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A welcome to our new members!

Would you like to jump in and tell us what your favourite sailing book is? Fiction or non-fiction. Or a favourite sailing related website.

This is for our quiet members too.

Who you calling quiet?

;)

H.M.S. Surprise by Patrick O'Brian.

I really liked Fortune of War, but I'll have to read all the rest of the books before I can have an opinion on my absolute favourite.

Ahem.

In non-fiction, I really enjoyed Ninety Degrees North recently. Although it's only tangentially about ships, it's very readable.

I have a feeling I've read a detailed review on Ninety Degrees North recently, complete with diagrams and things. Why & where, I don't know.

Hmmpf.

Hmmpf?

"I saw something Squirrel would really like and although I don't know where I'm going to tell her about it anyway."

Hmmmpf.

Hello, I just joined. I'm a tall ship sailor and poet in real life. I recently started publishing a gay nautical adventure series, Pirates of the Narrow Seas. Book 1 : The Sallee Rovers is out in print (from Keibooks) and will shortly be available for Kindle and other ebook readers (Bristlecone Pine Press).

I'm gay, and as much as I love nautical novels, I got tired of not finding any gay heroes in them, so I wrote one for my own amusement, and it snowballed from there :) I'm gratified that Pirates of the Narrow Seas 1 has won an award and appears on some Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ lists.

I did my apprenticeship of four years with a Chesapeake Bay skipjack, and last December was accepted as a member of a fully rigged ship. I also got a digital camera this spring, and have been posting pictures like mad to:

Looking forward to sharing my obsessions with 'wooden sail' with other readers.

Greetings, from a new member. My favorite? Patrick O'Brian undoubtedly - I suppose The Reversal of the Medal, if I have to pick one.
My father built wooden sailboats (largest was a Blue Jay) when I was young. I learned to sail in a Sabot and moved on to one of his boats - called a Rooster. We upended it on the top of my VW bug, threw the gear in the car and drove to Misson Bay in San Diego. Spent many a weekend on those waters. Although this is a rather small way to be involved in sailing - I am nevertheless a huge fan.
So much so, that I wrote a novel called Magician's Spell - Magician being a 40-gun frigate privateer. It's set in the 1800s and is an adventure, romance. I have added the book to Good Reads, so you can check it out. (available at for a mere pittance $5.99)
Also please feel free to visit my website: or my blog .
I look forward to learning from all of you new novels to enjoy, as well as envying those of you who do get to sail on the tall ships!

Hi Deb! I too really admire The Reverse of the Medal, though there are a couple of scenes that are very hard to read (you'll know which ones I mean, I think!).

I envy your youth on the sailboat. I loved the maritime museum when I visited San Diego a couple of years ago, especially the "old" "HMS Rose" that became the ship for The Movie.

Hi all, not sure if anyone using this group but here goes. Couple of faves really. HMS Surprise and Ramage by Dudley Pope.

Hi Maturin welcome :)

I enjoyed Ramage first book i read of Pope. You think the series get better ? I like how swashbuckling it was,it was more down to earth than series like that.

First post Hornlower series i have enjoyed in the same genre.

I truly cannot put one O'Brian book above the others. They are all great. But the beginning of the first one, where Aubrey and Maturin meet is very memorable to me.

M. wrote: "Hello, I just joined. I'm a tall ship sailor and poet in real life. I recently started publishing a gay nautical adventure series, Pirates of the Narrow Seas. Book 1 : The Sallee Rovers is out in p..."

M. You might enjoy this circumnavigation story by my gay friend, Larry Jacobson, called

The Boy Behind the Gate: How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love

I also circumnavigated with my husband, and we sailed to some of the same countries in the South Seas. I recently published the first of 3 books in our true-life adventure series. In Search of Adventure and Moments of Bliss: Maiden Voyage

Hi!

I have so many sailing stories that I absolutly love; Ship of the line or Beat to Quarters, by C.S. Forester are very high on the list.

Will wrote: "Hi!

I have so many sailing stories that I absolutly love; Ship of the line or Beat to Quarters, by C.S. Forester are very high on the list."

Welcome to the group and im a big Forrester fan too. Read book 8,9 just recently. Ship of the Line and Beat to Quarters is my two favs too.

Hi everyone. My first introduction to naval fiction was Alexande Kent who I return to fairly regularly. Other authors that I have enjoyed include CS Forester, Dudley Pope, Richard Woodman, Patrick O'Brian and Dewey Lambdin. I am currently working my way through Aubrey/Maturin again but as audiobooks this time.

