Quarterdeck Historical Fiction Newsletter March/April 2009

8/14/2019 Quarterdeck Historical Fiction Newsletter March/April 2009

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AuthorInterviews:Julian StockwinWilliam H. White

QuQuararteterdrdeckeck

March/April 2009


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CONTENTSMarch/April 2009

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DEPARTMENTS

ScuttlebuttThe latest in news about authors and forthcoming titles in

nautical and historical fiction.

By George!Sweetwater Heritage.

BookshelfWhen Fortune Frowns by William H. White.

FEATURESJulian StockwinEnglish author Julian Stockwin follows Nelsons footsteps inas he prepares to write his new Thomas Paine Kydd novel,

Victory.

William H. WhiteAmerican novelist and maritime historian William H. Whitediscusses When Fortune Frowns, his latest work of fiction.

RECENTLY LAUNCHEDWar for All the Oceans by Roy and Lesley Adkins

Nelsons Trafalgarby Roy Adkins

Sword Songby Bernard Cornwell

IAIN GALE

For Queen and Country

Waterloo

3

5

15

Cover photo of Julian Stockwin at the starboard bow of HMS Victoryby Kathy Stockwin.

11

6

4

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3QUARTERDECK | MARCH/APRIL 2009 | 1-888-266-5711 | www.mcbooks.com

SCUTTLEBUTT

NNEWEW BBOOOO KKPPUBUB LILI CCAATITI OONN DDAATESTES

2009 - 20102009 - 2010

US (United States)UK (United Kingdom)

PB (Paperback)TPB (Trade Paperback)

HC (Hardcover)

AprilApril

When Fortune Frowns (USHC)by William H. White

HMSCockerel (USTPB)

by Dewey Lambdin

MayMay

The Frigate Surprise (USHC)by Geoff Hunt and Brian Lavery

The Tide of War(UKHC)by Seth Hunter

The Hawk(UKPB)by Peter Smalley

Captains Contentious (USHC)by Louis Arthur Norton

JuneJune

The Glory Boys (UKPB)by Douglas Reeman

JulyJuly

The Gathering Storm (UKHC)by Peter Smalley

Ship of Rome (UKPB)by John Stack

OctoberOctober

Invasion (USHC)by Julian Stockwin

LOUIS ARTHUR NORTONCaptains Contentious - The DysfunctionalSons of the Brine(right) by American navalhistorian Louis Norton offers originalinsights into a quirky quintet of navalheroes of the American Revolution. Thebook is scheduled for publication on May31, 2009. A native of the old seaport ofGloucester, Massachusetts, Norton is aprofessor emeritus at the University ofConnecticut. Among his previous books is

Joshua Barney - Hero of the Revolution and1812.

ALEXANDER KENTEnglish novelist Alexander Kents new

Adam Bolitho novel, In the Kings Name, is now scheduled to be publishedin 2010 in the UK. It follows Heart of Oakin the Bolitho series.

WILLIAM C. HAMMONDPublication ofFor Love of Countryby William C. Hammond, the secondtitle in the Cutler Family Chronicles followingA Matter of Honor, has beendelayed. A new launch date has not been announced.

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne was recently shown a model of the littlebrig-sloop HMS Teazer, Thomas Kydds first command, by English novelistJulian Stockwin (right) during a visit to the Ivybridge Library in Devon. Teazerwas built over the course of 2008 by British master modeller John Thompson,who presented it to Julian and Kathy Stockwin. The model was on loan to thelibrary. (Photo by Kathy Stockwin)


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Sailing our wooden cat-ketchJane

Ann along the sugar-sand beachesand dunes on Lake Michiganseastern shoreline, its not difficult

to imagine the same waters a century andmore ago, when white sails were commonsights on the horizon.

During the 1800s, schooners were thedominant vessels sailing the Great Lakes,

delivering goods from port to port, asmaritime communities along the shore-lines began to prosper. Travel under sail

was easier and more economical in a timewhen railroads had yet to expand theirlines to small towns and villages, and

highways were often little more thanmud tracks.Long before the schooners, Native

Americans paddled and sailed the samewaters in birchbark canoes. And thencame the French-Canadian voyageurs, whocarried furs from the northwestern fron-tier through well-travelled routes on theLakes to Montreal, where they were

4 QUARTERDECK | MARCH/APRIL 2009 | 1-888-266-5711 | www.mcbooks.com

BYGEORGE!

