6.5 Fiction
Description
This article is from the Boats FAQ, by John F. Hughes with numerous contributions by others.
6.5 Fiction
SHIP OF GOLD, Thomas B. Allen, thriller: CIA, Pentagon, sunken ship.
HOME IS THE SAILOR, Jorge Amado, the Whole Truth concerning the
Redoubtful Adventures of Captain Vasco Moscoso de Aragao, Master
Mariner.
THE GOLDEN KEEL, Desmond Bagley, smuggling gold as the keel of a
yacht.
SABATICAL, John Barth, 1982.
TIDEWATER TALES, John Barth, 1987.
THE LAST VOYAGE OF SOMEBODY THE SAILOR, John Barth, 1991.
THE TINFISH RUN, Ronald Bassett.
THE CRUISE OF THE BREADWINNER, H. E. Bates, 1946, WW II
fishing boat on patrol.
DUEL, John Baxter.
REGATTA ?, John Baxter.
THE BLACK YACHT, John Baxter.
THE CHALLENGE AND THE GLORY, John Baxter.
AROUND THE WORLD SUBMERGED, Edward Beach, nonfiction.
DUST ON THE SEA, Edward Beach.
NAVAL TERMS DICTIONARY, Edward Beach, nonfiction.
NOTE ON BEACH, Edward Beach, submarine officer from WWII to
nuclear era, Captain of Triton on the round-the-world-submerged run,
and a good writer.
RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP, Edward Beach, classic WW II Pacific
submarine action.
SUBMARINE!, Edward Beach.
GOLDEN FLEECE, Jack Becklund.
JAWS, Peter Benchley, 1974.
TO BUILD A SHIP, Don Berry, 1963, building a ship in the wilderness on
Tillamook Bay in the early pioneer days.
LIGHTSHIP, Archie Binns, 1934, Lives of the crew of a lightship off the
northwest coast.
CHARCO HARBOUR, Godfrey Blunden, 1968, A novel of unknown seas
and a fabled passaged with coral reefs and magnetical islands, of
shipwreck and a lonely haven; the true story of the last of the great
navigators, his bark, and the men in her.
BLUE SLOOP AT DAWN, Richard Bode, Small boat sailing off Long
Island, from to the "sloop of dreams".
THE WHALE OF THE VICTORIA CROSS, Pierre Boulle, During the
Falkland Is. a whale, first mistaken for a submarine, becomes a hero.
DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER, William Brinkley, WW II comedy.
THE 99, William Brinkley, LST supports allied landings in Italy.
THE LAST SHIP, William Brinkley, US destroyer survives nuclear war.
RUN TO THE LEE, Kenneth F. Brooks, 1965, Chesapeake oyster
schooner; a blizzard.
THE BOAT, Lothar Gunther Buchheim, WWII German submarine; very
authentic.
WHERE IS JOE MERCHANT?, Jimmy Buffett.
TALES OF MARGARITAVILLE, Jimmy Buffett, 1989.
DESPERATE VOYAGE, John Caldwell, 1949.
A FLOCK OF SHIPS, Brian Callison.
A PLAGUE OF SAILERS, Brian Callison.
SEXTANT, Brian Callison.
A SHIP IS DYING, Brian Callison.
THE JUDAS SHIP, Brian Callison, WW II tale.
TRAPP AND WW III, Brian Callison.
TRAPP'S CROCODILE, Brian Callison.
TRAPP'S PEACE, Brian Callison.
TRAPP'S WAR, Brian Callison, all the Trapp books are humorous.
A WEB OF SALVAGE, Brian Callison.
THE WHITE SHIP, Ian Cameron, Treasure hunt in the S. Sandwich
islands.
THE AMPHORAE PIRATES, Lou Cameron, Diving for ancient treasures
off Greece.
SPARTINA, John Casey, Only partly about boats. Very much about
people who work with boats for a living.
THE DEVIL'S VOYAGE, Jack L. Chalker, 1981, fictionalized account of
USS Indianapolis' sinking.
CAPTAIN ADAM, Donald B Chidsey, 18th century nautical adventure.
RIDDLE OF THE SANDS, Erskine Childers, No list of fiction would be
complete without mentioning that first and greatest of all spy tales,
Erskine Childers' RIDDLE OF THE SANDS (which was also made into
an excellent film available on video. Lots of sailing...). Erskine Childers
was later himself shot as a spy in Ireland and his son became Ireland's
second President after Eamonn de Valera. (fm.
NOTE ON CHILDERS, Erskine Childers, 1903, See also biography The
Riddle of Erskine Childers, by Andrew Boyle, 1977.
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, Tom Clancy, nuclear submarine
hunt.
COLLINS TITLES UNKNOWN, Warwick Collins, America's Cup trilogy.
MIRROR OF THE SEA, Joseph Conrad, nonfiction; very good.
NOTE ON CONRAD, Joseph Conrad, twenty years under sail and steam;
a top English writer.
THE HEART OF DARKNESS, Joseph Conrad.
