‘My wife thinks I’m absolutely mad!’
Posted on September 5, 2014 3 Comments
Recently I received an email which began: ‘My wife thinks I’m absolutely mad!’ It went on to explain: ‘I’ve had one of the most fabulous months of my life – I’ve been in heaven re-reading all 14 Kydd books. Mentally I’m now sailing across the North Atlantic on my way back to the UK after being recalled from the Caribbean. I can’t wait for the next volume of the Kydd adventures – Pasha sounds so exciting!’
The email came from Graham Cooke, the September Reader of the Month. Graham is a retired company director and former Merchant Navy officer – and now splits his time between Spain and the UK.
Inspired by my book Victory, earlier this year he and his wife took their grandson to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and toured over HMS Victory. And Caribbee led to an exotic cruise…
Over to Graham…
Taking in HMS Victory with his grandson
“I have loved every one of the Kydd books! They have each been a wonderful tale of the adventures and development of Thomas Kydd. The overall feeling I get from reading these 14 books is that the sum is greater than the individual parts!
My next door neighbour gave me the first three to read whilst on holiday. He had intended to read them, but didn’t have the time. I was hooked as soon as I picked up Kydd. The detailed description of life on board the old Duke William was captivating. Meeting the diverse characters – but especially Joe Bowyer – along with the exciting plot made sure I was reading Artemis immediately!
Seaflower was truly enjoyable. Such an adventure for everyone around the Caribbean. Kydd’s experiences at the Antigua naval dockyard motivated my wife and I to go on our first Caribbean Cruise. Our visit to the Nelson dockyard was so exciting. We had lunch in the Copper Store building and I enjoyed finding the Sail Store where the sultry Sukey tempted Kydd beyond his powers of self-control.
‘Victory is impossible to put down!’
With his treasured Kydd collection
I could expand on my feelings for each book, however my personal favourite has to be Victory. It’s full of seamanship and fantastic descriptions of the dreadful conditions men had to endure in a full-blown sea battle in the early 1800s. Cannons firing with deafening concussion and confusion in the confines of a gun deck. The blood and savagery of battle. The need for rapid firing and re-loading of the cannon. The exceptional courage and leadership of Lord Nelson. His determination to destroy the French fleet, enough to abandon his Mediterranean station and chase them across the Atlantic and meet them in such a decisive battle. His men were committed to doing all they could for him and their country. The book is written in such a way that it is difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction and impossible to put down! Fantastic!
‘Toby Stirk is a true British Jack Tar’
Graham and his wife Lynda
There are so many fantastic characters in the Kydd saga. Sergeant Dodds comes to mind with his precise military bearing. The dark temptress Sukey has to be there in the thought process. The anomaly that is Mr. Buckle caused an unusual amusement. The quiet Tysoe is such a loyal servant and has always been there to ensure Kydd does not bring shame on his officer status. Cecilia Kydd has been a constant figure in the adventures. A stable sister to Thomas and, hopefully, a good wife to Renzi at some point. Who could forget Lord Nelson? His presence in the books Quarterdeck, Tenacious and Victory made them such great reading! However, my favourite character has to be Tobias (Toby) Stirk! The unwritten bond of loyalty, trust and respect between him and Thomas Kydd is truly amazing! He has been there since the very beginning as a shipmate to Kydd and Renzi aboard Duke William. Without his ‘letters’ he cannot rise in rank but his skills are second to none. How many times has he saved the day for his ship mates? He has certainly helped save Thomas Kydd from himself and from the hangman’s noose. Toby is a true British Jack Tar!”
Would you like to be a candidate for Reader of the Month? Just get in touch with a few sentences about your background and why you enjoy the Kydd series!
Win a Limited Edition Kydd Collection Print!
Posted on September 1, 2014 Leave a Comment
You could win a limited edition print of HMS Artemis!