Sweetwater Heritage

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

shipped to European fashion houses.Growing up near the shorelines of the

Great Lakes and studying maritime histo-ry, I gained a great respect for the legacyleft behind by generations of courageousmariners. My great-grandfather, CaptainGeorge Jepson, was the skipper of a small,two-masted schooner in the late 1800s,sailing out of Manistee, Michigan, a mar-itime community that a few years earlierhad consisted of three sawmills servicing

the burgeoning lumber industry.Manistee was typical of the many

towns and villages that flourished at themouths of rivers running into the GreatLakes, which had been founded andbegan to grow because of trade carried onunder sail and, later, steamers. Not sur-prising, most of them were involved inbuilding boats and ships.

Now, to the uninitiated, the GreatLakes are woefully misnamed. Theseinland seas are not anything like theplacid lakes many believe them to be.Theyre notoriously unpredictable, andthreatening to vessels of all sizes, includ-ing freighters like the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Several years ago, I crewed aboard a30-foot sloop sailing south fromCharlevoix, Michigan, to Holland on the

western shore of the states lower peninsu-la. After clearing the Charlevoix piers, wehad a lovely sail as the sun set across thelake in Wisconsin. We overnighted inLeland, and sailed to Pentwater the fol-lowing day. A front moved into theregion, and we were weathered-in for twodays. Believing the forecast that the worst

was over, we embarked once again, hop-

South Haven Pier Light on Lake Michigan ...


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It is autumn 1790 when Captain

Edward Edwards takes command ofHMS Pandora, a 24-gun Royal Navy

Porcupine-class frigate bound for theSouth Seas. Her mission: locate and cap-ture the mutineers who seized HisMajestys Armed Vessel Bounty, setCaptain William Bligh and eighteen loyalofficers and seamen adrift, and recover the

lost vessel.In When Fortune

Frowns, William H.White skillfully tells thestory of HMS Pandorathrough the eyes ofLieutenant EdwardBallantyne, a fictionalcharacter, who joins theships company underCaptain Edwards inPortsmouth Harbour asshe is about to sail.

Ballantynes English-dialect voice adds anauthenticity to his narra-tive, which White says

came from spending a great deal of timewith British people in Cayman learningphrasing and expressions that they used,and that an American would likely not.

Although technically a novel, WhenFortune Frownssticks to documented factsconcerning Pandora, Captain Edwards,and the actual historical figures who tookpart in the Bountymutiny and the ensu-ing events over a period of five years.


BOOKSHELF

When Fortune FrownsBy William H. White

Weaving fact with fiction has produced awonderfully engaging yarn of the sea andthe era of wooden sailing vessels.

Early on, as Ballantyne strolls throughthe Georgian-period Royal Dockyard inPortsmouth in search ofPandora, thearoma of Stockholm tar and canvas waftsoff the pages. Its all coming back, theyoung lieutenant says to himself. ... thesmells, the language, the hustle and bustleof a busy yard. Like coming home again!

And indeed it is for readers of the sea.Whites research travels unfurled from

England to Australia to Tahiti, as he col-lected historical minutiae with which tocolor his story. The Royal Dockyard scenehad been written prior to his visit there toread Pandoras original log in the Naval

Archives. After I walked through thosehuge wooden gates and toured the yard,

White recalls, I realized I had to rewritethe whole scene to get it right, thus stir-ring the memory of people who had also

visited.The events surrounding the Bounty

mutiny continue to resonate well over

two centuries after Fletcher Christian andhis band of mutineers disappeared withthe ship in the Great South Seas. William

Whites detailed and vivid account ofHMS Pandoras adventures is a delightfuladdition to the Bountys literature andlegend. GDJ

HARDCOVER | 343 PAGES | $29.95

... great historical fiction a fascinating (and true) story, scrupulouslyresearched and fleshed-out with characters who have the ring of authenticity.

James L. Nelson
http://www.mcbooks.com/bookstore/product_details.php?id=840


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JULIAN STOCKWIN

In Nelsons Footsteps

S

Thomas Kydds creator journeys back in time aboard HMSVictoryand in the Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth, England.