WITHIN THE TIDES, Joseph Conrad, tales.
NIGGER OF THE NARCISSUS, Joseph Conrad, 1897.
LORD JIM, Joseph Conrad, 1900.
YOUTH, Joseph Conrad, 1902.
TYPHOON, Joseph Conrad, 1903.
THE SECRET SHARER, Joseph Conrad, 1910.
THE SHADOW LINE, Joseph Conrad, 1916 or 1917.
AFLOAT AND ASHORE, James Fenimore Cooper.
NOTE ON COOPER, James Fenimore Cooper, Cooper's sea tales are
supposed to be much better than his famous frontiersmen stuff.
THE PILOT, James Fenimore Cooper.
TWO ADMIRALS, A TALE OF THE SEA, James Fenimore Cooper.
THE RED ROVER, James Fenimore Cooper, 1850.
KILLER'S WAKE, Bernard Cornwell.
SEA LORD, Bernard Cornwell.
WILDTRACK, Bernard Cornwell.
CRACKDOWN, Bernard Cornwell, 1990.
STORM CHILD, Bernard Cornwell, 1991.
CYCLOPS, Clive Cussler, modern thriller.
DEEP SIX, Clive Cussler, modern thriller.
DRAGON, Clive Cussler, modern thriller.
ICEBERG, Clive Cussler, modern thriller.
RAISE THE TITANIC!, Clive Cussler, modern thriller.
THE MEDITERRANEAN CAPER, Clive Cussler, modern thriller.
TREASURE, Clive Cussler, modern thriller.
NOTE ON DE HARTOG, Jan de Hartog, de Hartog sailed as mate in
Dutch ocean-going tugboats.
THE LOST SEA, Jan de Hartog, about the Zuyder Zee.
THE DISTANT SHORE, A STORY OF THE SEA, Jan de Hartog, 1952.
THE CALL OF THE SEA, Jan de Hartog, 1966, collection.
THE CAPTAIN, Jan de Hartog, 1966, Dutch salvage tug accompanies
WW II Murmansk convoys.
CAPTAIN JAN, Jan de Hartog, 1976, Fiction? Nautical?
THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT, Jan de Hartog, 1983, Escape from the
Japanese in Indonesia during WW II.
STAR OF PEACE : A NOVEL OF THE SEA, Jan de Hartog, 1984,
aging freighter full of Jews flees Nazis.
THE COMMODORE : A NOVEL OF THE SEA, Jan de Hartog, 1986,
The "captain", now 70, finds himself towing a giant oil rig to Singapore.
THE LIFE ADVENTURES AND PYRACIES OF THE FAMOUS
CAPTAIN SINGLETON, Daniel Defoe, 1728.
THE LIFE AND STRANGE SURPRISING ADVENTURES OF
ROBINSON CRUSOE, MARINER, Daniel Defoe, ca. 1726.
VOYAGE OF THE DEVILFISH, Micha DiMercurio, 1992, Near-future
submarine clash.
AWAY ALL BOATS, Kenneth Dodson, 1954, WW II attack in the
Pacific; on video.
CAPTAIN SHARKEY: HOW THE GOVERNMENT OF ST. KITT'S
CAME HOME, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
DEATH VOYAGE, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
HOW COPLEY BANKS SLEW CAPTAIN SHARKEY, Arthur Conan
Doyle, short story.
J. HABAKUK JEPHSON'S STATEMENT, Arthur Conan Doyle, short
story.
JELLAND'S VOYAGE, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
PIRATE STORIES, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
THAT LITTLE SQUARE BOX, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
THE BLIGHTING OF SHARKEY, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
THE CAPTAIN OF THE "POLESTAR", Arthur Conan Doyle, short
story.
THE DEALINGS OF CAPTAIN SHARKEY WITH STEVEN
CRADDOCK, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
THE FATE OF THE EVANGELINE, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
THE FIEND OF THE COOPERAGE, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
THE "SLAPPING SAL", Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
THE STRIPED CHEST, Arthur Conan Doyle, short story.
THE TRAGEDY OF "FLOWERY LAND", Arthur Conan Doyle, short
story.
TOUCH AND GO: A MIDSHIPMAN'S STORY, Arthur Conan Doyle,
short story.
DAUNTLESS, Alan Evans, WW I cruiser in the Med.
HAAKON HAAKONSEN, O. V. Falck-Ytter.
ADMIRAL HORNBLOWER IN THE WEST INDIES, C.S. Forester,
Hornblower 5/1821 - 10/1823.
AFRICAN QUEEN, C.S. Forester, steam launch on African river.
BEAT TO QUARTERS, C.S. Forester, Hornblower (U.K.: The Happy
Return) 6/08 - 10/08.
BROWN ON RESOLUTION, C.S. Forester, Marooned Britsh sailor takes
on WW II.
COMMODORE HORNBLOWER, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 5/12 -
10/12.
FLYING COLORS, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 11/10 - 6/11.