This wonderful print is from the original oil painting commissioned for the cover of Artemis, the second title in the Kydd series. Those who have sailed the Great Southern Ocean have confirmed what an astonishingly accurate representation this is of those seas and it is also a particularly fine depiction of an eighteenth-century frigate at sea. The movement of the ship that Geoff portrays is exceptionally dynamic. He certainly captured the flying qualities of the crack frigate HMS Artemis – and is probably my favourite of all the covers he painted.
For a chance to win this superb print email julian@julianstockwin.com with the answer to this question:
- How many of Geoff Hunt’s paintings reproduced as prints for the Kydd Collection include ships boats in the water?
Contest closes end September. The winner will be the first correct entry drawn on September 30 and will be notified by email.
Additionally, Art Marine is offering a 10% discount on all Geoff Hunt prints for the month of September. Just enter the code JSTOCKWIN at the checkout.
View the entire Kydd Collection at Art Marine
CONQUEST: the Race to Empire Begins!
Posted on August 26, 2014 5 Comments
A regular feature looking back on each of the Kydd titles – with story background, research highlights, writing challenges and more.
And thank you for all your kind comments on the post about my eleventh book, Victory.
The twelfth book in the series is Conquest. Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar removed the spectre of invasion and England was free to seek conquests and colonies in the furthest reaches of the world. Captain Kydd joins an expedition to take Dutch-held Cape Town, a strategic imperative to secure the rich trade-route to India.
Stunning South Africa
Much of the Cape Town Kydd would have known remains to this day
As usual, my research consisted of a meticulous study of documents, reference books, maps and charts, pilots – plus actual location research. After completing my preliminary reading and taking copious notes it was off to South Africa, where the book is set.
Kathy and I based ourselves in Cape Town where first we undertook a number of days’ research at the excellent National Library of South Africa in Queen Victoria St and the Archives Repository in Roeland St. Several other smaller museums also yielded valuable material. Then, digital camera in hand, we explored the historical buildings of the city, many of which were there in Kydd’s day. Among these: the Castle of Good Hope, built in the seventeenth century by the Dutch East India Company, and Government House in the very pleasant Company Gardens.
After that, it was on into the hinterland. Our travels took us all around Cape Peninsula and to Simon’s Town, among other locations. Simon’s Town Museum proved another rich source of information. It is housed in a very picturesque building that was the winter residence for the Dutch East India Company Governor at the Cape.
The setting of Cape Town must be one of the world’s most spectacular and we’d love to return sometime. Of course while we were there we also had to sample the delicious traditional cuisine – dishes such as bobotie, bredie and koeksisters, which are all mentioned in the book.
Bobotie
After reading Conquest, Sybil Galbraith, one of my readers who lived in South Africa, kindly provided her special family recipe for bobotie:-
Ingredients
- 1 pound minced steak or lamb
1 beef cube dissolved in a quarter cup of water
2 chopped onions
2 tablespoons mango chutney
1 dessertspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon sugar
1 chopped apple
2 tablespoons raisins
1 slice bread soaked in milk
3 bay leaves
1 egg beaten with a little milk (for top custard)
Method
Brown the onions and mince in a little oil, add the chutney, curry powder, tumeric and sugar. Season to taste then add the stock, apple and raisins. Simmer over a low heat for about one hour, adding a little water if needed.
Place in oven-proof dish, stir in mashed bread, then add bay leaves. Pour the egg and milk mix on top and cook in moderate oven for 30 minutes. The top needs to be set and slightly browned on the sides.
And also from Sybil is Granny Annie’s recipe for the Van de Hum liqueur that Renzi tasted.
Dedication
Lady Anne Barnard was a splendid chronicler of the times, warm and a shrewd observer both via the written word and through her skills as an artist. She lived at Cape Town for five years and wrote a remarkable series of letters and diaries – and also produced a number of sketches and watercolours. She was very much a ‘do-er’; I was not surprised to learn that she was the first white woman to climb Table Mountain! I was able to read her diaries and papers in the Cape Town Library/Archives and also view her paintings.