Welcome :)

Dudley Pope is the only other naval series i have read. Is Kent series good with nautical,naval realism ?

Im waiting from the library on first Aubrey/Maturin book.

Mohammed wrote:
Is Kent series good with nautical, naval realism ?

Alexander Kent is very good with the nautical terms and knows his naval history. His stories are very good and like Forester he allows his character to move up the ranks. His only fault, if it is a fault, is that he is perhaps overly sentimental.

tagesmann wrote: "Mohammed wrote:
Is Kent series good with nautical, naval realism ?

Alexander Kent is very good with the nautical terms and knows his naval history. His stories are very good and like Forester he a..."

I can take lite overly sentimentality as long he is good with nautical terms, characters. Forester only weakness in Hornblower was the melodramatic main character who over-thought his feelings a bit too much.

For a book, I'd have to pick... Patrick O'Brian because to me, his Aubrey/Maturin books are kind of one giant book. Forced, I suppose I'd pick HMS Surprise.

My favorite nautical authors are (pretty much in this order)
P. O'Brian
Alexander Kent
CS Forester
Dudley Pope

Ahoy there, mates!

I stumbled into the A/M O'Brian series with the audio book Blue at the Mizzen which is one of the last. I was a little puzzled about the characters. I discovered the whole series in a local book store and decided to start at the beginning. I really enjoyed Master & Commander and have been reading about one per year ever since.
Robinson Crusoe is a 'sailing book' it just has a long section when Crusoe is marooned. That is a favorite.
I have sailed, but I have spent less time in real boats than I have in imagined boats.
Life of Pi is an intriguing book. It took me a long time to get thru it - not sure why.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is a gripping read. But probably my favorite on the non-fiction side is Two Years Before the Mast.

New to group. I'm just starting HMS Surprise. Thought I should introduce myself should I have any Qs while I read...

I first became a fan of the genre b/c of the Hornblower TV series, started reading the books. At this point my fave is Flying Colours.

From that I went to A/M. The movie, then the books. As I said I'm only starting the 3rd. I have to say I prefer Maturin as a character for his medical background, he's an intelligence officer, a Catholic... Lol.

Welcome Elizabeth,

I'm currently re-reading the A/M series, having convinced a friend of mine to try it out as well. I was very gratified after we finished "Master and Commander" when she said she wanted to start on the next book. So we're just about to embark on "Post Captain."

Valerie

Monissa wrote: "A welcome to our new members!

Would you like to jump in and tell us what your favourite sailing book is? Fiction or non-fiction. Or a favourite sailing related website.

This is for our quiet ..."

Hi All,

I've read and enjoyed all of the Hornblower series and the Aubrey/Maturin series many times. I've read a few others of this genre, but, they have come up short to my favorites.

Still looking for the next great series!

Elizabeth wrote: "New to group. I'm just starting HMS Surprise. Thought I should introduce myself should I have any Qs while I read...

I first became a fan of the genre b/c of the Hornblower TV series, started re..."

I'm jealous in a way - having finished the Aubrey-Marturin series twice and read some of them multiple times. I'd love to have a fresh one to read. You have oceans of good reading ahead. Some are better than others. Surpise, Post Captain, The Mauritanius (sp?) Campaign, and Desolation Island are some of my favorites.

Welcome Caravaggio, its always nice to see other Hornblower fans as always :)

There is Hornblower thread if you wish to comment about the series,author.

Hehe twin brothers, welcome :)

I actually thought about trying learn, see if there is somewhere near here i can go and sail.

Since I still have my set of Hornblower paperbacks (Bantam books $.75 each. Which shows how long I have been a fan of AOS.)Hornblower remains my favorite, particularly as a midshipman or young captain. But, since he is the true touchstone and beginning of all modern AOS fiction, he should be. Aubrey/Maturin is the opposite pole of the compass from Hornblower. A more literary and truly unique take on the genre. I don't think he will ever be matched, despite all the backcover blurbs that claim that this or that author "is the worthy successor to O'Brian". As for now, I follow Woodman, Lambdin, Stockwin with general pleasure. I read my copies of Kent's earlier books to pieces but gave up on him after one too many crewman "...dropped like ripe fruit from the rigging..." and ".. men's eyes gleamed like stones...". His cranking out of too much AOS sausage engendered too many stylistic shortcuts.

I am on bk 7 of Kent's Bolitho and I'm not sure I can go on. There have been a few minor factual errors, but the man seems to revel in gory descriptions. And frankly I find Bolitho to be too perfect.

My favorite so far, is POB, especially Thirteen Gun Salute through Wine-dark Sea.

