The Nautical Fiction List
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Entries preceded by a '*' are reviewed on my Nautical Book Reviews page
Entries preceded by a '+' are available electronically, see the separate Electronic Nautical Books List
Lockridge, Richard 1898-
Inspector's Holiday (Inspector M. L. Heimrich's wife, Susan, contracts
pneumonia during a bad winter. Because of her slow convalescence, the
doctor recommends a holiday in a warmer climate, so they take a cruise
on an Italian vessel leaving New York for the Mediterranean. The
accommodations and food are superb, and the other passengers
interesting -- until Sir Ronald Grimes disappears. Grimes and his
lovely young wife are returning to England on his retirement from the
British Embassy. Unfortunately he is fated not to "raise roses -- or
cabbages" as he had planned. The ship's captain calls on Heimrich for
help and they discover a British Special Branch agent strangled in his
cabin. Cruise ship routine forms a background while Heimrich tries to
untangle a web of international intrigue.)
Lodwick, John 1916-
The Cradle Of Neptune, 1958 (Set at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
between the world wars, this novel, is a study of young people from all
walks of life, but all of a certain class, and their interaction as
they are moulded into potential naval officers.)
Lomask, Milton
Ship's Boy with Magellan, 1960 (Orphaned Pedro Molino ships out on
Magellan's circumnavigation as a cabin boy to avoid getting killed by
his Uncle, who wishes to steal the boy's estate. Young readers, written
as part of a fiction series featuring Catholic world history.)
London, Jack 1876-1916
The Cruise of the Dazzler, 1902 (For young readers. 15 yr. old boy runs
away and inadvertently joins crew of a "Bay Pirate" sloop. Simplistic
plot and characters, but great descriptions of small boat sailing on
and just outside of San Francisco Bay.)
+The Sea Wolf, 1904
Tales of the Fish Patrol, 1905 (Oyster pirates, illegal fishing and other
shenanigans on SF bay, lots of small boat sailing, much of it in
"Columbia River salmon boats.")
A Son of the Sun, 1911 (The adventures of Captain David Grief in the
Solomons Islands.)
The Mutiny of the Elsinore, 1914 (Passion and mutiny aboard a windjammer
rounding the Horn with a hard-bitten male crew and one woman
passenger.)
South Sea Tales, 1939
Long, E. Laurie
The Trials of the Phideas, 1944 (A novel about the delivery voyage of a
paddle steamer from the UK to South America.)
Longstreet, Stephen 1907-
Masts to Spear the Stars, 1967 (China clipper tale.)
Storm Watch, 1979 (A broken captain takes over command of a supertanker,
gets involved in an international conspiracy and with a bunch of
religious fanatics.)
Lovejoy, William H.
Ultra Deep, 1992 (A Soviet rocket with a nuclear payload sinks deep into
the ocean, where it will melt down and poison the seas unless our hero
with his robot submersibles can find and disable it in time.)
Lowden, Desmond
Bandersnatch, 1969 (Ex-RN officer, unable to adjust to peacetime
following heroic adventures in Med during WW II relives his glory days
by buying and living aboard the MTB that he commanded in the war, which
20 years later is a clapped-out relic. Chased out of the Spanish port
in which he was harbored by a Greek shipping tycoon, he gets revenge by
hijacking the magnate aboard his yatch, and holding him and his party
for ransom.)
Cry Havoc, 1984 (International yacht racing (Cowes & Admirals Cup) with a
vivid reconstruction of the disastrous '79 Fastnet Race, make a
fascinating background for this thriller.)
Lucas, Jeremy
The Longest Flight, 1982 (perhaps unique, about an arctic tern on its
trans-ocean flight)
Luddecke, Werner Jorg 1911-
Morituri, 1965 (German blockade runner leaves Japan in 1943-44, with a
cargo of valuable war material, a crew full of misfits that -- facing
charges and execution in Germany -- want the ship captured, a British
spy whose mission it is to keep the Germans from scuttling the ship, a
fanatic Nazi who is convinced that the captain wants the ship to get
captured -- and a humanistic captain who is determined to get back to
Germany despite his crew, the British spy, and the "aid" of his Nazi
first officer. En route they collect a beautiful German Jewish woman
who aided a British liner to fight a German raider. Great fun. Turned
into a movie starring Yul Brynner and Marlon Brando.)
