early seaman’s tutor and Julian Stockwin my new source for a wider reach across the men and ships of the Bonaparte War period, along with a deeper insight into the rigors of seamanship. Reading Stockwin is so enthralling, it requires, putting the book down, from time to time, to give depth to the lines just read.

    Reply

  8. Hi Julian

    Are there more books planned after Balkan Glory? I normally pre-order the book for autumn but I haven’t seen the pre-order on Amazon so far this year, and the PDF on this article says “Final” in the title, so you have me worried that I might not get my Thomas Kydd fix this year!

    I guess we’l see Kydd in action in the War of 1812, which must be soon considering the latest adventure sees us in the Adriatic in 1811? And then there are another few years of Napoleonic wars after that, so I’m hoping there are at least a few books yet to come

    All the best
    Jon

    Reply

      • I have read all your books so far, and they are superb, I’m currently trying to write, but the publishing prices have frightened me off so far, it’s a gamble the first one, but I don’t have the resources to proceed at present Dave.Howell

        Reply

      • Jules.
        Love your work.
        Amazon is already showing Thunderer ready to pre order and has a synopsis and a release date. Why do they always have information about your books before your website?

        Reply

        • The cover and synopsis have only just been approved by the publisher and I regret work pressures have made me a bit behind with updating the website. Delighted to hear you’re enjoying my books.

          Reply

  9. Mr. Stockwyn, I have read all in the Kydd series up to Victory and was SO pleased to finally see a map provided in Victory to help us visual learners picture the events in your story more easily. Thanks so much for doing that. I hope with future editions you continue with that tradition. Great stories and history with this series. It has made the pandemic much more tolerable.

    Reply

    • Steve – yes, we plan to include maps, a glossary and a Dramatis Personae list. Great to hear my Kydd tales are making the pandemic a little more bearable

      Reply

    • Thanks for your reply and the good news that maps and glossary will accompany future books. I, myself, am a landlubber, from mid-Wisconsin. Maybe that is why sea adventures are so appealing and exciting to me. But alas, I have only limited knowledge about ships in general. I wish in addition to the maps that a cutaway picture of the ship in the story was drawn so I and others could visualize the environment and actual configuration of the ship Kydd and Renzi were on. And the ingenuity of ship builders to accommodate so many sailors. A lot to ask, but I think many would find it educational. My two cents worth.

      Reply

  10. Good day Julian. I waited a month for Quarterdeck to be sent to my library. I had to wade into Post Captain, P.O’B for the third time, waiting. It arrived from the Halton Hills ON Library. I’ll be dam’ d, it was autographed. When did you do your last book signing in Toronto? Cheers and stay safe. G. Ottawa

    Reply

  11. Started with Kydd in December 2020, have just finished invasion so far, great books and keeping me up late reading them

    Reply

  12. I have just read your latest novel (no 192)It was joy for me not just for the adventure but to reacquaint myself with quintessential good English that you use,thank you.Merry Xmas Southsea

    Reply

  13. Hey Julian,
    after book 8 I had to swoop to english language to read your book. Never I done that before. Now I stay at book 16 and enjoy the time together.

    Thank you,
    Karsten from Hamburg

    Reply

    • I’m hoping that further titles will be translated into German in the future but for the moment delighted you’re enjoying the English versions.

      Reply

      • Hi Julian

        First of all merry christmas. Hoppe you’re donig well.

        I also read the first 8 books in german and hoped more books will be translated. I now realised that last translation has been done quite a while ago and also your comment doesn’t sound promising that translation will go oon soon. Do no plans exist to go on with german translation? If so I would need to switch to english version, but am a bit terrified about reading ‘nautic’ english – that’s probably to hard for my skills.

        Best

        Alex

        Reply

  14. I have read all your Kydd books right up to the Iberian Flame, by now I would have purchased your more recent issues, but have’nt been able to get out to the shops, but I hope to sooner or later. Hope you have managed to evade the virus, keep well.

    Reply

  15. Excuse my impudence !!. Whilst I have followed Kydd with great relish, I once wrote to you reference the Two wonderful Standalones.
    On opening page 34 of The Times November tenth, I immediately thought of you and a third Standalone, when I read the piece “Western Wall work yields 1,000-year-old………..
    It turned out that during excavations for a lift shaft in Jerusalem a tiny clay jug, containing four 1000 year old gold coins was found.
    That must set your creative juices racing to your laptop!
    I know you you can do it !!

    John Plumer

    Reply

  16. I’ve read the O’Brian series twice, Pope series, Hornblower series and now your series underway. I read in bed with my I pad beside me to look up some island, port, fortress to better understand the settings. Love your novels.
    What series do you recommend next?
    George McCabe
    Ottawa

    Reply

  17. What a great escape that you have afforded me sir! While I toil and think of the sea at work a little bug of a earphone speaks fantastic stories from you’re imagination that I thank you kindly for and while an avid reader I think a handshake to Christian Rodska wouldn’t be out of the question either. Good writing to you from a fan in Florida!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Google photo

You are commenting using your Google account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Categories for search
Latest BigJules Blog posts
%d bloggers like this: