BookPick: From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow
Posted on November 16, 2014 2 Comments
The final volume in the series
Despite recent major contributions from more modern historians Marder’s books are justly regarded by many as the definitive history of naval events leading up to and including the Great War and are to my mind still some of the most readable detailed accounts.
Five volumes constitute his monumental “From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow” :
- Vol. 1 The Road to War 1904-1914
Vol. 2 To the Eve of Jutland
Vol. 3 Jutland and After: May to December 1916
Vol. 4 1917: Year of Crisis
Vol. 5 Victory and Aftermath: 1918-1919
All five books have been reprinted in paperback and the publisher is to be commended for bringing Marder to a new generation of historians and general readers.
From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow by Arthur J Marder, Published by Seaforth. ISBN 978 1 84832 203 5
Stuff a Stockwin in Santa’s Sack!
Posted on November 10, 2014 2 Comments
Lots of Stockwin goodies to choose from!
The Kydd series, in order, is:
- Kydd
Artemis
Seaflower
Mutiny
Quarterdeck
Tenacious
Command
The Admiral’s Daughter
Treachery (The Privateer’s Revenge in the US)
Invasion
Victory
Conquest
Betrayal
Caribbee
Pasha
My other two books are Stockwin’s Maritime Miscellany, a little non-fiction homage to the Golden Age of Sail and my historical standalone just come out: The Silk Tree.
All my books are widely stocked around the world and I have a small selection of signed First Editions on my website. (As it’s Christmas I’m offering a 10% discount for purchases of two or more titles. This will be refunded to your account after purchase.)
I also have a selection of paperbacks
With final Christmas posting dates approaching and personal travel plans the latest I can accept orders from my website is December 1. As usual, I’m always happy to add a personal message on request.
‘I see Kydd’s eyes open and honest, blue as a Sorrento sea… ’
Posted on November 5, 2014 2 Comments
Im delighted to feature Lin-Marie Milner-Brown as the November Reader of the Month. Lin-Marie is a book illustrator who lives in Nottinghamshire. Lin-Marie’s a great fan of sea tales and films like Master and Commander and The Onedin Line – and says the 18/19th century maritime environment now seems so familiar to her that it regularly features in lucid dreams. She says she has such an affinity with the sea that she thinks this must be in the family DNA.
Over to Lin-Marie…
Can you tell me a bit about your background and professional life as a book illustrator?
Lin-Marie
I believe you sailed in some of the great liners – what memories have you from these glorious ships?
Most of our travels (as a family) have been to and from Australia in the years 1956-64, twice with P & O, once on the Achille Lauro and also Sitmar SS Fairsky. The elegance and exciting ambience of the first three cannot be overstated…memories are vivid still, after 50 years. My brother and I had free run of the ship, even on to the bridge. We didn’t want the journeys to end, and each port promised new and exciting sights, sounds and smells. It’s so sad that the colossal cruise ships of today are like gross ‘eateries-cum-holiday resorts’, most of them clones of each other.
What drew you to the Kydd books and do you have a favourite title? Favourite character?
Lin-Marie and her husband at the famous Cape St Vincent, Portugal, site of one of Nelson’s most famous battles
My favourite character? Apart from Kydd and Renzi, of course – is Tysoe. He’s like a Caribbean Jeeves: loyal, quietly capable, wise, and seems to know intuitively what Kydd’s needs are. I like to think he does have some past /future lives of his own…perhaps there’s a theme for a book there?
For my 50th Birthday, I travelled to Cape Town and explored South Africa…I found Conquest very interesting – it bought the place to life for me.
If you had to draw Kydd what do you feel would be the essence of the portrait in terms of his personal qualities?
Kydd’s face would reveal both his serious and humorous traits. His eyes open and honest, blue as a Sorrento Sea.
Would you have liked to have lived in Kydd’s Day?
Difficult one that! The advances in medicine and hygiene have made our modern lives so much longer and more comfortable. Some of the descriptions of how wounds were treated after a battle are truly gruesome! If I could go back in time, I would have to be a man, because their lives were so much more adventurous and physical. Only wealthy women learned how to read (this ability has been such a sanity preserver for me!) and even if rich, ladies’ options were limited. I would definitely have been an officer in the Royal Navy!
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!
She Speaks: The Silk Tree – Launched in Style!