Lunnon-Wood, Mike
King’s Shilling, 1998 (While making her way home, HMS BEAUFORT, a Royal
Navy Type 23 frigate, is diverted to Liberia, where civil war has
broken out. We follow her deployment to rescue Westerners caught up in
the carnage. A fast moving yarn of how the men and women who crew
today’s Navy cope with a fast deteriorating, potentially likely
scenario.)
Let Not the Deep (This Atlantic-set adventure-thriller carries you
through its pages on waves: A ship with engine failure calls out
distress and the crew of the MAEVE CORRIGAN, a superbly designed
lifeboat, set out to the rescue through stormy seas. A story of
courage and testing and suspense.)
Mac, Gerard
Pilgrims, a Novel of the Mayflower, 1994 (Voyage of the MAYFLOWER, as
told from the focus of a 19-year old woman, Daisy Mason, who is a
passenger aboard the ship.)
Macaulay, David
Ship, 1993 (Discovery and exploration of a wrecked Spanish caravel by
marine archeologists, and the story of its construction. Excellent
drawings. For young Readers.)
McCaig, Donald
The Bamboo Cannon, 1989 (Boats, planes, love, wild oats and local
politics in the Caribbean.)
McCammon, Robert R.
The Night Boat, 1980 (A U-boat is discovered in a Caribbean lagoon... but
the dead crew are intent on completing their last mission in this
horror/fantasy.)
McCann, Hugh Wray 1928-
Utmost Fish!, 1965 (Passed-over RN personnel officer seizes his last
chance for glory in the opening days of WW I. He leads an expedition to
transport two patrol boats over 500 miles of jungle to fight a German
fleet on an African lake. Loosely based on a real incident.)
McCutchan, Philip 1920-1996 (Joined the RN as a signalman in 1939 and served
throughout WW II in a variety of ships, including the cruiser VINDICTIVE,
the ocean boarding vessel LARGS, and the escort carrier RAVAGER", ending the
war as a lieutenant, RNVR. His first novel was published in 1957. He went on
to become one of the fifty most read authors of the British lending library
system, annually qualifying for the 6,000 pound maximum payable sum for
Public Lending Rights.)
Donald Cameron RNVR series: (WW II adventures.)
Cameron, Ordinary Seaman, 1980
Cameron Comes Through, 1980
Lieutenant Cameron RNVR, 1981
Cameron in the Gap, 1982 (Cameron, aboard destroyer BURNSIDES,
participates in a convoy to Malta, rescuing a tanker filled with
avgas in the process.)
Cameron in Command, 1983 (Cameron, now commanding a corvette is sent to
stop a Japanese invasion of the Falklands. How? By blocking the
strait the Japanese plan to take!)
Orders for Cameron, 1983
Cameron and the Kaiserhof, 1984
Cameron's Raid, 1984
Cameron's Chase, 1986 (Cameron, commanding the destroyer GLENSHIEL,
joins the chase for the German battleship ATILLA, and becomes a
decisive part in bringing it to bay.)
Cameron's Troop Lift, 1987 (Cameron, aboard the destroyer CAITHNESS,
weathers a typhoon only to find a convoy carrying British POWs to
Singapore. How can he rescue them without sinking the troopships?)
Cameron's Commitment, 1989
Cameron's Crossing, 1993 (The headstrong and capable Cmdr. Cameron
crossing to the USA aboard an aircraft carrier takes command and
saves the ship when her captain is knocked out during a fierce
arctic storm.)
St. Vincent Halfhyde series: (Late 19th, early 20th century adventures,
sometimes in the RN, sometimes not)
Beware, Beware the Bight of Benin, 1974 (The author, in this, the first
of the series, introduces Halfhyde, a Royal Navy lieutenant, who is
on a secret assignment to forestall Russian intentions on the West
African coast. He is captured by the Russians but a subsequent mutiny
allows him to complete his mission with credit.)
Halfhyde's Island, 1975 (Halfhyde and a passed-over captain Bassinghorn
are sent on a superannuated warship, HMS VICEROY, to claim a
newly-risen volcanic island for Britain before a Russian fleet led by
Halfhyde's nemesis Prince Gorsinski, can claim it for Russia. But in
the midst of the Russo-British struggle for the island a Japanese
fleet appears, seeking Gorsinski's scalp.)
The Guns of Arrest, 1976 (Halfhyde is attached to Bassinghorn's command
on the battleship PRINCE CONSORT, and sent to Africa with Inspector
Todhunter of Scotland Yard, to recover plans stolen by a British
traitor, Sir Russell Savory and return Savory to custody. A German
fleet under the command of Admiral von Merkatz intervenes to take
Savory to Germany.)