SINCE THE THOMAS PAINE KYDD sea stories were launched nearla decade ago, English novelist Julian Stockwin has journeyed to far cor-

ners of the world in which the Royal Navy sailed during the FrenchRevolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. Stockwin and his wife andliterary partner Kathy have visited Gilbraltar, the Caribbean, Brittany,Malta, the Channel Islands, and the former smuggling village of Polperr

in Devon, as they have sought to createthe fabric of Kydds life.

The new Kydd sea story, Invasion,which follows The Privateers Revenge(Treacheryin the UK), will be publishedsimultaneously in America and theUnited Kingdom in October 2009. In

October 2010, a new novel with theworking title Victory will be publishedin the US and UK.

Soon after the manuscript for Invasiowas sent to their publishers, theStockwins embarked on another researchexpedition, this time to Portsmouth, following in Nelsons footsteps as he pre-pared for the Battle of Trafalgar on 21October 1805.

During 10 days in Portsmouth, Julianwas allowed complete access to HMSVictory, and the Historic Dockyard andenvirons, from which Nelson embarkedfor the last time. As the new novel develops in the coming months, Trafalgar wilplay a significant role.

While in Portsmouth, the Stockwinsalso met with Ken Yalden, past presiden

Julian Stockwin (left) aboard HMS Victorywith Keeper and Curator of HMSVictoryPeter Goodwin (Photo by Kathy Stockwin).


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of the International Guild of KnotTyers, in Julians ongoing quest forauthenticity in his books.

The author recently chatted withQuarterdeckabout his time in

Portsmouth, researching his newnovel.

Julian, how were you able to arrangefor such intimate access to HMSVictory?

I have known Peter Goodwin,Keeper and Curator of HMS Victoryfor a number of years. We bothserved in the [Royal] Navy at about

the same time, although in differentareas of the Service (Peter was anuclear submariner). A few monthsback, I rang Peter to see whether itmight be possible to obtain specialaccess to Victory, and he very kindlyarranged this for my locationresearch visit to Portsmouth in earlyDecember, 2008. Although I didknow the ship pretty well after many

visits over the years I was amazed at

how much more work Peter hasdone to bring this iconic ship backto how she was in Nelsons day. Togive just one example he has reevednearly all the running rigging. Mostdisplay ships from that era aroundtoday only have standing rigging i.e. the stays, shrouds etc., holdingup the masts. The main reason forthis is that rigging for the standingrigging is tarred and preserved, and

lasts a long time. Running rigging the operating machinery of the ship used for braces, sheets, etc., is nottarred and as such is costly to main-tain. It also makes the shiplook extremely complex. With whatPeter has done for all intents andpurposes you could bend on sail onVictoryand go. Along these lines I

was impressed with what he hasdone with one ofVictorys boats,

which sits on the dock alongside. Itis rigged with full fore and mainyardarm stay tackles for launching

exactly as it was in Nelsons day(there are no davits for the big boatson the skid beams amidships, andup to two hundred men would beneeded in swaying up and out thefour-ton boat and crew).

Did ghosts from the ships pastspeak to you as you walked herdecks in ways that will enhance the

writing of your new novel?

Of course! From Nelson and the

captain, Hardy, right down to thepowder monkeys. I stepped out

where they all would have workedand lived, even to inspecting theheads in Captain Hardys cabin. The

work Peter Goodwin has done hasreally brought the ship alive in a waythat is hugely atmospheric hisattention to detail includes locating

surviving iron foundries to cast realshot and finding a master rigger toensure the breeching for the massiv32-pounders is not only left-handlay [direction in which its strands

are twisted], but also properly dou-bled with a cut splice [weaving theends of two lines] around the cascable [aft end of the gun, with anopening in the line passing aroundthe button].

Did you make new discoveries dur-ing your time aboard Victory, com-pared to previous visits?

The 2005 [bicentennial] anniversarof Trafalgar concentrated minds

wonderfully on this precious pieceof heritage, and since then Peter, ascurator, has been encouraged toresearch and discover all kinds offascinating detail about life aboardand how the machinery, simpleand complex, all came together inthe most powerful expression ofnaval might for three generations.