Cover Art
Reader Marius Moolman created this stunning virtual L’Aurore
The cover of this book is particularly striking and somewhat of a departure from previous covers. With the move of my previous editor to another publisher I gained a new editor at Hodder, Oliver Johnson, a hugely experienced publishing professional and a great fan of the genre. Oliver was keen for the cover of CONQUEST to reflect the new direction in the series post-Trafalgar and I’m delighted with the design Larry Rostant, one of the top cgi designers in the UK, came up with.
Out and about for the book
How many authors can say they’ve been serenaded at a book signing? Thanks, Falmouth Shout!
Among the special events that were organised to launch this book were a lecture at Pentillie Castle in Cornwall for Independent Booksellers Week and various book signings and talks. One signing I particularly enjoyed was held at Falmouth Booksellers where I was serenaded by Falmouth Shout, a wonderful group of Cornishmen (and women) who delight to quaff and sing shanties together. They also started the shanty festival in Falmouth and raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and other charities.
Copyright notices
Every effort is made to honour copyright but if we have inadvertently published an image with missing or incorrect attribution, on being informed of this, we undertake to delete the image or add a correct credit notice
BookPick: The Great War at Sea
Posted on August 23, 2014 5 Comments
Lawrence Sondhaus brings impressive credentials to this work; he is Director of the Institute for the Study of War and Diplomacy at the University of Indianapolis.
In his Introduction, Sondhaus makes the point that while the Great War was a conflict distinctive for its unprecedented bloodshed, less than 1 percent of the 8.5 million combatant deaths were naval personnel lost at sea – but this disproportionate distribution of human sacrifice did not mean that the war at sea had a peripheral significance to the final outcome. Far from it.
In this major new naval history of the First World War Sondhaus reveals the decisive contribution of the war at sea to Allied victory. In a truly global account, he traces the course of the campaigns in the North Sea, Atlantic, Adriatic, Baltic and Mediterranean and examines the role of critical innovations in the design and performance of ships, wireless communication and firepower. He charts how Allied supremacy led the Central Powers to attempt to revolutionize naval warfare by pursuing unrestricted submarine warfare, ultimately prompting the United States to enter the war. His treatment of this novel and entirely game-changing mode of warfare is particularly engaging, making full use of modern scholarship discoveries in uncovering its development from a German perspective. Victory against the submarine challenge, following their earlier success in sweeping the seas of German cruisers and other surface raiders, left the Allies free to use the world’s sea lanes to transport supplies and troops to Europe from overseas territories, and eventually from the United States, which proved a decisive factor in their ultimate victory.
Compellingly written and well documented, with maps, photographs and an extensive bibliography, this work will appeal to all serious scholars of war and the general reader with a particular interest in The War to End All Wars.
The Great War at Sea by Lawrence Sondaus, Published by Cambridge University Press. ISBN ISBN 978 1 107 03690
Falmouth, Ahoy!
Posted on August 19, 2014 6 Comments
In under two weeks the Cornish town of Falmouth will witness a truly spectacular sight – white sail cresting the horizon and then coming to anchor in the third deepest natural harbour in the world. Forty-six Sail Training vessels from around the world, including eleven magnificent square sail Tall Ships, will arrive for four days of events from 28 to 31 August.
Proud history
The American artist Henry Scott Tuke lived in Falmouth in the early twentieth century and painted this charming watercolour of two French barques in Carrick Roads
Falmouth has a long history and proud history. It was the site where Henry VIII built Pendennis Castle to defend Carrick Roads (as the deep channel of the harbour is known) in 1540. (The main town of the district was then at Penryn.)
In the late 16th century, under threat from the Spanish Armada, the defences at Pendennis were strengthened by the building of angled ramparts. During the Civil War, Pendennis Castle was the second to last fort to surrender to the Parliamentary Army.
Sir John Killigrew created the town of Falmouth in the early seventeenth century.
The famous Falmouth Packet Service operated for over 160 years between 1689 and 1851 carrying mail to and from Britain’s growing empire.
In 1805 news of Britain’s victory and Admiral Nelson’s death at Trafalgar was landed here from the schooner Pickle and taken to London by Lieutenant John Lapenotiere in an epic 36-hour journey that took 21 changes of horses and carriages.