Halfhyde to the Narrows, 1977 (Halfhyde, detached from Bassinghorn,
is given acting command of the torpedo boat VENDETTA, and as part of
a flotilla under the command of the mule-headed Captain Watkiss, is
sent through the Dardanelles to the Black Sea to rescue a British
merchant ship held under the guns of a Russian fleet commanded by
Prince Gorsinski.)
Halfhyde for the Queen, 1978 (Halfhyde, Watkiss and their 4th TBD
flotilla are operating out of Gibraltar when Halfhyde is ordered to
pick up a Queens Messenger in Spain. Turns out there is a Spanish
plot to kill Queen Vicky -- a plot the agent _may_ or may _not_ be
party to. So, it is off to Balmoral in the VENDETTA!)
Halfhyde Ordered South, 1979 (Watkiss and Halfhyde are sent on a
mission to turn over an obsolete battleship to Chile -- except en
route they learn their real mission is to assist Todhunter to
recapture an escaped Sir Russell Savory, and free the British admiral
at that station from Chilean custody. Naturally, von Merkatz and a
German fleet are trying to stop this.)
Halfhyde and the Flag Captain, 1980 (Returning to England from Chile
with Sir Russell Savory, Halfhyde, Watkiss, and Admiral Daintree are
diverted to Uruguay, to free the British ambassador, held by the
winning faction in a coup. Daintree is driven to distraction by
Watkiss's insubordination. Von Merkatz shadowing the British
squadron, uses the coup to secure Savory for himself.)
Halfhyde on Zanatu, 1982 (Halfhyde is given command of another torpedo
boat, and ordered to join Commadore Bassington's squadron off Zanatu.
There, the natives are in revolt because John Frumm, the cargo cult
deity is in residence. To end the rebellion, Halfhyde sets out to
capture Frumm, who turns out to be a shipwrecked and half-pay
Watkiss. Then, Prince Gorsinski appears on the scene, and steals
"Frumm" to use to lure islanders to Russian sovereignty.)
Halfhyde Outward Bound, 1984 (On permanent half-pay -- due to events at
the end of Zanatu -- and unhappily wed, Halfhyde signs onto a
windjammer bound for Sydney to learn how to run a merchant ship.
When the ship stops in Chile, the captain takes on a murderous
diamond-smuggling passenger, and Halfhyde is shopped to von Merkatz.
Escaping, Halfhyde enlists the aid of a sympathetic steamship captain
to rescue his old captain, and elude von Merkatz.)
The Halfhyde Line, 1984 (Halfhyde, having purchased a steamship, the
TARONGA PARK, is maneuvered into illicitly carrying arms to Ireland
from Australia. Although he attempts to warn the authorities they
fail to stop them being landed, so Halfhyde is left to retrieve the
situation. En route he begins a liason with Victoria Penn -- his
significant other for the rest of the series.)
Halfhyde and The Chain Gangs, 1985 (With the outbreak of the Boer War,
Halfhyde is recalled to active duty in the Royal Navy Reserve. Pulled
off of his ship he is given command of a square-rigger which is to
carry convict volunteers from Dartmoor to South Africa for a labor
battalion. The task is complicated by the discovery that gold is
aboard, and that highly-placed individuals from England have sent a
yacht to follow him and remove and kill one of the convicts aboard.)
Halfhyde Goes to War, 1986 (Boer War)
Halfhyde on the Amazon, 1988 (Watkiss, presumed dead at the end of
Halfhyde on Zanatu, reemerges -- serving the Brazilian Navy as an
admiral. Naturally, his disposition gets him in trouble. Halfhyde
reunited with the TARONGA PARK, sails with Victoria Penn and
Inspector Todhunter to the Amazon River on an undercover naval
mission.)
Halfhyde and the Admiral, 1990 (Halfhyde is en route to Chile on the
TARONGA PARK with Canon Rampling and Watkiss's missionary sister as
passengers. The Admiralty then has Halfhyde take Todhunter along to
place Watkiss, now an admiral in the Chilean navy, into protective
custody, before the Chileans imprision Watkiss for being irritating.
As usual, complications ensue.)
Halfhyde and the Fleet Review, 1991 (Halfhyde is back in the Royal
Navy; albeit the Royal Navy Reserve. He is assigned to the Chilean
Navy as their C in C and is given the task of ensuring the safety of
a controversial Chilean (but English) admiral.)
Commodore John Kemp series: (WW II adventures of a convoy commander
aboard the converted passenger liner AURELIAN STAR.)
The Convoy Commodore, 1986 [1] (Introduces Mason Kemp, convoy
commodore, as he takes charge of a convoy bound for Halifax, NS
during the height of the Battle of the Atlantic.)
Convoy North, 1987 [2] (Mason Kemp leads a convoy on the Murmansk Run,
during which he encounters a German agent -- who was Kemp's friend
during peacetime days.)
Convoy East, 1989 [3] (Mason Kemp, with a group of WRENS in his charge,
guides his convoy from England through the Mediterranean to
Alexandria, and thence to Ceylon in the Far East. This novel only
takes the convoy as far east as Malta.)
Convoy of Fear, 1990 [4] (Starting at Malta, Kemp takes his battered
Ceylon-bound convoy through the Suez -- where a cholera epidemic is
raging -- and then to its ultimate destination at Trincomalee.)
Convoy South, 1988 (Kemp convoys Australian troop-ships to America amid
intrigue, suspense and German pocket battleships.)
Convoy Homeward, 1992 (On the way home to the UK, Kemp deals with
German prisoners, a troublesome crew and the mysterious presence of a
pompous brigadier.)
Tom Chatto series:
Apprentice to the Sea, 1995 (Original title Tom Chatto. Set on the seas
of the nineteenth century. Tom Chatto is a young apprentice seaman
from west Ireland, hoping to make his living on the decks of a
square-rigged windjammer. He encounters heavy seas, treachery, and
twists of plot; a delight for sea lovers everywhere.)
Tom Chatto, Second Mate, 1995 (As the second officer of the steamship
ORTEGA bound from Liverpool to Chile about 1905, Chatto has no end of
problems. Fever breaks out among the passengers in the steerage,
preventing the ORTEGA from stopping at Madeira to repair a mechanical
problem. Then Tom must contend with a lusty grass widow on her way to
a new life in South America who has designs on our hero. With
difficulty Tom (who signed on the ORTEGA as much to see his ladylove,
daughter of a wealthy Argentine rancher, as to advance his career)
avoids her advances. To top it all Mr. Patience, the first mate of
the windjammer Tom sailed in during the first book, is aboard as a
passenger. Patience seems to have it in for Chatto, but the two
eventually team up to try to save a derelict windjammer encountered
off Cape Horn.)
Bowering's Breakwater, 1964 (A British liner is crossing the Indian Ocean
when nuclear war breaks out. Seeking refuge in an island lagoon, she
falls into the hands of Chinese soldiers, and passengers and crew
become prey to despair and violence as they fight to avoid
transportation to China.)
The Last Farewell, 1991 (The liner LAURENTIA leaves New York for England
in 1915 and is sunk by U-boats off the coast of Britain. Covers the
political intrigue ashore and the interaction of the various characters
on board.)
MacDonald, John D. (John Dann) 1916-1986
The Last One Left, 1967
Travis McGee series: (McGee is a private detective who lives on his boat
based in Florida. Only the books that seem to have a significant nautical
element are listed here.)
The Deep Blue Good-by, 1964 (Begins and ends aboard the BUSTED FLUSH,
McGee's 52-foot houseboat. Quite a bit of on-the-water action. McGee
chases a bad guy through Florida in search of a fortune in jewels.)
Bright Orange for the Shroud, 1965 (Set in Florida, with McGee sailing
his houseboat to where the baddies live. Lots of nautical by-play,
including an on-the-water climax. McGee breaks up a vicious
marry-for-money con game.)
Darker Than Amber, 1966 (Set in Florida and the Caribbean. Not much
boating, although a good fraction takes place on a cruise ship. McGee
breaks up another con game, this one with murderous twist.)
Pale Gray for Guilt, 1968 (Set in Florida. Lots of floating in this
one, McGee goes to visit an old football friend, only to find that he
killed himself in an implausible manner. One of the best McGee
novels, some say.)
A Tan and Sandy Silence, 1971 (Set in Florida and the Caribbean as
McGee follows the trail of a missing lady friend to the island of
Grenada, where he discovers a stranger posing as his friend and an
intricate, murderous con game. Quite a bit of boating and a _very_
wet climax.)