He will not accept things merelybecause a book says so hell go tothe specific fitting and test and worit until he has it understood. Inanother field, I suppose hed berecognised as an experimentalarchaeologist.

Was there anything different aboutthis time aboard Victorythan yourprevious visits?

If any reader and lover of the greatage of fighting sail has not visitedthis historic ship in the last fiveyears or so, I urge you to do so. Sheis now in as handsome a conditionas at any time in the last two cen-turies, and must now be close to

when she sailed against the


JULIAN STOCKWIN

If any readerand lover of the

great age of

fighting sail has

not visited this

historic ship in

the last fiveyears or so, I

urge you to do

so ...


8/18

Combined Fleet in 1805. It will bethe scale of the old battleship that

will take the breath away with allthe rigging in place now you can seeblocks so big they need four men to

lift them, ropes as thick as a mansleg, and cleats fully the size of anadult! Do tarry until dusk and takein the breath-taking view of thegreat black tops and soaring rigginglined against the sky the very pic-ture of arrogant grace and fightingsplendour! And then into night

when the admirals lanthorn is lit(she is still the flagship ofCommander-in-Chief, Home

Command) and the ships floodlitwith a blaze of light upwards whichbrings out her warlike beauty to per-fection.

What did you learn from knotexpert Ken Yalden that will be help-ful as the new Kydd novel evolves?

A chief boatswains mate of the oldschool, Ken meets up with fellow

old salts to actively promote the artsof the seaman around the world,and specifically the knots and splicesthat were so essential to keeping theseas in Kydds day. Ken scolded mefor having Teazers seamen tricing uptheir hammocks with half hitches

when the marline hitch was morepreferred for the regulation seventurns. This is because due to the layof the rope the marline hitch does

not dig into the shoulders when car-rying a hammock. Ken presentedmy wife with some ingeniously

worked tiny rosebud knot earrings,and for me there was a puzzle astout stopper knot joining twolengths of rope. But this one joineda three stranded right-hand layhawser-laid rope over three inches in

circumference with a four strandedequivalent, the place of join con-cealed under whipping, so I candrive myself witless wondering howit was done.

Did the artist William Wylliespanorama of the Battle of Trafalgarin the Royal Naval Museum providenew insights into the action?

Not really new insights, but hissplendid panorama does give you anexcellent overview of the battle.

Wyllie chose to set the scene at 2:00

PM on the afternoon of 21 October1805, at the height of the battle

when the British had broken the lineof the combined French and Spanishfleets. The Royal Naval Museum has

now incorporated the WylliePanorama into Trafalgar! amulti-media presentation where youcan stand on the gundeck of a man-o-war and feel what it must havebeen like in battle. I highly recom-mend a visit. Wyllie was nearly 80

when he started this monumentalwork!

Tell us about your thoughts as youviewed the new Nelson bust in theNelson wardroom.

First, it was a trip down memory

lane, for as a naval officer I hadstayed at the Royal Navy base atPortsmouth, Hampshire, HMSNelson, on numerous occasions

when I was working on a softwareproject for NATO. The bust itself,let me tell you, is a splendid rendi-tion of my great hero. It has pride oplace in the wardroom, and wascommissioned by an anonymousdonor to mark the 250th anniver-

sary of the birth of Nelson. The buis apparently based on a life mask oNelson produced in Vienna in 180It seemed such an appropriate set-ting, and after we had admired it w

were taken to lunch in the historicmess with mighty paintings andNelson memorabilia on all four

walls, a wonderful place for a navalofficer to dine, believe me.

You also visited theMary Rose, theRoyal Marines Museum and theHistoric Dockyard. What did youlearn that will be helpful in your

writing?

These other venues were largely todo with research-checking materialfor my non-fiction book project,Stockwins Maritime Miscellany,

which covers the Golden Age of Sa

from the voyages of discovery in thfifteenth century through theNapoleonic wars to the era of theclipper ship. However, I also tookaway various facts and anecdotesfrom the Royal Marines Museumand the Dockyard to salt away forfuture Kydd books. I am never without my little dictaphone, and I can


JULIAN STOCKWIN

... take in thebreath-taking

view of the great

black tops and

soaring rigging

lined against the

sky the verypicture of arro-

gant grace...


9/18

quickly note down material to betranscribed later into myhistorical/sea relational database,

which is quite sizeable now, andwhich is constantly referenced whenI am writing.

Is there anything else you would liketo share about your time inPortsmouth?

Kathy and I were delighted to renewa number of naval friendships.

Admiral Paul Boissier kindly tooktime out of his very busy schedule totalk to us in his office at Whale

Island, with its view of PortsmouthHarbour overlooking the very spotmentioned in the new Kydd bookcoming out this year (Invasion). Wealso looked up Commander RichardMorris, who had invited us to spendtime aboard his destroyer previously,sailing from Plymouth toPortsmouth.

We stayed at Gunwharf Quays, avibrant commercial/residential com-

plex right on the harbour. The sitewas established as a naval ordnanceyard in the late seventeenth century.Gunwharf (previously known asHMS Vernon) was the home of theRoyal Navys Mine Countermeasurestraining facilities. The present site isa sympathetic mix of twentieth cen-tury buildings and older ones fromKydds day, including the VulcanBuilding, where we stayed. It has

been converted into loft-style apart-ments. Ironically, it is, as well, whereI studied for promotion to lieu-tenant quite some years ago, andinitially I felt quite disoriented to be

within what I remember as a properRoyal Navy shore base.

Of course Portsmouth has a longtradition of the Navy and the sea.


JULIAN STOCKWIN

But not everyone always thoughthighly of the town Jack Tar couldbe quite boisterous on the ran-tanashore! Nelson himself is on recordfor once calling it a horrid place.However, visits to Portsmouth punc-tuated Nelsons career, and the townsaw him develop from an awkwardmidshipman to a great nationalhero. It was from Portsmouth thathe first went to sea to join his uncleCaptain Suckling aboardRaisonnablein 1771, and it was atPortsmouth that he took his laststeps on English soil in 1805.

One of the most poignant aspectsof our visit was reconstructing thatlast walk of Nelson. Although thehotel in which he stayed, GeorgeInn, was bombed during the Second

World War, it is possible to find thelocation of the hotel and trace hissteps, as we did.

Nelson arrived at the George at6:00 AM on the morning of 14September 1805, had breakfast, andthen paid a call on the DockyardCommissioner. Meanwhile Victoryhad gone to single anchor in St.

Helens Roads, not far fromSpithead, and at 11:30 AM hoistedNelsons flag. News had quicklygone around Portsmouth that thesea hero had arrived in town andgreat crowds gathered in front of thGeorge.

Nelson decided to leave by theback entrance of the hotel, in PennStreet, to avoid the huge press ofpeople. He walked along the northside of Governors Green, by theKings Bastion to Spur Redoubt, anthen down to a little shingle beachaway from Sally Port, the usual placthat naval officers embarked.

Crowds flocked all along the route,and Nelson had to push his waythrough the throng. He greetedthem with great good humour andsaid he wished he had two arms sohe could shake more hands.

Perhaps the people had somesense of the future as there was nocheering, but a respectful quiet.Men doffed their hats and women

were seen to be in tears. A fortune

teller in the West Indies had oncetold Nelson that she could see nofurther than his forty-seventh birthday, and at this stage this birthday

was only a few weeks away.After Nelson embarked in his

barge, men and women ran kneedeep into the water. Then came thecheers, as he was rowed out toVictory. Nelson, touched, said toHardy in the barge, I had their

huzzas before, I have their heartsnow. Victorysailed at 8:00 AM onSunday, 15 September 1805, andHoratio Nelson met his death at onbell in the first dog watch, 21October.

Visit Julian Stockwin online atwww.julianstockwin.com.

After Nelsonembarked in his

barge, men and

women ran knee

deep into the

water. Then

came the cheersas he was rowed

out to Victory ...


10/18

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2 -Artemis$15.00 | Trade Paperback

3 - Seaflower

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6 - Tenacious$14.00 | Trade Paperback

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9 - The Privateers Revenge$24.00 | Hardcover

By Julian Stockwin

Julian Stockwin

NEWNAVAL FICTION

This is the first in a trilogyfeaturing Nathan Peake,

British naval officer and spyduring the war withRevolutionary France. It is1793, and Peake, com-mander of the brig-sloopNereus, based at Rye in EastSussex, is patrolling thesouth coast of England inthe war against smugglers.Unhappy with his commis-sion and desperate for real

action, he gets his chancewhen Revolutionary France declares war on England.The French have killed their king and are about toembark on that violent period of bloodletting known athe Terror. Peake is entrusted with a vital mission to

wreck the French economy by smuggling millions ofFrench banknotes across the Channel and into the hearof Paris. As he embarks on his mission, opposition tothe Terror mounts, and he is soon forced to leave Parisand find the storm-tossed British squadrons in the

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Coming in the May/Juneissue ofQuarterdeck...

Marine artist Geoff HuntHistorians Roy and Lesley Adkins

Seth Hunter is the pseudonym of the author of anumber of highly acclaimed novels. He has writtenand and directed many historical dramas for televi-sion, radio, and the theatre, and has adapted anddirected films by playwrights such as Arthur Millerand Mikhail Bulgakov.
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11/18


WILLIAM H. WHITE American novelist

and maritime historian best known for hisnaval fiction set during the War of 1812and the Barbary Wars sails on a new tack

in his new bookWhen Fortune Frowns. The story of the 1789Bountymutiny has long intrigued historians, novelists, and

readers of sea adventures, including White. Theauthors latest work of fictionalized history

recounts the story of HMS Pandora, dispatchedby the Admiralty to apprehend the mutineers

and recover the Bounty.White discusses When Fortune Frowns

and his journey to get the story right inthis interview with Quarterdeck.

What motivated you to write about theBountymutiny?

I have long held an interest in theBounty mutiny and marveled at howmany of the accounts of it, along with

the movies, got it wrong. The worstmovie, of course, was the first, with Clark

Gable as Fletcher Christian. There was littleright about the story, being totally

Hollywoodized, with complete disregard for thehistory. But thats Hollywood, and the subsequent

films were almost as bad. In fairness, the most recent,with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins, was the best.But none of them gave the follow-up.

What drew you to write about the mission of HMS Pandora?

William H. White

I have long held an interest in the Bountymutiny andmarveled at how many of the accounts of it,

along with the movies, got it wrong.

WILLIAM H. WHITE

After the Bounty


12/18

When I read Caroline Alexandersfine effort on the Bountystory [TheBounty], I discovered in her pro-logue, the story of Englands effortsto capture the mutineers. Withouttaking anything away from her bril-liant book, well-researched and well-

written, I realized that here was agreat tale which no one had written.So, while all of my books to datehave been on the American Navy(and of a somewhat later period), Idecided that people might be inter-ested in hearing the conclusion tothe well-known story of the Bountyand the mutineers. I was, and con-

tinue to be, of the impression thatmost people think all the mutineerswent to Pitcairn Island, while infact, there were only nine, includingFletcher Christian, who sailed off tofind an out-of-the-way-place tohide, leaving sixteen men in Tahiti.

Why did you decide to fictionalizethe story of HMS Pandora, ratherthan write a straight history of the

events?

All of my stories have been fictional-ized, while remaining true to thehistory about which I write. I findthat more people enjoy reading fic-tion than non-fiction and, as anadded bonus, they also learn some-thing. An additional benefit of writ-ing fiction is that I can add someinteresting characters and dialogue

which, of course, one can not dowith non-fiction. Basically, it justmakes the book more fun to read,and allows the reader, by personaliz-ing the story, to place him or herselfinto the action.

How did you research When FortuneFrowns?

The research was great fun. Due tomy compulsion about using primarysources for research, I had to travelto where the information resided.That included Portsmouth,England, where I held and read theoriginal log ofPandora, the captainsnotes and the record of his court-martial, along with related docu-ments concerning the wreck andevents that occurred along the way.Since the wreck was discovered in

1979 and artifacts recovered from it,I then went to Australia, where PeterGesner, chief archeologist, diver, andcurator of the exhibit relating toPandora at the wonderful Museumof Tropical Queensland inTownsville, Australia spent a great

amount of time discussing therecovery, the story, and, most impor-tantly, correcting some of theassumptions I had made relative tothe incident. He gave me a behind-the-scenes look at artifacts not ondisplay, as well. Then, since a largepart of the story takes place in Tahitiand I find it difficult to describe

places I have not seen, I traveled toTahiti for a look at Matavai Beach,the mountains surrounding it, andthe neighboring islands. I was luckyenough to be asked to lecture onone of the Star Clippers sailingthrough the islands about theBounty/Pandora story, and so, com-bined the two quite neatly! Whiletime-consuming, the research wasmost rewarding!