GERMAN RAIDER, C.S. Forester, Single-handed, film title Sailor of the
King.
GOLD FROM CRETE, C.S. Forester, WW II stories.
HORNBLOWER AND THE ATROPOS, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 12/05
- 1/08.
HORNBLOWER AND THE HOTSPUR, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 4/03
- 7/05.
HORNBLOWER DURING THE CRISIS, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 1805.
LIEUTENANT HORNBLOWER, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 5/1800 -
4/1803.
LORD HORNBLOWER, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 10/13- 5/14.
MR. MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWER, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 6/1794
- 4/1798.
NOTE ON FORESTER, C.S. Forester, Prior to Patrick O'Brian,
regarded as the uniquely satisfying novelist on naval life in the Napoleanic
period. Also wrote several histories. This is not E.M. Forster, another
British author.
SHIP OF THE LINE, C.S. Forester, Hornblower 5/10 - 10/10.
THE CAPTAIN FROM CONNECTICUT, C.S. Forester, U.S. frigate
captain ca. 1812.
THE EARTHLY PARADISE, C.S. Forester, Columbus.
THE GOOD SHEPARD, C.S. Forester, WW II convoy.
THE LAST NINE DAYS OF THE BISMARCK, C.S. Forester, fictional
conversations.
THE MAN IN THE YELLOW RAFT, C.S. Forester, WW II stories.
THE SHIP, C.S. Forester, WW II British cruiser.
THE HAND OF DESTINY, C.S. Forester, 1940, Hornblower short story
Colliers November 23.
HORNBLOWER AND HIS MAJESTY, C.S. Forester, 1941, Hornblower
short story, Colliers march.
HORNBLOWER'S CHARITABLE OFFERING, C.S. Forester, 1941,
Hornblower short story, Argosy UK may.
THE HORNBLOWER COMPANION, C.S. Forester, 1964.
ASIA RIP, George Foy.
CHALLENGE, George Foy, 12 meters.
COASTER, George Foy.
PYRATES, George McDonald Fraser, comic spoof of Hollywood sea
movies.
FIDDLER'S GREEN, Ernest Gann, 1950, West coast US commercial
fishing.
TWILIGHT FOR THE GODS, Ernest Gann, 1956, The High and the
Mighty goes to sea. The movie of this one starred Gann's own barkentine.
SONG OF THE SIRENS, Ernest Gann, 1968, Gann's nautical
autobiography is a good read too.
HATTERAS LIGHT, Philip Gerard, lighthouse keeper's story.
DEAD RUN, Tony Gibbs, (gm).
LANDFALL, Tony Gibbs, One of Gibbs' excellent thrillers about boats.
Blood Orange is another, and also quite good. (jh).
RUNNING FIX, Tony Gibbs, (gm).
GLENCANNON AFLOAT, Guy Gilpatric.
NOTE ON GLENCANNON, Guy Gilpatric, The Glencannon stories
feature a Scots Chief Engineer on steamers, a common character of late
19th to early 20th century marine life. These stories are set in this
century, approximately contemporary to the time they were written.
THE GENTLEMAN WITH THE WALRUS MUSTACHE, Guy Gilpatric.
THE SECOND GLENCANNON OMNIBUS, Guy Gilpatric.
THE GLENCANNON OMNIBUS, Guy Gilpatric, 1937, includes Scotch
and Water, Half Seas Over, and Three Sheets in the Wind.
ACTION IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, Guy Gilpatric, 1943.
THE CANNY MR. GLENCANNON, Guy Gilpatric, 1948, 10 short
stories.
GLENCANNON MEETS TUGBOAT ANNIE, Guy Gilpatric, 1956.
BEST OF GLENCANNON, Guy Gilpatric, 1968, 22 short stories.
FIRE DOWN BELOW, William Golding.
PINCHER MARTIN THE TWO DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER
MARTIN, William Golding, 1956, Torpedoed RN officer washes up on a
barren rock in the middle of the Atlantic. Strange Rites of Passage.
DELILAH, Marcus Goodrich, 1941, Life on an early US destroyer.
MR. ROBERTS, Thomas Haggenn, 1946.
ESCAPE FROM JAVA, Harvey Haislip, WW II destroyer crew flees
Japanese.
MONA PASSAGE, Donald Hamilton.
WANDERER, Sterling Hayden, autobiographical; a better book than
Voyage.
VOYAGE: A NOVEL OF 1896, Sterling Hayden, 1976.
THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, Ernest Hemingway.
THE CRIMSON WIND, Max Hennessy, pirates?
THE LION AT SEA, Max Hennessy, WW I naval adventure.
BLACK VULMEA'S VENGEANCE AND OTHER TALES OF
PIRATES, Robert E. Howard, 1976.
A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA, OR, THE INNOCENT VOYAGE,
Richard A Hughes, pirates inadvertently kidnap children; made into a
movie.
THE GUN, Victor Hugo, what a loose cannon on deck can do.
CRUISE OF DANGER, Hammond Innes.