The Scarlet Ruse, 1973 (Set in Florida, with plenty of boats (and a
description of a very dangerous way to end a water-skiing session.)
McGee looks for some missing rare postage stamps.)
The Turquoise Lament, 1973 (Set in Hawaii and Tahiti, with boat-related
flashbacks to Florida and Mexico. McGee tries to convince a friend's
daughter that her new husband isn't really trying to kill her.)
The Dreadful Lemon Sky, 1974 (Set in Florida. McGee stays on the
"FLUSH" for this one, but there's not a lot of boating. McGee agrees
to keep a package for a friend who then walks in front of a truck.)
The Empty Copper Sea, 1978 (Set in Florida, no boating to speak of. A
friend of McGee's is accused of losing his boss overboard. McGee
tries to clear his name.)
Cinnamon Skin, 1982 (Set in Florida, Texas, Mexico, and elsewhere. Not
much boating. McGee's best friend Meyer has his boat blown up, and
the two of them set out to find the real reason.)
The Lonely Silver Rain, 1985 (Set in Florida, with some boating. McGee
is asked to find a missing yacht, but then finds himself the target
of assassination attempts with no apparent reason.)
McDonald, Roger 1941-
Mr. Darwin's Shooter, 1998 (The story of the young sailor who became
Charles Darwin's manservant during the voyage of HMS BEAGLE. In the
seven years they voyaged together he shot and collected many of the
specimens that his 'gent' used to arrive at his theory of natural
selection. "I do not praise many contemporary novels, but this one is
truly remarkable." [CP])
Macdonnell, James E. 1917- (Australian author of naval stories, mostly set in
WW II and featuring Royal Australian Navy heroes.)
Fleet Destroyer, 1945
Enemy in Sight, 1958 (Lt. Peter Bentley is detached from his destroyer to
take command of a 4-man minisub, which is supposed to sneak into a
Japanese harbor and attack the cruisers therein.)
Mutiny, 1958
Target Battleship, 1959
The Recommend By, 1960
Eagles Over Taranto, 1961
The Lesson, 1961
Battle line, 1962
The Gunner, 1962
The Gun, 1963
Broadsides!, 1965
Not Under Command, 1967
Headlong into Hell, 1968
To the Death, 1969
The Iron Claw, 1973 (Centred around an Australian destroyer flotilla
whose leader is the WIND RODE - her Captain, Peter Bentley with his
brother-in-law Bob Randall as First Lieutenant, operating out of Port
Moresby in WW II. A lone Japanese cruiser is targeting lightly
protected convoys in what should be Allied controlled areas of the
Pacific and Bentley makes it his business to try and eliminate this
threat. Very Australian Navy - surprisingly (for less than 130 pages,
packed with non-stop action) very readable.)
Escort Ship, 1981
Full Fathom Five, 1968 (The thread of this book starts with an action
between the destroyer JACKAL - Captain "Dutchy" Holland and an Italian
surface raider off the North West coast of Australia. Also a cruiser,
HMS SURREY - Captain Bentley Snr., in action on the Russian convoys. As
the threads are woven together Bentley Snr. joins his son Peter Bentley
and son-in-law, Bob Randall, in WIND RODE with some help from the
JACKAL, for an exciting sea battle against a Japanese invasion fleet.)
Choke Point, 1985
Kenyon PT boat series:
The Convert, 1967 (Lt. Kenyon takes command of a PT Boat and must prove
himself to himself, his crew and the squadron.)
Down the Throat, 1967 (Lt. Kenyon sinks Japanese transport that turns
out to have been full of Allied prisoners and nurses. Of course it
was a set-up, but Kenyon must overcome his doubts and prove himself
to himself, his crew and the squadron.)
South Pacific Fury, 1968 (Kenyon and the 44-boat are sent to rescue a
coast watcher on a Japanese-held island in the Phillipines. In the
process they sink or cripple numerous major elements of the IJN which
are attempting an offensive.)
Jim Brady series: (RAN sailor who works his way up to become an officer
during WW II.)
Gimme The Boats, 1953 (A classic "destroyers at war" novel mainly of
the destroyer SCOURGE - Captain James Brookes. Although not primarily
about Jim Brady he features strongly in this story, as a petty
officer, the back-bone of the navy, whose contribution to the success
of the ships he serves in is already being noticed.)