On 2 October 1836 HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin aboard anchored at Falmouth at the end of its famous survey voyage around the world.
Contest
Kydd and Renzi visited Falmouth in one of the Kydd titles. Email julian@julianstockwin.com with the name of the book and you’ll go into the hat for a chance to win a Navy Blue Kydd Cap plus a signed paperback of that title…
Falmouth signing
I’ll be at Falmouth Booksellers signing copies of my books on Friday 29, noon. Drop by if you’re passing! I’ll be giving away postcards and bookmarks while stocks last.
Copyright notices
Henry Scott Tuke [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Every effort is made to honour copyright but if we have inadvertently published an image with missing or incorrect attribution, on being informed of this, we undertake to delete the image or add a correct credit notice
A Peek at PASHA
Posted on August 15, 2014 3 Comments
Here’s what three advance reviewers of Pasha have said:
- What a read! This is a very mature novel, with various storylines woven expertly into the history.
- All I can say is WOW!! So many twists and turns. So many questions answered. So many things set to rights, and then it’s all a whole new set up!! Totally unexpected and totally enjoyable.
- I have enjoyed the Kydd series immensely, but Pasha is my favourite. I love the new developments in Renzi’s life. I will say no more!
Click here to read an excerpt
Pasha is published in hardback and ebook in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton on October 9, and in the US by McBooks Press on November 1
BookPick: Mary Rose and Billy Ruffian
Posted on August 13, 2014 1 Comment
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Some ships capture our hearts and minds. Mary Rose and HMS Bellerophon are two such celebrated in this double helping of Book Pick. One ship has been saved for the nation, the other sadly not, but both are deservedly especially honoured, part of Britain’s rich seafaring heritage.
The raising of Mary Rose in 1982, 450 years since she sank, made headlines around the world. The ship served Henry VIII’s Navy Royal for thirty-six years, many of which she spent as the flagship on active service. She took part in three wars against the French and one against the Scottish.
This new paperback edition brings the history of this famous warship up to date with new chapters on the stunning presentation of the hull and the 19,000 salvaged artefacts in the new museum in Portsmouth. The book also tells the story of her eventful career, placing it firmly within the colourful context of Tudor politics, court life and the developing administration of a permanent navy. Beautifully illustrated.
The Warship Mary Rose by David Childs, Published by Seaforth. ISBN 978 1 84832 211 0
Known as ‘Billy Ruffian’ to Jack Tar, Bellerophon’s story spans the dramatic years of the Napoleonic wars, 1793 – 1815. She took part in the first great fleet action of the War and was involved in the last moments of the struggle with the surrender of Napoleon. Bellerophon was one of the most distinguished of the 74-gun ships. Having fought at The Glorious First of June, the Battle of the Nile and Trafalgar she saw more than her share of fierce ship-to-ship encounters. In between there were the varying duties of blockade and escort carried out with service in the Channel, the Mediterranean, the North Sea, the Baltic and the West Indies. Author Pengelly covers the many and various aspects of the ship’s life from construction through maintenance and refits, action against the enemy, to her final disposal.
This book was first published in 1966 and reprinted this year.
HMS Bellerophon by Colin Pengelly, Published by Pen and Sword. ISBN 1783 462 40X
VICTORY: Kydd at Trafalgar
Posted on August 9, 2014 10 Comments
A regular feature looking back on each of the Kydd titles – with story background, research highlights, writing challenges and more.
And thank you for all your kind comments on the post about my tenth book, Invasion.
The eleventh book in the Kydd series is Victory, which climaxes in Kydd’s involvement in Trafalgar, one of the grandest battle spectacles in history.