SOLOMON'S SEAL, Hammond Innes.
THE BLACK TIDE, Hammond Innes.
THE WRECK OF THE MARY DEARE, Hammond Innes, A
freighter,apparently unmanned, nearly runs down a sailboat in the
Englishchannel with a gale rising; that's in the first two pages.Remarkable
descriptions of the Minquiers, a reef off the coast of France.
WRECKERS MUST BREATHE, Hammond Innes.
ATLANTIC FURY, Hammond Innes, 1962.
STRODE VENTURER, Hammond Innes, 1965.
THE LAST VOYAGE: CAPTAIN COOK'S LOST DIARY, Hammond
Innes, 1979.
A SCENT OF SEA, Geoffry Jenkins.
THE WATERING PLACE OF GOOD PEACE, Geoffry Jenkins.
THREE MEN IN A BOAT, NOT TO MENTION THE DOG, Jerome K.
Jerome, ca. 1900, classic comedy of a camping trip in a Thames skiff.
SAILOR, Richard Jessup, 20th century merchant marine tale.
THE DOG WATCH, Ted Jones.
BEYOND THE REEF, Alexander Kent.
COLOURS ALOFT!, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1803.
COMMAND A KING'S SHIP, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1784.
ENEMY IN SIGHT!, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1794.
FORM LINE OF BATTLE!, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1793.
HONOR THIS DAY, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1804.
IN GALLANT COMPANY, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1777.
MIDSHIPMAN BOLITHO AND THE AVENGER, Alexander Kent,
Richard Bolitho 1773.
NOTE ON KENT, Alexander Kent, Alexander Kent is a pseudonym for
Douglas Reeman. 18th century British naval action.
PASSAGE TO MUTINY, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1789.
RICHARD BOLITHO - MIDSHIPMAN, Alexander Kent, Richard
Bolitho 1772.
SIGNAL - CLOSE ACTION!, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1798.
SLOOP OF WAR, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1778.
STAND INTO DANGER, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1774.
SUCCESS TO THE BRAVE, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1802.
THE DARKENING SEA, Alexander Kent.
THE FLAG CAPTAIN, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1795.
THE INSHORE SQUADRON, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1800.
THE ONLY VICTOR, Alexander Kent.
TO GLORY WE STEER, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1782.
A TRADITION OF VICTORY, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho 1801.
WITH ALL DISPATCH, Alexander Kent, Richard Bolitho.
CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS, Rudyard Kipling, 1896.
BILL KNOX, Michael Kirk.
CARGO RISK, Michael Kirk.
MAYDAY FROM MALAGA, Michael Kirk, nautical?
SALVAGE JOB, Michael Kirk.
BLOODTIDE, Bill Knox.
BLUEBACK., Bill Knox.
BOMBSHIP, Bill Knox.
DEAD MAN'S MOORING, Bill Knox.
DRAGONSHIP, Bill Knox.
FIGUREHEAD, Bill Knox, nautical?
HELLSPOUT, Bill Knox, nautical?
LIVE BAIT, Bill Knox.
SEAFIRE, Bill Knox.
STORM TIDE, Bill Knox.
WAVECREST, Bill Knox.
WHITEWATER, Bill Knox.
WITCHROCK, Bill Knox.
THE FRENCH ADMIRAL, Dewey Lambdin, 1780.
THE GUN KETCH, Dewey Lambdin, 1786.
THE KING'S COAT, Dewey Lambdin, 1780.
THE KING'S COMMISSION, Dewey Lambdin.
THE KING'S PRIVATEER, Dewey Lambdin.
CAPTAIN KIDD'S CAT, ETC., Robert Lawson, 1956, <500 character
subtitle cut> as narrated by his faithful cat.
DEADEYE, Sam Llewellyn.
DEATHROLL, Sam Llewellyn.
RIPTIDE, Sam Llewellyn.
DEAD RECKONING, Sam Llewellyn, 1987.
SEA STORY, Sam Llewellyn, 1987.
BLOOD KNOT, Sam Llewellyn, 1991.
THE SEA WOLF, Jack London.
TALES OF THE FISH PATROL, Jack London, 1905, oyster pirates on
SF bay, lots of small boat sailing.
THE MUTINY OF THE ELSINORE, Jack London, 1914.
SOUTH SEA TALES, Jack London, 1939.
BRIGHT ORANGE FOR THE SHROUD, John D. MacDonald, Travis
McGee 06.
CINNAMON SKIN, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 20.
DARKER THAN AMBER, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 07.
DEADLY SHADE OF GOLD, A, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 05.
DEEP BLUE GOODBYE, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 01.
DREADFUL LEMON SKY, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 16.
DRESS HER IN INDIGO, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 11.
EMPTY COPPER SEA, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 17.
FREE FALL IN CRIMSON, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 19.
GIRL IN THE PLAIN BROWN WRAPPER, THE, John D. MacDonald,
Travis McGee 10.
GREEN RIPPER, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 18.