Jim Brady: Leading Seaman, 1959
Commander Brady, 1956 (Jim Brady is now in command of the destroyer
CIRCE at war with the Japanese. The problems of combat, grounding and
having to put divers down in shark infested water, coupled with his
doubts of the decisions he has to make form a basis for quite a good
yarn.)
(more)
McFee, William 1881-1966 (McFee was a marine engineer, his writing is set
during the heyday of steam. In addition to his novels, he wrote several
excellent reminiscences about his career in steam.)
Casuals of the Sea, 1916
Command, 1923
Sailors of Fortune, 1929 ((A collection of short stories and one novelette
dealing with the men, officers and soldiers of fortune who serve in
ocean liners. Taken from the pages of HARPER'S, ATLANTIC MONTHLY,
REDBOOK AND THE AMERICAN MERCURY, 1923-1929.)
North of Suez, 1930 (The adventures of Lt. Stephan Rumford, RNR as he
serves as the Chief Neutral Transport Officer at Port Said during WW I.
Rumford -- who believes all foreigners are "Dagos" -- executes his
responsiblity for passing neutral ships through the canal with
scrupulous honesty, to the discomfort of the captains attempting to carry
private cargos on government charters, and the disgust of his wife, who
cannot understand why he won't feather his nest with offered bribes.)
Derelicts, 1938 (Our hero, chief engineer of the SS SANSOVINA, meets a
wealthy passenger and spins her a yarn about WW I.)
Ship to Shore, 1944 (The captain of the luxury liner LEXINGTON during the
Depression deals with a fire at sea.)
In the First Watch, 1946
McGee, James
Wolf's Lair, 1990 (A familiar story - In the closing hours of the Third
Reich a U-boat is loaded with a mysterious cargo and an even more
mysterious passenger. The captain's orders are to proceed (refuelling
on the way of course!) to Argentina and ignore all instructions to
surrender. A present day adventurer, ex-special forces - framed drug
smuggler, is recruited by the U-boat captain's son to solve the
whereabouts of the lost submarine after his father's Knight's Cross
(with oak leaves, swords and diamonds) is found clutched in the hand of
a dead Greek fisherman. Written in an offhand style making a fair light
read in spite of the spectre of the Fourth Reich.)
McGlamry, Beverly
Goodly Heritage, 1986 (In the late 17th and early 18th centuries Abrial
Barker becomes buccaneer while Eliza Barker becomes renowned ship
designer. )
McGowen, Tom
The Last Voyage of the Unlucky Katie Marie, 1969 (After spending all his
money on a cargo to trade in India, the captain of the clipper UNLUCKY
KATIE MARIE is forced to use chunks of ice to ballast the ship.)
MacGregor, James Murdoch 1925-
When the Ship Sank, 1959 (A motor passenger vessel -- modeled loosely on
the ATHENIA -- sails from Britain with a load of passengers escaping
WW II. Then, on the first day of the war, it gets torpedoed and sunk,
forcing all aboard to fight for survival. Book focuses on the fates of
six women on the ship, and their friends, families and associates also
aboard.)
MacHardy, Charles
Send Down a Dove, 1968 (The submarine HMS SCORPION has its refit
cancelled, and in April 1945, is sent on a poorly thought-out mission
to patrol the Skaggarak with a captain that believes he will be passed
over for promotion and a disaffected crew.)
McIntyre, Marjorie
The River Witch, 1955 (The daughter of riverboat captain and her
adventures along the upper Mississippi. So notorious in her day, they
wrote songs about her.)
Mack, William P. 1915- (Vice Admiral USN (ret.))
WWII Destroyer series:
South to Java, 1987 (Co-author William P. Mack Jr. Four-piper O'LEARY
starts the Pacific war in the Asiatic Fleet stationed in Manila. With
a suicidal captain, and a disgruntled Lieutenant Fraser, it must
weather the initial Japanese onslaught against the Philippines and
Dutch Indonesia. Nov. '41 - Mar '42.)
Pursuit of the Seawolf, 1991 (O'LEARY, following refit, is transferred
to the Atlantic, less Fraser, Arkwright, and the doctor. Meridith is
CO, a rich Texan, Tex Sorenson, becomes Exec. Takes O'LEARY through
the worst stages of the Battle of the Atlantic, until she is sunk in
a duel with a German Seawolf sub. May '42 - Nov '43.)
Checkfire!, 1992 (WW I vintage destroyer becomes amphibious transport
in the Pacific during WW II.)
