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A Merry Read an Bonney - Reading Suggestions

I wanted to mention an author that I have been enjoying. His name is James L. Nelson <a href="http://www.jameslnelson.com/" target="_blank">http://www.jameslnelson.com/</a> and he wrote a pirates trilogy that starts with a book called "The Guardship". It's good swashbuckling pirate fiction but with plenty of sailing jargon to please the maritime fan. I am about done with the second book and I must admit that I am loving it. In fact, I am trying to slow down my progress so I can stretch it out for a while as I had a hard time finding good pirate fiction. Anyway, check it out!

Oh yeah, he's a nice guy too as I have bounced a few emails with him as I have been reading.

Enjoy!
 
I took a look at his "Reign of Iron" (US Civil War Ironclads) book, the last time I was at the bookstore, looked pretty good - had no idea about the others, thanks, Cap'n Toast! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
Yeah, he seems to do more less travelled time periods than just the typical Patrick O'Brien era <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
 
Finally finished the Master & Commander series and threw in the Golden Ocean and the Unknown Shore to boot! Now all that remains is to follow Fred Bob's advice and indulge in `re-reading` the series. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" />

Picked up another book that people here might like, <b><u>The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake 1577 - 1580,</u></b> by Samuel Bawlf. This advances a pretty neat theory that the original intent of Drake's famous circumnavigation voyage was to discover the Northwest Passage, Eastward across the North American Continent or the Strait of Anian, and rather than sailing to the coast of California, Drake explored the coast as far North as Alaska.

The book also gives some interesting background on the politics of the era and why there are some discrepencies regarding the actual course of Drake's voyage. Bawlf makes a pretty good point of how the details of Drake's trip were supressed for decades due to the England's effort to catch up with the imperial accomplishments of Spain and Portugal.

I would certainly recommend this book as a good and very interesting read.
 
Sir Chris, looks like you have named another book I will have to pickup for my library. Another book I just added to my collection is "The Encyclopedia of Ships." The book contains over 1,500 military and civilian ships from 5000 B.C. to the present day. So if anyone wants any information on a ship, just let me know.
 
Meigger, that sounds like one I need to get as well…
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" />
I was looking for a book you recommended earlier, " "Ships Miscellany," published by Michael O'Mara Books Limited," and I thought I had found it, but what I actually got, (from Santa Hook, I guess I was a good little pirate this year...) was a book entitled, "A Sea of Words, 3rd ed." which purports to be; <i> a Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian, </i> this book or the book you mentioned above would have been extremely helpful for someone like me who kept think that "hull down" meant a ship was traveling slowly and "hull up" meant it was moving fast. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":facepalm" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" />

The "A Sea of Words" looks good. (And it has pictures, which tends to add to the quality of my experience when I take a book with me to the head. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/oops3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":eek:ops2" border="0" alt="oops3.gif" /> ) There's a funny part of "The Golden Ocean," where two less experienced midshipmen are made to suffer by the more experienced ones because they are not as familiar with the names of the various parts of the ship, but they are able to turn the tables on them when they start making names up. This book looks like it would have been a helpful item for all of the midshipmen concerned.
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Sir Chris, you may also want to check out the book "Ship to Shore," by Peter D. Jeans. The book is a dictionary of everyday sea terms. The book contains over 1,300 entries. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" /> Book is published by International Marine/`McGraw-Hill`. Cost about 25 US dollars. If you want to talk like a salior, this is the book you need. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Originally posted by Meigger
If you want to talk like a salior, this is the book you need.  <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Sounds like a book I need; I'm with Doctor Maturin on this, "Your mariner is an honhest fellow, none better; but he is sadly given to jargon."
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="xD:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />
 
Completed another book some might be interested in called "The History of the Lives and Bloody Exploits of the Most Noted Pirates," published by The Lyons Press. The book begins with the story of a Captain Mission, unknown to me until I read this book. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
I recommend Wilbur Smith's Courtney series in the 17th - 18th century. The first one is <u>Bird of Prey</u> with Francis Courtney as the main character, the second one <u>Monsoon</u> continues with the adventures of his son and grandson, and the third, which i've yet to read - <u>Blue Horizon</u>, features the grandsons Dorian and Thomas Courtney.

Basically it details the voyages of an East Indiaman, not only in trade, but pirvateering as well.
 
Ah, I've read those (love Wilbur Smith!) - at least the first two, I haven't read the third either. But they've so far been pretty good! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />
 
The third (Blue Horizons) is new, just came out, i think.

Oh, btw, i also recommend the Hornblower series, by C.S. Forrester. Royal Navy stuff. I have almost the complete set in ebook format, so if anyone wants em, they can PM me. It'll be nice if they had other piratey, seafaring ebooks to trade <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
 
Just got back from the local Barnes and Noble, where I picked up "The Pirate Round" by James Nelson, the third book of his Brethren of the Coast trilogy, for $4.98, $4.70 with my membership card. It's a good read by itself. Now to find the first two as cheap or better. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" />
 
I just went through the whole thread and am surprised that no one has mentioned this site: <a href="http://www.sonic.net/~press/#lit" target="_blank">http://www.sonic.net/~press/#lit</a>
Has LOTS of pirate info including a list of 132 pirate films and a HUGE list of pirate fiction.
I've read Cordingly's "Under the Black Flag" and reccomend "Pirates: Terror on the High Seas from the Caribbean to the South China Sea". Lots of color pics in this one. Cordingly was consulting editor.
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" />
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" /> Oh, I've been to that site - thanks for reminding me of it! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/onya.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":onya" border="0" alt="onya.gif" />

I fixed your link so it works as a clickable link - this is the format: <!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1--> http://www.sonic.net/~press/#lit<!--c2--></div><!--ec2--> <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" /> Just checked, I thought I'd read "Blue Horizon" by Wilbur Smith already. Came out in April of last year. You might want to check out his other novels about Africa, I love all his books. I mailed some stuff to him to autograph several years ago and he sent back a bunch of book plates that he'd signd, among the other stuff I'd sent.
 
Thanks, Catalina! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mybad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":facepalm" border="0" alt="mybad.gif" />

Sun is coming in the window in back of me and I can't see worth beans! Had to edit every post so far! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":c" border="0" alt="mad.gif" />
 
Question: Anybody read <b><i>Robinson Crusoe</i></b> lately dat kin comment upon its readability havin' been writ in 1719 or so? Fred Bob be a wonderin' an' would welcome any comments! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen1.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheeky" border="0" alt="icon_mrgreen1.gif" />
 
Haven't read it recently, but it's a good read. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" />
 
Calico Jack,
That's a neat link! <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />

Fred Bob, that's another one that I've never read, I just recently read Treasure Island for the first time. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/oops3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":eek:ops2" border="0" alt="oops3.gif" /> I might have to see if I can find a copy of Robinson Crusoe and let you know if the one I find is any good. <img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
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