LONELY SILVER RAIN, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 21.
LONG LAVENDER LOOK, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 12.
NIGHTMARE IN PINK, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 02.
NOTE ON TRAVIS MCGEE, John D. MacDonald, of the Travis McGee
series, some have considerable sea/boating action; others are only
peripherally about boating. McGee lives on a houseboat in Ft.
LauderDamnDale.
ONE FEARFUL YELLOW EYE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 08.
PALE GRAY FOR GUILT, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 09.
PURPLE PLACE FOR DYING, A, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 03.
QUICK RED FOX, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 04.
SCARLET RUSE, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 14.
SHADES OF TRAVIS MCGEE, John D. MacDonald.
TAN AND SANDY SILENCE, A, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 13.
TURQUOISE LAMENT, THE, John D. MacDonald, Travis McGee 15.
THE LAST ONE LEFT, John D. MacDonald, 1967.
SEAWITCH, Alistair MacLean.
SOUTH BY JAVA HEAD, Alistair MacLean.
H.M.S. ULYSSES, Alistair MacLean, 1955.
FRANK MILDMAY, Frederick Marryat.
NOTE ON MARRYAT, Frederick Marryat, Marryat was a British naval
Captain in the Napoleonic wars, starting his career on board Lord
Cochrane's ship. Lord Cochrane was the colorful officer whose exploits
were later an inspiration to Forester and O'Brian. Only contemporary
novels.
POOR JACK, Frederick Marryat, Set in and around the Greenwich naval
pensioners' hospital. Contains the oldest recorded lyrics to "Spanish
Ladies".
THE PHANTOM SHIP, Frederick Marryat, The "Lost Dutchman".
THE KINGS OWN, Frederick Marryat, 1830.
NEWTON FOSTER; OR THE MERCHANT SERVICE, Frederick
Marryat, 1832.
JACOB FAITHFUL; OR THE STORY OF A WATERMAN, Frederick
Marryat, 1834.
MR. MIDSHIPMAN EASY, Frederick Marryat, 1834, his best-known
work.
PETER SIMPLE, Frederick Marryat, 1834, Based on the exploits of Lord
Cochrane when he commanded frigates Marryat served in.
THE PIRATE AND THE THREE CUTTERS, Frederick Marryat, 1836.
SNARLEYYOW OR THE DOG FIEND, Frederick Marryat, 1837,
Smuggling and Jacobites in 1699 (...in a purely literary sense his real
masterpiece...(The Oxford Companion)).
MASTERMAN READY; OR, THE WRECK OF THE PACIFIC,
Frederick Marryat, 1841.
THE SOUTHSEAMAN, Weston Martyr.
NOTE ON MASEFIELD, John Masefield, poet laureate of England - 1930.
SALT-WATER BALLADS, John Masefield, 1902.
THE BIRD OF DAWNING, John Masefield, 1903, clipper adventure; one
of the best.
MAINSAIL HAUL, John Masefield, 1905, short stories.
A TARPAULIN MUSTER, John Masefield, 1907, 24 short stories.
A SAILOR'S GARLAND, John Masefield, 1924.
SALT-WATER BALLADS AND POEMS, John Masefield, 1944.
SEA POEMS, John Masefield, 1978.
THE GOLD OF MALABAR, Berkeley Mather.
CASUALS OF THE SEA, William McFee, 1916, McFee was a marine
engineer, so his writing is set during the heyday of steam.
COMMAND, William McFee, 1923.
IN THE FIRST WATCH, William McFee, 1946.
THE SAND PEBBLES, Richard McKenna, 1962, US gunboat on the
Yangtze River.
MASTER OF MORGANA, Allan C. McLean, Scots salmon fisherman
solves murder.
BILLY BUDD, FORETOPMAN, Herman Melville.
MOBY DICK, Herman Melville.
OMOO, Herman Melville.
REDBURN, Herman Melville.
TYPEE, Herman Melville.
WHITE-JACKET, OR, THE WORLD IN A MAN-OF-WAR, Herman
Melville.
CHESAPEAKE, James Michener.
TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC, James Michener, island life in WW
II US navy.
DARKEN SHIP, Nicholas Monsarrat, the unfinished novel.
THE MASTER MARINER, Nicholas Monsarrat, time traveler.
THREE CORVETTES, Nicholas Monsarrat, 194?
HMS MARLBOROUGH WILL ENTER HARBOR, Nicholas Monsarrat, 1947.
THE CRUEL SEA, Nicholas Monsarrat, 1951, WWII convoy escort, and
his best by far.
GREY SEAS UNDER, Farley Mowat, non-fiction.
THE BOAT THAT WOULDN'T FLOAT, Farley Mowat, non-fiction.
THE SERPENT'S COIL, Farley Mowat, non-fiction.
ANGEL DEATH, Patricia Moyes, 1980.
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, Charles Nordhoff and James Norman
Hall, see also In Search of Paradise, about Nordhoff and Hall.
MEN AGAINST THE SEA, Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, 1934.