New Guinea: A Novel of War at Sea, 1993 (Sorenson, now qualified for
command takes charge of USS CARSON, a SIMS class destroyer. With
other survivors of the O'LEARY, the current XO of the CARSON, and an
ex-naval aviator, Auerbach, he commands the ship during operations
off New Guinea, the Admiralties, and a fictional invasion of Morotai,
supporting McArthur's advance. Nov 1943 -- Sep 44)
Straits of Messina, 1994 (Introduces the BENSON-class DD LAWRENCE, with
a new cast of characters, as it provides escort services and offshore
support to the Anglo-American invasions of Sicily and Salerno. One or
two O'LEARY alumni are aboard in supporting roles, and the O'LEARY
makes a cameo appearance. Major new characters are "Horse" Phelps,
commodore of DesDiv 32, Pete Fannon, XO, and "Beetle" Bronson,
communications officer.)
Normandy, 1995(Takes LAWRENCE from pre-D-Day build-up, through the
invasion of Southern France. Phelps is still commodore, but Fannon
is the LAWRENCE's captain, Bronson is XO. Book ends with "Beetle"
Bronson taking command of the GRAYSON, another destroyer in the
flotilla.)
McKay, Simon
The Seas of Fortune, 1983 (Yankee captain and ship designer moves to
Charleston, begins developing revolutionary steamships, becomes a noted
blockade runner during the Civil War, and continues his struggle to get
steam accepted following that conflict.)
McKenna, Richard
The Sand Pebbles, 1962 (US gunboat on the Yangtze River.)
The Sons of Martha, and Other Stories, 1967 (Posthumous collection of
McKenna's short stories, and the unfinished novel on which he was
working when he died. In addition to first three sections of the novel,
the collection consists of an autobiographical essay, Journey With a
Little Man; short stories King's Horseman, Fool's Errand, and A
Chronicle of a Five-Day Walking Tour Inland on the Southern Portion of
Guam.)
The Left-Handed Monkey Wrench, 1984 (Collection of stories, essays and
part of the autobiographical novel he was working on at his death.
Includes: The Left-Handed Monkey Wrench; Church Party; King's Horsemen;
Life Aboard the USS Gold Star; The Fiction of History; The Wreck Of
Uncle Josephus; and The Sons of Martha.)
Mackintosh, Eliza (Josephine Tey) 1896-1952
The Privateer, 1952 (Famous mystery writer tries her hand at tall ships
book with this tale of Henry Morgan in Jamaica.)
McLaughlin, W. R. D. (Born in Aberdeen, the author began his sea-going career
in 1927. He was with the famous whaling firm of Salversen for twenty-three
years, fifteen of which were as an executive officer with whale factory
ships.)
Antartic Raider, 1960 (In the closing days of 1941 the German surface
raider VIKING leaves Hamburg on a secret mission to capture the Allied
whaling ships operating off Antarctica and return them to Germany with
the whale oil from which glycerine is to be extracted for munitions.
The mission is not as secret as the Germans hoped, the British have got
wind of it and dispatch the armed merchant cruiser QUEEN OF NEW
ZEALAND, under the command of Captain Carmichael, RN, to combat the
threat.)
So Thin is the Line: A Further Novel of the War in the Antarctic, 1963
(A convincing WW II story of piracy, sabotage and murder on the high
seas when whaling was a reputable industry and an economic necessity.
As the sub-title hints, this is a continuation of the author's
previous novel and concerns the German commandos and officers in charge
of the two Norwegian whaleships, CACHELOT and ANTARCTICA, that the
VIKING captured and sent back to Germany, and the reactions of the
ships' crews. The two ships are in the charge of two very different
types of German officers.)
MacLean, Alistar 1922-1987
HMS Ulysses, 1955 (British light cruiser escorts WW II Murmansk convoys.)
South by Java Head, 1958 (Motley group of suspicious characters trying to
escape from the Japanese advance on Singapore on a rotting tramp
steamer.)
Dark Crusader, 1961 (Written under the pseudonym Ian Stuart. Also
published as THE BLACK SHRIKE(?). Couple on honeymoon voyage are
actually agents on trail of missing scientists, end up on Polynesian
island after series of disasters.)
Fear is the Key, 1961 (Search for treasure aboard a sunken DC-3 mixed in
with murder, mystery, and revenge.)
Golden Rendezvous, 1962 (Tramp steamer with luxury cabins for rich folks
get hijacked in gold theft with nuclear twist.)