Posted on November 1, 2014 6 Comments
Just returned to Devon after a whirlwind two days in London for the launch of The Silk Tree. The launch party was held at Goldsboro books and with wine flowing and spirited conversations all around the room, the guests spilled out into Cecil Court. Fortunately it was one of those lovely balmy evenings, unusual for this time of year in London. As I find I have a bit of RSI after signing so many books I’ve invited Kathy to share her thoughts on the night.
Over to Kathy…
Goldsboro Books hosted the launch
Tom & Ishbel Stronach
Julian went on to speak about having in some ways come full circle that night. When he first started writing he’d immediately gone out and bought a number of writing manuals published by Allison & Busby – I guess they must have worked! We thought we still had a few on his reference shelves but then we remembered they’d been donated to a library writers’ group a few years back.
And here’s that scarf!
The Silk Tree will be available in both hardback and ebook
UK : Waterstones / Foyles / Amazon and other independent bookstores around the country
Australia
South Africa
Book Depository
The Silk Tree Facebook page
The Silk Tree Pinterest Board
Two double acts!
Posted on October 27, 2014 6 Comments
As long as there have been stories there have been pairings of characters – Holmes and Watson, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, Wooster and Jeeves – the list goes on and on. In both my two new books – Pasha, the latest in the Kydd series and The Silk Tree, a standalone historical set in the time of Emperor Justinian, I have double acts.
A painting of a real Thomas Kydd, master’s mate in 1801, actually not far off how I see Kydd at that stage of his life
Pasha is somewhat of a milestone in the Kydd series. Brought together as common seamen before the mast, Kydd and Renzi both eventually achieve the quarterdeck – and more. Over the course of the 15 books to date they have experienced much together and you haven’t heard the end of this double act!
The two main characters in The Silk Tree are Quintus Carus Marius, a Roman legionary and Nicander of Leptis Magna,, a Greek incense trader. After escaping the sack of Rome in 549 AD they are thrown together and, down on their luck, need to make money fast. They plot and plan a number of outrageous money-making schemes, until they chance upon their greatest idea yet: stealing the secret of silk from China. This leads to an epic quest from imperial Constantinople to legendary Sinae to the steppes and deserts of Central Asia and back.
But where do a writer’s characters come from? Obviously reading, period research and life experiences all play a part. Kathy believes that Thomas Kydd and Nicholas Renzi strongly reflect both sides of my personality – the physical me (or me when I was a little younger and a wee bit more spry…) and the logical me. That’s flattering but I don’t think a writer can just transpose aspects of his own personality on to a character. They must also reflect the values and mores of the age in which they live. And they must be characters with which the reader can have some sort of emotional bond; if you don’t care about characters – either positively or negatively – a book won’t be satisfying.
One of my readers asked if there are similarities between Kydd and Marius. Marius is a legionary, fierce and brave, and loyal to the values of Old Rome. Physically, he is more thick-set than Kydd, but they are both warriors and would fight to the death for the right cause. One of the advantages of writing a series is that you can have real character development and I have seen Kydd as a young wig-maker from Guildford transform into a captain in the Royal Navy. Marius does not change a great deal in The Silk Tree but elements of his character do develop and come to the fore in terms of leadership and true friendship. Marius also has a fairly basic attitude to the female of the species whereas Kydd is really a romantic at heart!
It might be interesting to ask the same question regarding Nicander and Renzi. What do you think?
I’d also love to hear from you what picture you have in your mind’s eye of the central characters after you’ve read these books. Is there one you feel particular empathy with? One you don’t?
Kydd and Renzi will go on for many books to come but at the moment there are no plans for a sequel for Nicander and Marius – however if there’s one thing I’ve learned over a lifetime of many adventures it’s that nothing’s set in stone!
Pasha is published in the UK/Commonwealth by Hodder & Stoughton and in the US by McBooks Press.
The Silk Tree is published in the UK/Commonwealth ex Canada by Allison & Busby
Kydd Series Facebook page
Kydd Series Pinterest Board
The Silk Tree Facebook page
The Silk Tree Pinterest Board
The Silk Tree: Fact v Fiction
Posted on October 23, 2014 3 Comments
My standalone historical fiction The Silk Tree is somewhat of a departure from my seafaring tales but has been a hugely enjoyable project, not the least being the research. As in all historical fiction there is a certain leeway for an author but I firmly believe you have to thoroughly do your homework first and establish what facts are known. Then the historical fiction writer’s creative challenge is to craft a page-turning story, filling in the gaps between what is known to be fact, to offer a plausible and entertaining tale.