PITCAIRN'S ISLAND, Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, 1934.
THE HURRICANE, Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, 1938,
Tahiti.
DESOLATION ISLAND, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 5.
H.M.S. SURPRISE, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 3.
MAURITIUS COMMAND, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 4.
NOTE ON O"BRIAN, Patrick O'Brian, arguably the top novelist of life
under square sails.
POST CAPTAIN, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 2.
THE AUBREY/MATURIN SERIES, Patrick O'Brian, British Naval
Fiction at its best. Aubrey is a Captain in the British Navy, Maturin is
the Ship's surgeon. Good fight scenes, excellent details on naval life and
almost anything else ca. 1790-1815. The first volume is "Master and
Commander.".
THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin
no. 10.
THE FORTUNE OF WAR, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 6.
THE IONIAN MISSION, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 8.
THE LETTER OF MARQUE, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 12.
THE NUTMEG OF CONSOLATION, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin
no. 14.
THE REVERSE OF THE MEDAL, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin
no. 11.
THE SURGEON'S MATE, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 7.
THE THIRTEEN GUN SALUTE, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 13.
THE TRUELOVE, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 15.
THE UNKNOWN SHORE, Patrick O'Brian.
TREASON'S HARBOR, Patrick O'Brian, Aubrey/Maturin no. 9.
THE GOLDEN OCEAN, Patrick O'Brian, 1957.
MASTER AND COMMANDER, Patrick O'Brian, 1969, Aubrey/Maturin
no. 1.
THE WINE-DARK SEA, Patrick O'Brian, 1993, Aubrey/Maturin no. 16.
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ROYAL NAVY: 1776 - 1816, C. Northcote
Parkinson.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HORATIO HORNBLOWER, C. Northcote
Parkinson.
DEVIL TO PAY, C. Northcote Parkinson, 1973, 1800-period naval action:
1794.
THE FIRESHIP, C. Northcote Parkinson, 1975, 1800-period naval action:
1797.
TOUCH AND GO, C. Northcote Parkinson, 1977, 1800-period naval
action:.
DEAD RECKONING, C. Northcote Parkinson, 1978, 1800-period naval
action:.
STORM FORCE 10, Harry Patterson, german armed raider trying to
make it home in WWII.
BLOOD OF THE ALBATROSS, Ridley Pearson.
NOTE ON PEASE, Howard Pease, for "young" readers:.
THE TATTOOED MAN, Howard Pease, 1926, a tale of strange
adventures, befalling Tod Moran, <cuts> upon his first voyage from San
Francisco to Genoa, via the Panama canal.
THE JINX SHIP, Howard Pease, 1927, the dark adventure that befell Tod
Moran when he shipped as fireman aboard the tramp steamer "Congo",
bound out of New York for Caribbean ports.
SHANGHAI PASSAGE, Howard Pease, 1929, being a tale of mystery and
adventure on the high seas in which Stuart Ormsby is shanghaied aboard
the tramp steamer "Nanking" bound for ports on the China coast.
SECRET CARGO, Howard Pease, 1931, the story of Larry Mathews and
his dog Sambo, forcastle mates on the tramp steamer "Creole trader"
New Orleans to the South seas.
THE SHIP WITHOUT A CREW, Howard Pease, 1934, the strange
adventures of Tod Moran, third mate of the tramp steamer "Araby".
HURRICANE WEATHER, Howard Pease, 1936.
FOGHORNS, Howard Pease, 1937, a story of the San Francisco water
front.
CAPTAIN BINNACLE, Howard Pease, 1938.
THE BLACK TANKER, Howard Pease, 1941.
NIGHT BOAT, AND OTHER TOD MORAN MYSTERIES, Howard
Pease, 1942.
HEART OF DANGER, Howard Pease, 1946, a tale of adventure on land
and sea with Tod Moran, third mate of the tramp steamer "Araby".
BOUND FOR SINGAPORE, Howard Pease, 1948.
WIND IN THE RIGGING, Howard Pease, 1951, an adventurous voyage of
Tod Moran on the tramp steamer "Sumatra" New York to North Africa.
CAPTAIN OF THE ARABY, Howard Pease, 1953, the story of a voyage.
SHIPWRECK, Howard Pease, 1957, the strange adventures of Renny
Mitchum, mess boy of the trading schooner "Samarang.".
THE BOY, ME, AND THE CAT, Henry Plummer, Good writing about a
long cruise on a catboat.
THE NARRATIVE OF ARTHUR GORDON PYM OF NANTUCKET,
E. A. Poe, ca. 1840, mutiny and murder.
ADMIRAL, Dudley Pope.
DRUMBEAT (RAMAGE AND THE DRUM BEAT), Dudley Pope,
Ramage no. 2.
GOVERNOR RAMAGE, R.N., Dudley Pope, Ramage no. 4.
NOTE ON POPE, Dudley Pope, more Napoleonic naval action. Pope has
also written some naval history. If someone likes Alexander Kent's books,
he/she will no doubt like Dudley Pope's Ramage series.