Ice Station Zebra, 1963 (American nuclear sub is sent on a mission to
rescue the staff of an ice pack weather station -- or at least that is
how it seems.)
When Eight Bells Toll, 1966 (Secret agent pursuing pirates who hide their
prizes by sinking them.)
Bear Island, 1971 (Murder among movie crew trying to shoot film 300 miles
north of the Arctic Circle.)
Seawitch, 1977 (Industrial sabotage directed at a mobile offshore oil
rig.)
San Andreas, 1984 (WW II medical ship ferries wounded and onboard
saboteur across North Atlantic tracked by the Luftwaffe and U-boats.)
The Lonely Sea, 1986 (Collection of MacLean's nautical short stories
dating back to his first published effort (The Dileas, 1954) that
kicked off his writing career. The Dileas: Old man risks his fishing
boat and crew in terrifying storm to rescue his two sons.)
McLean, Allan C.
Master of Morgana, 1959 (16 yr. old Hebridean lad joins a salmon fishing
crew on the isle of Skye to find out who pushed his brother off of a
footbridge.)
McLeay, Alison
Sea Change, 1992 (In the 1860s our heroine, a New Orleans riverboat rat,
flees to England in search of her "place" in life. The search ends
aboard a fabulous yacht in the middle of the Atlantic.)
McNamara, George (Tom's son, age 6!)
George and The Tricky Fish, ? (George loves to go sailing with his
family. While vacationing on the family's boat off Catalina Island,
George learns how to fish, and discovers that it is not always easy.
Childrens' book.)
George and the Sailboat Race, ? (George and Dad enter a sailboat race in
San Diego Harbor with George as skipper and Dad as crew. Childrens'
book.)
McNamara, Tom 1944-
Henry Lunt Series: (Fictionalized account of one of the author's
ancestors, who historically sailed as one of John Paul Jones's officers.
McNamara embroiders family tradition about Lunt into his
tales)
Henry Lunt & the Ranger, 1990 [1] (Rescued from British captivity by
John Paul Jones, Henry Lunt serves as a lieutentant aboard the USS
RANGER. Lunt is sent ashore in Belfast, to spy out the reason that
HMS DRAKE is avoiding combat with Jones, discovers the ship is
testing a new secret weapon (the carronade), and galls the Drake's
captain into trading broadsides with Jones.)
Henry Lunt & the Spymaster, 1994 [2] (Following the return of the
DRAKE to France, Lunt serves with Franklin at the American
Delegation in Paris. He discovers that British spies have
infiltrated the delegation, and then is sent to England to
re-establish contact with the "Spymaster.")
Henry Lunt at Flamborough Head, 1995 [3] (Lunt serves aboard the BON
HOMME RICHARD on the cruise that ends with the epic battle with
SERAPIS off Flamborough Head.)
Skull and Cross Bones, 1996 (Pirates in the Carribean. To be published
soon.)
MacNeil, Robert 1931- (Of the MACNEIL/LEHRER NEWS HOUR)
Burden of Desire, 1992 (Tells the tale of the Halifax Explosion of 1917,
when a fully loaded ammunition ship blew up in Halifax harbor, and the
aftermath of the disaster.)
Maitland, Alan (Editor)
Favourite Sea Stories from Seaside Al, 1996 (In this delightful anthology
of maritime stories, we meet mermen and maids, Nova Scotia fishermen,
and Stevenson's bottle imp. We visit the isle of Inishmoor, the cliffs
of Connemara, and the Queen Charlotte Islands. We travel aboard a cargo
ship bound for Bombay, feel the ocean spray in our faces,and discover a
manuscript in a bottle.)
Mallalieu, Joseph Percival W. 1908-1980
Extraordinary Seaman, 1944 (This fictionalised account of the life and
career of Captain Lord Cochrane, tenth Earl of Dundonald, is divided
into ten chapters and covers the SPEEDY and the EL GAMO sea fight to
his service against Spain in the Chilean and Peruvian Wars of
Independence.)
Very Ordinary Seaman, 1944 (Written during WW II; vividly describes in
fictionalised style the life on the lower deck, from joining the Royal
Navy and through to service aboard a destroyer on Murmansk convoy
protection duties. One of the best books of its genre.)
Mandel, Paul and Sheila
The Black Ship, 1968 (US PT boat stalks German destroyer run by the SS
in the English channel during WW II.)
Copyright © John Kohnen 1999
Commercial reproduction prohibited without written consent