Praise for the book
‘Well-written mixture of high-seas adventure and character-based drama . . . impossible not to enjoy!’ — Booklist
‘Elegantly plotted . . . the writing has the power of a broadside at close range’ — Oxford Times
‘This book is as fresh as the first to be published . . . the characters have matured as the tales unfolded and each story adds a new layer of complexity . . . a fictional tale that takes forward the careers of his two heroes in such a natural way that they feel to be a genuine part of history, interacting with the real story of Nelson, Trafalgar and Victory’ — Firetrench
Location research
The main focus for research for this book was Portsmouth in the county of Hampshire. I was privileged to have been given virtually unlimited access to the HMS Victory. As you can probably imagine I spent many contented hours aboard…
Although I know Portsmouth very well, having been quartered in the city during my time in the Navy, and also having visited on location research for earlier Kydd books, I never seem to tire of ‘Pompey’ and its maritime attractions. For Victory I spent quite some time in Old Portsmouth, too, much of which stands just as it did in Kydd’s day.
Another locale for research for this book was London, both the physical city and the river Thames, as well as museums, archives and libraries – and I had spent time in the Mediterranean area on previous location research trips.
Three captains…
Captain Gabriel Catolino
I love being sent photographs of readers with my books but in the case of Victory I was somewhat taken aback to find I had been sent three rather special ones – three ship captains, each holding Victory!
Captain Gabriel Catolino is commander of a destroyer squadron in the Argentinian navy. Captain Catolino enjoys historical maritime fiction and told me he immediately became a Kydd fan after reading Victory.
Captain Paul Wright of Cunard’s Queen Victoria was presented with a copy of Victory by one of my readers, fittingly, as the ship rounded Cape Trafalgar!
Captain (now Commodore) Jerry Kyd, the last Commanding Officer of HMS Ark Royal, graciously posed with Victory with Victory in the background. He was recently appointed the first seagoing Captain of the Royal Navy’s brand new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Writing challenges
Captain Jerry Kyd, then commanding officer of HMS Ark Royal
HMS Victory in background
When I first began the series I knew that at one point I’d have to deal with Trafalgar, but as I was only in 1793, at book one, I was able to put my concerns about writing about such a famous event to one side, and get on with the business to hand. However, when I finished Invasion, I had to face the special challenges of Victory. How could I bring something fresh and new to such a well-known story? In the end I decided to do this by having two perspectives on the battle, one of my hero in his ship, and the other from a lowly midshipman aboard Victory herself.
Another problem was that while I have a huge admiration for Nelson (which, if anything, increased as I was writing the book) he is a huge presence on the maritime stage and I didn’t want him to take over the story
Nelson’s prayer
On the morning of October 21, 1805, with the combined fleets of France and Spain in sight, Nelson wrote this prayer, which I still find very moving to read :
- May the Great God, whom I worship, grant to my Country and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious Victory; and may no misconduct in any one, tarnish it and may humanity after victory be the predominant feature of the British Fleet. For myself individually, I commit my life to Him who made me and may His blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my Country faithfully. To Him I resign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Milestone in the series
Captain Peter Wright of Queen Victoria
Victory completed the trilogy (which included the previous two titles: Treachery and Invasion) that dealt with the incredible events in the two years leading up to Napoleon’s defeat at Trafalgar in 1805. Victory was a milestone in the Kydd series; it featured the last of the big set-piece naval battles. Trafalgar removed the sceptre of invasion and Great Britain was released to seek conquests and colonies in the furthest reaches of the world. In subsequent books Kydd finds himself at the forefront of this race to wrest empire from the French and Dutch in exotic and little-known corners of the world.
Read more about Victory on earlier blogs
“Renzi is my favourite character”
Posted on August 5, 2014 4 Comments
[To leave a comment or reply go to box at the end of the page]
These days, with the pervasiveness of the internet and ease of world travel for many people, an author describing locations must be very careful to get his facts right, even if he is writing about how an area was in the eighteenth/early nineteenth century. Kathy and I have travelled the world researching the Kydd series and these trips are hard work! Very enjoyable, I hasten to add, but much time is spent in museums, local archives etc. as well as taking multiple photographs and lengthy notes.
It’s always gratifying when readers tell me they have visited places mentioned in my books and that I got the descriptions spot on!