I am on bk 7 of Kent's Bolitho and I'm not sure I can go on. There have been a few minor factual errors, but the man seems to revel in gory descriptions. And frankly I find Bolitho to be too perfect.

My favorite so far, is POB, especially Thirteen Gun Salute through Wine-dark Sea.

Like, I assume, everyone else, I'm a big fan of Hornblower and Aubrey/Maturin. Possibly unlike anybody else, I'm also a huge fan of the Bloody Jack series ( et al.) by L.A. Meyer. It's a YA series about a girl circa 1800 who, in the first volume, dresses as a boy and joins the British navy. Complications, needless to say, ensue.

Hello! My name is Sundee.

I came to enjoying 'Age of Sail' books through the back door by reading Carla Kelly's Channel Fleet books which led me to Patrick O'Brien which I am only on the second book, then to C.S. Forrester which I am still on the first Hornblower book.

My acquaintance with sailing began when I first learned to Windsurf and then began sailing in a small boat with my dad (who is very appreciative that I started reading tall ship books so he had someone to whom he could discuss this one of his favorite subjects with).

Glad to be a part of the group!

M. wrote: "Hello, I just joined. I'm a tall ship sailor and poet in real life. I recently started publishing a gay nautical adventure series, Pirates of the Narrow Seas. Book 1 : The Sallee Rovers is out in p..."

I read your post and remembered that I do know of two good authors that write Age of Sail with gay heroes. You've probably already heard of them now that you are a published author, but just in case- Alex Beecroft and Lee Rowan. I am not sure how historically accurate they are in their sailing knowledge, but they might be worth a 'look see' for you. (-;
Felicities!
Sundee

Welcome to the group Sundee.

Hello, Sundee. Welcome aboard. The steward will be along presently for your sea chest. Meanwhile a cup of grog with you.

Yes, I'm familiar with Alex Beecroft and Lee Rowan. I've read the former, not the latter. Rowan does not appear on the author's list at Astrodene's Historic Naval fiction, only the 'related content' list:

I think that tells me what I need to know.

BTW, all four books in the Pirates of the Narrow Seas paperbacks are out in lovely editions from a new printer. The first three our available as ebooks with the fourth coming eventually.

Thank you for my welcome Mohammed and M. I am pleased to be hear and I hope to learn of some good books to read and good opinions about them.

M, thank you for the website reference. I was unfamiliar with it and will check it out and take a look at the Pirates books.

I was not sure where to write this sentiment, so I chose here:

Happy Trafalgar Day Everyone!
I enjoyed two fun fiction writer blogs on the subject and it made me wish to celebrate with all of you Age of Sail lovers too.

you might give
a try...

Hello! I'm new to the group. I love fiction set in the Age of Sail, especially Patrick O'Brian and C. S. Forrester. I enjoy nautical history and lore, especially about piracy. I would love to own a sailboat someday, so I have a some techincal books on sailing and seamanship.

I forgot to mention that I love submarines and I'm really interested in subs during the Age of Sail. I have a few submarine history books, but I'm always on the lookout for more.

Ahoy, shipmates.

The Aubreyad is remarkable. It's been hard for me to engage with non-POB authors of naval historical fiction. A champagne problem, I suppose. I have enjoyed related non-fiction, such as "The Price of Admiralty" and "Nelson's Navy."

We have a small group in Brooklyn who gathers for POB nights several times a year. Grog, madeira, music and spotted dog are the order of the evenings. Other Brooklyn-based POB fans are welcome!

Fair winds and flowing sheets...

Ahoy Bill and Peter!

Welcome to the group.

Hi everyone, I thought I would joint this group as this is my favorite period for historical fiction. Of the books I have seen mentioned Iv'e read all of the Hornblower books, Master and Commander, Under Enemy Colors and recently Sharpe's Trafalgar. The other day I picked up Midshipman Bolitho so I am looking forward to sampling Alexander Kent.

Welcome, Andrew! The Bolitho series is my favorite, I think you will enjoy it. To Glory We Steer by Alexander Kent gave me my first taste of British Napoleonic naval adventures and I was hooked. I also loved the Hornblower tales.

I added the four Charles Hayden books by S. Thomas Russell to the bookshelf. I enjoyed the first one on audio book, read by Simon Vance, and have just got started on the second one.

I actually found the second Hayden book more riveting than the first (as hard as that may sound). Good reading! :)

Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commmander, and then every other Aubrey/Maturin book in the series.

Master and Commander is a definite !!

I just need to read the rest of the series and i also want to start Horatio Hornblower by C.S.Forester.