The Silk Road (that actual term wasn’t used until the nineteenth century) began very early. An organised camel-based commerce was in place at the time of Alexander the Great’s feats of conquest. There was regular early Roman trade which was interrupted by the Parthians and Persians after which it fell off until the medieval golden age of Marco Polo. It declined terminally when Vasco da Gama found a trading route to the east around Africa in 1498, although the last camel caravans lingered on until modern times. Relics of the Silk Road are still in existence. I visited an ancient caravanserai on the Anatolian plateau and many can still be found dotted along the old routes into Central Asia.
Just what is known of the story of silk? China kept the secret for all of a thousand years and legend there tells of a princess who smuggled eggs out in her headdress when married to a prince of Khotan. In the West accounts generally agree that it was two monks who returned from China in 551 with the secret of silk – I have this from three sources. However these documents vary in their details, each providing tantalising references and with no one version standing out as definitive. My tale is based on these.
Where we do have verifiable historical information I have taken some pains to ensure veracity. Many of my characters in The Silk Tree did exist and it was fascinating researching their lives.
I’ve picked just five to highlight:
Emperor Justinian was a towering figure in antiquity who did much to restore the respect and standing of the Roman Empire in the East, and his codifying of laws is the basis of much jurisprudence today. He was, incidentally, the last emperor to speak Latin as a native first language.
Belisarius was his loyal and gifted military general who some claim was ill-used by a jealous Justinian. It is undisputed that it was largely his genius that allowed Justinian to reclaim much of the Western Roman Empire, giving rise to his nickname of ‘Last of the Romans’.
The warlord-turned emperor Wen Hsuan was a genuinely unpleasant individual, the range of his barbarity grim and shocking. He poisoned the deposed emperor ten months after assuming the throne and his blood-soaked reign lasted for another nine years. Stability only came with the glorious Tang dynasty 70 years later.
Antonina was daughter and granddaughter of charioteers and became an actress, much derided by my historian Procopius for her lewd performances. She oddly became friend and confidante to Theodora, the wife of Justinian and became privy to court secrets. Belisarius saw her and fell in love and she gave up her wild life to follow him in his campaigns.
Ts’ao Fu was a poet of stature in the murderous times before the dawn of the great T’ang dynasty. These men, inheritors of a continuous cultural past, that was well over a thousand years old at this time produced works of great beauty that are still revered to this day.
The Silk Tree will is available in both hardback and ebook
UK : Waterstones Foyles Amazon and other independent bookstores around the country
Australia
South Africa
Book Depository
The Silk Tree Facebook page
The Silk Tree Pinterest Board
Reviews
‘Fascinating story full of colour and incident’
– Historical Novel Society
‘A …tale of great power and entertainment’
– Firetrench Reviews
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So where am I now…?
Posted on October 17, 2014 2 Comments
Being an author with quite a few published books under my belt can sometimes be a bit of a strain on the old grey matter when a reader corners me at a book signing or talk and asks about a specific incident in a book I wrote five or ten years ago. They may have just read that particular book and vividly recall it while it might take me a few moments to bring it to mind!
Out and about with Pasha signings
This taxing of the little grey cells is further compounded by the fact that this year not only do I have a backlist of 15 titles in print but I have two new books out – Pasha and The Silk Tree.
When I’m writing I find I have to totally immerse myself in the work, taking myself back in time to whatever year and location the book is set in. Fortunately I have Kathy as my ‘reality manager’ when this intense writing is going on and she deals with the demands of modern life while I am away in the eighteenth century or wherever…
2014 has been a busy year but I’m certainly not complaining. Location research for Pasha and The Silk Tree took me to the fascinating city of Istanbul and other parts of Turkey, a country so rich in history and culture. I’ve been fortunate indeed to have seen so much of the world now in the course of my literary career.
Toasting the upcoming launch of The Silk Tree with Susie Dunlop, Publishing Director, Allison & Busby
At the moment, as well as preparing for various promotional events I’ve been hard at work on the new Kydd title to be published in 2015. I’m not allowed to divulge anything about this one just yet, though. The first draft is nearly finished and then it’s a very thorough edit and cross-checking etc. to meet the January 1 deadline for delivery of the manuscript to my publisher.
So, where am I now?
- 1. Pasha is just out, bringing the number of Kydd titles in print to 15.
2. The Silk Tree is officially published on November 6 and there’s a special launch party in London at Goldsboro Books on October 30 at 6:30 where you can buy an early copy which I’d be delighted to sign on the night.