RAMAGE, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. 1.
RAMAGE AND THE DIDO, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE AND THE FREEBOOTERS, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE AND THE GUILLOTINE, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE AND THE MUTINY, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE AND THE REBELS, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. 9.
RAMAGE AND THE RENEGADES, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. 12.
RAMAGE AND THE SARACENS, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE AT TRAFALGAR, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE'S CHALLENGE, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE'S DEVIL, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE'S DIAMOND, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE'S DIAMOND, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE'S PRIZE, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. 5.
RAMAGE'S SIGNAL, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. 11.
RAMAGE'S SIGNAL, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
RAMAGE'S TRIAL, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. ?
THE RAMAGE TOUCH, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. 10.
THE TRITON BRIG, Dudley Pope, Ramage no. 3.
BUCCANEER, Dudley Pope, 1984.
CONVOY, Dudley Pope, 1987.
BAHAMAS BLUE, D.C. Poyer.
HATTERAS BLUE, D.C. Poyer.
BOOK OF PIRATES, Howard Pyle, 1921.
FOREIGN LAND, Justin Rabin, modern cruise around UK.
HANGMAN'S BEACH, Thomas Head Raddall.
TIDEFALL, Thomas Head Raddall.
TUGBOAT ANNIE, Norman Reilly Raine, 1934, The Humorous
Adventures of the tug Narcissus and her colorful captain in and around
Puget Sound.
CAPTAIN KIDD, Norman Reilly Raine, 1945, fiction?
ALL WORKS, Arthur Ransome, All his books are great; the swallows and
amazons series is a set of children's books; kids seem to like them at
about age 7 or 8 to start with. Some of us go on reading them forever.
"We didn't mean to go to sea" is one of the best. A note from (fm) says
"The 12 Swallows & Amazons novels are best read in the order they were
written. They are not all about sailing, but most are. Ransome is
particularly good at the detail of sailing and at capturing the capricious
changes in wind, waves, currents, visibility, etc., that help make sailing so
interesting." He also notes, of another Ransome work, that: "Racundra's
First Cruise is a very interesting reminiscence of sailing in the Baltic.".
BIG SIX, Arthur Ransome.
COOT CLUB, Arthur Ransome.
COOTS IN THE NORTH, Arthur Ransome, posthumous; incomplete.
GREAT NORTHERN, Arthur Ransome.
MISSEE LEE, Arthur Ransome.
NOTE 1 ON RANSOME, Arthur Ransome, There is The Arthur
Ransome Society TARS, for the enthusiasts. There are some non-fiction
books about all this, too.
NOTE 2 ON RANSOME, Arthur Ransome, nominally juvenile; will
appeal to the traditionalist and to those who like Treasure Island.
PETER DUCK, Arthur Ransome.
PIGEON POST, Arthur Ransome.
SECRET WATER, Arthur Ransome.
SWALLOWDALE, Arthur Ransome.
THE PICTS AND MARTYRS, Arthur Ransome.
WE DIDN'T MEAN TO GO TO SEA, Arthur Ransome.
WINTER HOLIDAY, Arthur Ransome, no boating but part of series.
SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS, Arthur Ransome, 1930.
BADGE OF HONOR, Douglas Reeman, about the Royal Marines.
FIRST TO LAND, Douglas Reeman, about the Royal Marines.
HIS MAJESTY'S U-BOAT, Douglas Reeman.
IN DANGER'S HOUR, Douglas Reeman.
IRON PIRATE, Douglas Reeman.
NOTE ON REEMAN, Douglas Reeman, twentieth century period. see
also "Alexander Kent".
A PRAYER FOR THE SHIP, Douglas Reeman.
PRIDE AND THE ANGUISH, Douglas Reeman.
RENDEZVOUS SOUTH ATLANTIC, Douglas Reeman.
SEND A GUNBOAT, Douglas Reeman.
SURFACE WITH DARING, Douglas Reeman.
THE GREATEST ENEMY, Douglas Reeman.
THE HORIZON, Douglas Reeman, about the Royal Marines.
THE LAST RAIDER, Douglas Reeman.
THE SHIP THAT DIED OF SHAME, Douglas Reeman, set on an MTB
used for smuggling.
LONG VOYAGE BACK, Luke Rhinehart, escape from a nuclear
holocaust in a trimaran.
TALES OF THE CARIBBEAN, Garland Roark.
WAKE OF THE RED WITCH, Garland Roark, 1946, also on video.
THE WRECK OF THE RUNNING GALE, Garland Roark, 1953.
THE LIVELY LADY, Kenneth Roberts, 1937, American privateers
during the War of 1812.
CAPTAIN CAUTION, Kenneth Roberts, 1945, American privateers
during the Revolutionary War.
BOON ISLAND, Kenneth Roberts, 1956, Shipwreck on a tiny rock off of
the New England colonies.