Did you uncover any surprises inyour research?

Well, I guess I would say my discov

eries about Captain Edwards tyrannical behavior and the dichotomythat existed between him and Bligh

would be high on the list. Also thenumber of mutineers that survivedthe wreck and the open boat voyagto Indonesia was a bit of a surprise.Reviewing both Pandora SurgeonHamiltons and Bountymutineer

James Morrisons differing accountsprovided a few interesting contrasts

as well. And finally, the fact thatnary a soul in the British Admiraltyever said a documented word aboutEdwards regarding his treatment ofhis prisoners, but allowed Blighspermanently besmirched reputationto go unchallenged, seemed a triflesurprising to me.

What was your greatest challenge inresearching and writing the book?

The amount of time required for thresearch and, of course, while get-ting there is half the fun, it was alsa significant challenge. Another difficulty I experienced was keepingtrue to the facts of the events whileadding a few interesting fictionalevents to further involve the reader.


WILLIAM H. WHITE

All of my storieshave been fictional-

ized, while remainingtrue to the history

about which I write. Ifind that more peopleenjoy reading fictionthan non-fiction and,as an added bonus,

they also learnsomething.


13/18

Determining, by researching thescant material on the real individualsin the story, actions they might havedone or words they would have beenlikely to say presented a different

kind of challenge. I hope I havebeen true to them and presented anaccurate image of the players.

As you researched the history, didyou sympathize with either themutineers or Bligh and the party

with whom he had been set adrift?

Given the treatment the mutineersreceived once captured, I would

have to say my sympathies, thoughsomewhat limited, lay with themutineers. Not because of any mis-treatment they received from Bligh,but primarily because, given the lim-ited space in Blighs boat, not all ofthe men who stayed in Tahiti were apart to the mutiny; they had littlechoice but to remain with the shipafter Christian had taken it over. Butof course, Edwards had no way of

knowing who was and who was nota real mutineer, so all were treated ascriminals. This was based on hisorders, which were quite explicit.

Did the extensive Bountyart bymarine artist Paul Garnett assist in

visualizing the story?

Paul is a Bountyconnoisseur. Hiscollection ofBountymemorabilia,

both relative to the original storyand the reproduction of Blighs shipon which he served as shipwright forseven years, is extensive, and he is a

veritable mine of information aboutboth Bountyand Pandora. His art-

work is accurate to a fault and isbased on his own research, much of

which paralleled my own. He paint-


WILLIAM H. WHITE

1 - The Greater the HonorThe year is 1803, and young Oliver Baldwinarrives in Boston to take his berth aboard thenewly launched United States brigArgus, com-manded by Stephen Decatur.Argusis bound forthe Mediterranean to join Commodore Preblessquadron to protect Americas trade against theBarbary Pirates, the North African corsairs whomade their livelihood preying upon merchant

vessels sailing in the western Mediterranean.Baldwin and his shipmates are in for a rollickingadventure. Under Decaturs careful eye, theyoung men in his command learn to hand, reef, steer and fight!


2 - In Pursuit of GloryMidshipman Oliver Baldwin, recently backfrom the Barbary Wars, is serving in the frigateUSS Chesapeakeas she leaves Hampton Roads,

Virginia, on patrol as she is confronted by thefifty-gun HMS Leopardoutside the VirginiaCapes. The British vessel is seeking Royal Navydeserters, and when Commodore James Barronrefuses the British captains orders to producethem, fires into the ill-prepared Americanfrigate with disastrous results. The incident wasa major contributor to the War of 1812, whichstarted five years later. Following a court martial, Stephen Decatur takescommand ofChesapeaketo enforce the Jeffersonian Embargoes on the

Atlantic seaboard with Oliver, Henry Allen, and others from Whites The

Greater The Honor.


