As a kid, I fell in love with C. S. Forester’s The Horatio Hornblower series of naval adventures. Forester’s hero, a young Englishman, finds action and thrills (as well as disappointments) in the Royal Navy. Decades later, I read Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin series featuring an ambitious Captain in the Royal Navy and his friend who is both a doctor and a spy. I’ve heard good things about Dewey Lambdin’s Alan Lewrie naval adventure series which spans the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Lambdin is an American writer (he lives in Nashville!) so there’s a different flavor to the Lewrie books. I highly recommend The King’s Coat where 17-year-old Lewrie is tricked into joining the Royal Navy by his unscrupulous father. Lambdin uses a clever technique to both educate the reader and Lewrie about the parts of the ship, the way sails are set, and other details of life aboard a naval warship in 1780. I liked The French Admiral less well because Lewrie is taken off his ship and becomes involved in the Battle of Yorktown. Lambdin does not shirk from showing the graphic aspects of war including atrocities that are historical facts. I hope Lambdin keeps Lewrie on the seas in the next books in the series (up to 19 volumes so far) which I intend to read periodically. If you’re in the mood for some spirited naval adventures, try Dewey Lambdin’s Alan Lewrie series.
I’ve read C. S Forester and Patrick O’Brian, but not familiar with this series.
There are other good sea fiction series, too, including those by William White and Alexander Kent. I’ve read the first two or three of the Kent books, on recommendation of Frank Denton, and enjoyed them. I hadn’t heard of these.
Randy, if you liked Forester and O’Brian, you’ll enjoy Dewey Lambdin’s sea stories.
Rick, I’ve read some Alexander Kent and liked them alot. But, I’ve not heard of William White. I’ll look him up. Thanks for the tip!
Yeah, like I need another genre to pursue. Thanks anyway, but I just don’t have room at the inn. I would like to read a couple of WWII Navy books, however. But only one or two. Fiction or non-fiction would do.
Bob, I’m fond of the novel Away All Boats by Kenneth Dodson (and the movie version) and for non-fiction I’d recommend The Real Cruel Sea”, “Arctic Convoys” and “Malta Convoys”, all by Richard Woodman. You can’t go wrong with any of these books.