Tom Rogers visiting the Grand Cayman Museum in the Caribbean
Over to Tom…
Your favourite title?
Caribbee was the best so far, in my opinion. I’ve been to many of the Caribbean Islands including Nassau, Eleuthera, The Caymans, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Antigua, Saint Martin, St Lucia and Aruba. One of my favorite parts in Caribbee is the description of entering and invading Dutch harbour, where I’ve been. One thing I remember about that area was the beauty of the Silver Thatch Palms. Online pics do not do them justice compared to real sunlight. The cliff descriptions in the book made me think this was the entry area to Cayman Brac. There is a great little museum on the island. I have also been to English Harbour (Nelson’s Dockyard) and Shirley Heights, Antigua. An awesome view of the harbour below! And then there is Aruba. The Dutch look is different from any other in the Caribbean. The description of the colorful houses and small buildings was spot on. I really enjoyed Caribbee. What a great story with a few twists along the way. One of the things I especially like in the Kydd series is the way people and events in earlier books are linked to later ones. Like the drunken captain in Caribbee. I’d forgotten about him until he re-appeared!’
First boat?
I grew up in a small coastal town on the Gulf of Mexico. My hometown is Rockport, in south Texas, noted for tourism and commercial fishing (mostly oysters and bay shrimp). Growing up in Rockport, I spent quite a lot of time duck hunting and water skiing. My first boat was a Boston Whaler dinghy. Kind of like a bath-tub with a sail! My summer jobs while in grade school ranged from scraping barnacles off the bottom of boats to deck hand on off shore fishing yachts. I quickly found the topside of a boat was better. I’ve been on the Nina Columbus replica ship that was docked at Corpus Christi Texas. It was a lot smaller than I expected. The only warships I’ve been on are of the modern era – the Battleship Texas and the Aircraft Carrier Lexington.
How were you drawn to the series?
I’ve enjoyed reading nautical historical fiction from many authors including Dudley Pope and Douglas Reeman (Alexander Kent). In my electronic search for similar series, Kydd grabbed my attention; the reviews on the internet looked promising. One book later and I was hooked.
Favourite character?
Renzi is my favorite character. I enjoy his thoughts on the story. He is the most complex in the series. The fact that he is so intellectual yet fails often makes him interesting. I keep hoping good things will happen for him.
Would you like to be a candidate for Reader of the Month? Just get in touch with a few sentences about your background and why you enjoy the Kydd series!
Collectors Sets and Signed First Editions Going Fast!
Posted on August 2, 2014 7 Comments
This year I’m delighted to be offering +two+ Collectors Sets, one for Pasha, the next title in the Kydd series, and one for The Silk Tree, my standalone historical novel (and a departure from my maritime tales) set in the sixth century. Each Set is strictly limited in number and I am happy to write short inscriptions on request.
THE SILK TREE Set
The Silk Tree Collectors Set is a standalone historical novel and will be published in November. Inspired by a visit to Istanbul, and rooted in the historical record, it tells the story of two adventurers who dare all to steal the secret of silk from China. The Collectors Set comprises a signed and numbered First Edition, which will also be stamped with my own personal vermilion Chinese ‘chop’; and a signed cover postcard. This offer is in very limited numbers, just 150, so don’t delay — first come, first served…
The PASHA Set
PASHA will be published in October. This book sees Kydd involved in a critical sphere of interest: the Dardanelles, key to the route to India.
The Collectors Set comprises a signed, numbered and embossed UK First Edition and a signed cover postcard. This offer is in very limited numbers, just 500. The Pasha set is already nearly fully subscribed…
Signed First Editions
I also have a small number of signed First Editions still available: as well as INVASION, there’s TREACHERY, CONQUEST, COMMAND, QUARTERDECK, BETRAYAL and CARIBBEE. Email me julian@julianstockwin.com for further details, or use the contact form below. All these signed First Editions are £25 each, including postage for UK and Europe; £30 each for rest of world. Payment is via Paypal to admin@julianstockwin.com and a 10% discount is given for purchases of three or more books.
Julian Stockwin 