Goldsboro Books is one of my favourite London bookshops. Set in the heart of the West End in the picturesque Cecil Court, it’s just a short walk from Leicester Square.
Do get in touch with me on email if you’d like an invitation – I have an allocation for fans!
3. Stockwin’s Maritime Miscellany, my little non-fiction tome is now out in paperback and available as well as an ebook.
Future writing?
It’s full steam ahead for more Kydd titles, one a year foreseeably. And following on from The Silk Tree I’ll be writing more standalone historical novels that are thematically linked – each focusing on an important pivotal point in history.
So for 2015 it’s going to be haul taut and stand on for me and my doughty crew…
Re-readers: around the buoy again!
Posted on October 13, 2014 8 Comments
As I travel around various events for the launch of Pasha I’ve been struck – and humbled – by the number of readers who tell me they’ve read the earlier titles in the Kydd series all over again in anticipation of the new book (sometimes more than twice). This is a large investment in terms of their time – some 1.4 million words or 150-200 straight hours!
A recent book signing for Pasha
‘Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed recently reading Command again. Brought back very clear memories of being first in command myself. I enjoyed the description of the voyage down from Sydney, including the ‘southerly buster’. Have experienced the impact of that wind myself!’
I’d love to hear which is your favourite title if you’re a ‘re-reader’. And what particular characters – or incidents – stand out for you.
And while we’re on the subject of feedback…
Did you find the maps and glossaries in the last few titles useful?
Is my author’s note something you read after finishing the book or do you dip into it before getting into the story?
Please email me at julian@julianstockwin.com with any thoughts on these – or reply to this blog if you prefer.
As a small thank you for your feedback I’ll have a draw of all respondents at the end of the month for an unabridged audiobook set of Caribbee.
Pasha – Julian Stockwin
Posted on October 9, 2014 2 Comments
Chuffed with this review of PASHA
I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to be back at sea once again with Captain Thomas Kydd. Though the majority of my reading is of novels set in the ancient world or at most in the high medieval era, every now and then I like to dip into another era for a change, and Stockwin is fast becoming one of my absolute favourites.
If you’ve not read any of the Kydd series, I’d best warn you that you might not want to start with this volume, Pasha being the fifteenth book in the series. Of course, the bright side of that is that if you haven’t read any of them, I’m switching you onto not just one book, but 15.
Set in the late 18th to early 19th century, the series follows the nautical adventures of one Thomas Kydd, a low born southern Englishman who rises through…
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It’s Pasha Publication Day!!
Posted on October 9, 2014 6 Comments
Today Pasha is officially launched in the UK; publication in the US and other countries follows.
In a few minutes, Kathy and I will be heading off with Hodder Southwest Regional Sales Executive Julia Benson for a busy day visiting bookstores around the region.
Team Stockwin will be raising a glass (or two…) tonight!
As always, on Launch Day evening, the Stockwins will be cracking a bottle of champagne and toasting the ongoing adventures of Kydd and Renzi. I vividly recall my first book contract for four Kydd titles – on sober reflection it seemed an enormous undertaking! Not that I didn’t have faith in my vision of around a dozen books all told, I did, but a new writer’s nervousness did creep in at times. But, as I got deeper into the historical record I saw that there was even more scope than I had at first thought. That initial estimate of the number of Kydd titles has now doubled.
One of the things that especially pleases me is the relationship Kathy and I have developed over the years during the creation of the books. It was Kathy who first started me on the path to becoming a published writer and she is now a very integral part of the writing process. As well as her role in hands-on editing – and many other things – for a large part of the time she keeps the real world at bay, allowing me to deeply immerse myself in the writing. It truly is Team Stockwin!
Having been a magazine editor-in-chief Kathy has a very strong sense of what makes for a good story. Once I’ve done the ground-work in terms of delving into the historical record and laying out the plot we get together and develop my initial thoughts into a strong beginning and a satisfying end, as well as fine-tuning the narrative arc of the book. Then I start the actual writing; along the way we often walk and talk the parts in the beautiful Longtimbers by the Erme River, making sure the right tension, personal stakes etc. are present and correct.
Pasha does have a few surprises in store for the reader and I’d be delighted to hear from you after you’ve read it.
Meanwhile, in between book signings, I’m cracking on with the next book, scheduled to be published this time next year. Not allowed to divulge anything about this one yet but again, I think I can promise a few more surprises in the lives of Kydd and Renzi!
Julian Stockwin 