THE BEDFORD INCIDENT, Mark Roscovich, 1963, US destroyer plays
nuclear chicken with a Soviet sub in the Denmark Strait.
NOTE ON RUSSELL, Clark Russell, recommended by A. Conan Doyle.
FLYING DUTCHMAN, OR, THE DEATH SHIP, Clark Russell, 188?
THE MYSTERY OF THE OCEAN STAR, Clark Russell, 1891, short
stories.
ROUND THE GALLEY FIRE, Clark Russell, 1893.
OCEAN FREE LANCE, Clark Russell, 1896.
THE WRECK OF THE GROSVENOR, Clark Russell, 1899.
TALES OF OUR COAST, Clark Russell, 1901.
THE BLACK SWAN, Rafael Sabatini.
THE FORTUNES OF CAPTAIN BLOOD, Rafael Sabatini.
THE SEA HAWK, Rafael Sabatini.
CAPTAIN BLOOD, Rafael Sabatini, 1922.
CAPTAIN BLOOD RETURNS, Rafael Sabatini, 1931.
COLUMBUS, Rafael Sabatini, 1942.
THE SHIPKILLER, Justin Scott, sailor vs. tanker.
OVERBOARD, Hank Searls.
NOTE ON SETLOWE, Richard Setlowe, modern post-cold-war thrillers
with hi-tech navy.
THE BRINK, Richard Setlowe.
THE BLACK SEA, Richard Setlowe, 1991, jihad pirates, Russian liner,
US Navy force.
THE TRUSTEE FROM THE TOOLROOM, Nevil Shute, machinist goes
to the South Seas to salvage a yacht and settle an estate.
LANDFALL: A CHANNEL STORY, Nevil Shute, 1940.
EYE OF THE TIGER, Wilbur Smith, modern thriller.
HUNGRY AS THE SEA, Wilbur Smith, modern thriller.
THE DIAMOND HUNTERS, Wilbur Smith, modern thriller.
KIDNAPPED, Robert Louis Stevenson.
THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE, Robert Louis Stevenson, may be his
best book, but not so much on the sea.
TREASURE ISLAND, Robert Louis Stevenson, 1883.
OUTERBRIDGE REACH, Robert Stone, 1992, modern yachtsman tries
his luck.
ROUGH CROSSING, Stoppard, drama; liner?
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, Jonathan Swift, 1726.
THE SEA LEOPARD, Craig Thomas, British nuclear sub with sonar
"cloaking device".
THE DEATH SHIP: THE STORY OF AN AMERICAN SAILOR,
B. Traven, 1934, Black comedy about the black gang of a doomed
freighter by the mysterious author of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
KLEBER'S CONVOY, Antony Trew, U-Boats harry Murmansk bound
convoy.
RUNNING WILD, Antony Trew, Anti-apartheid activists escape S. Africa
in a ketch.
SEA FEVER, Antony Trew, single-handed round trip yacht race across
the N. Atlantic in winter.
THE ANTONOV PROJECT, Antony Trew, Cold War naval spy story.
THE MOONRAKER MUTINY, Antony Trew, crew mutinies and
abandons freighter on way to Australia.
THE ZHUKOV BRIEFING, Antony Trew, Soviet sub runs aground off
Norway.
THE MANILA GALLEON, F. van Wyck Mason, fiction based on Anson's
voyage around the world, 1740-44.
DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN, Jules Verne.
THE BLOCKADE RUNNERS, Jules Verne.
THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, Jules Verne, desert island story.
THE VOYAGES AND ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN HATTERAS,
Jules Verne.
TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, Jules Verne, ca. 1870.
THE ENGLISH CAPTAIN, Simon White, 1977, Napoleonic wars naval
yarn.
LEOPARD'S PREY, Leonard Wibberly, 1971, young adult; a powderboy
and the pirates.
BELOW THE HORIZON, John Wingate.
THE SEA ABOVE THEM, John Wingate.
"1805", Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series, 1800-period naval action.
AN EYE OF THE FLEET, Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series,
1800-period naval action.
BALTIC MISSION, Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series, 1800-period
naval action.
BOMB VESSEL, Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series, 1800-period
naval action.
A BRIG OF WAR, Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series, 1800-period
naval action.
ENDANGERED SPECIES, Richard Woodman.
IN DISTANT WATERS, Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series,
1800-period naval action.
A KING'S CUTTER, Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series, 1800-period
naval action.
A PRIVATE REVENGE, Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series,
1800-period naval action.
TEA CLIPPERS, Richard Woodman.
THE CORVETTE (IN US: ARCTIC TREACHERY), Richard Woodman,
Drinkwater series, 1800-period naval action.
THE DARKENING SEA, Richard Woodman.
UNDER FALSE COLOURS, Richard Woodman, Drinkwater series,
1800-period naval action.
WAGER, Richard Woodman.
BLUE WATER GREEN SKIPPER, Stuart Woods, 1977.
RUN BEFORE THE WIND, Stuart Woods, 1983.
THE CAINE MUTINY, Herman Wouk, 1951.
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