,

NAVAL FICTION

Oliver Baldwin NovelsBy William H. White

William H. White is a former United States naval officer, with combatservice. He is also an avid, life-long sailor. As a maritime historian, hespecializes in Age of Sail events in which the United States was a key

player, and lectures frequently on the impact of these events on Americashistory. He lives in New Jersey with his wife.
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14/18

ed the scenes depicted in the log andother primary writings, while I

wrote them. I can only say in somecases, his art provided me with a bitof a shortcut to my telling the taleand describing some of the majorevents. And the cover painting, doneexpressly for the book, gives thereader a graphic look at the ship-

wreck in case my words dont con-jure up a suitable image on theirown.

What more is there for historians tolearn about the Bountymutiny andthe aftermath?

There is a host of details which Ichose not to include in my book,because they added little, in myopinion, to the story I was telling.But there are many interesting factsrelative to the mutineers lives inTahiti, their relationships with theislanders, and the follow-on regard-ing what happened to the familiesthey started while there, which, to

my knowledge, no one has yet told.

Are you presently working on a newwriting project?

My next project, barely off theground, deals with the MerchantMarine in World War II. I know,this is a huge departure from myusual topics, but I am co-writingthis one with my youngest son, who

is an historian and teacher. His areaof expertise is centered on the twen-tieth century, and so I suspect he

will be most helpful with historicaldetails about which I know little. It

will be, once again, a novel, but willbe based on true events, many of

which we have gleaned from inter-views with participants. This is cer-


WILLIAM H. WHITE

tainly a different approach for me,as all the participants in my previousstories have been long dead!

Is there anything else you would liketo say to our readers?

I can only hope they will read thisstory and enjoy it. It closes out a sig-

nificant event in maritime history,and sheds light on a final chapter,

which has been neglected by writerboth in the fiction as well as in thenon-fiction genres for far too long.

Visit William H. White online atwww.seafiction.net.

NAVAL FICTION

War of 1812 TrilogyBy William H. White

1 - A Press of CanvasAmerican Isaac Biggs is pressed into service on a Royal Navy ship. Hisnew life is hard, with strange rules. Then the United States declares waron England and Isaac finds himself faced with the possibility of fightinghis own countrymen.


2 - A Fine Topsl BreezeIsaac Biggs and the General Washington play a big role in securing thefreedom of American survivors of the Chesapeake/Shannon battle, includ-ing two of his friends.


3 - The Evening GunIsaac Biggs and friends find berths with Joshua Barney's Gunboat Flotillaon the Chesapeake Bay. Romance mixes in with the adventure of fightingin defense of Washington and Baltimore.

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RECENT ARRIVALS

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Naval HISTORY

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Four Days in June

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Night of Flames

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By Douglas Jacobson
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BYGEORGE!

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

ing to make Holland in one run.As we tacked south out of Pentwater, we were beating

into a southerly that was kicking up the waters in theManitou Passage, making life aboard uncomfortable. Bymid-afternoon, after tacking farther out into the lake,the sky turned a yellowish pea green at least thats mymemory of it and the winds increased to thirty milesper hours. Suddenly, there was a loud snapping sound,and our boom was swinging wildly after breaking loosefrom the mast. The gooseneck fitting had failed. There

was nothing to do but drop the mainsail. Motoring wasan option, but in the building seas we were makingminimal headway. The jib (or foresail) was left flying inan effort to stablize the motion of the boat. As the lightdimished at dusk, we were in seas that towered over us.

The boat climbed the crest of one wave and then rapid-ly slid down into the trough. By midnight, the windhad shifted to the north, and we were sledding south-

ward with a somewhat easier motion. At about 4:00AM, the light on the pierhead at Muskegon was visibleoff our port bow, and within minutes we were motoringinto the calm harbor. Although this adventure occurredover 30 years ago, I can still feel the movement of theboat and the power of Mother Nature.

So on a sunny summer day, standing on a bluff inSouth Haven, Michigan, overlooking one of the Great

Lakes once called sweetwater seas by those who sailedthem, I can envision a horizon dotted with white sails.Down below, on the Black River which flows into LakeMichigan, the wharves of 125 years ago would havebeen loaded with lumber, waiting to be shifted aboardthe schooners tied up alongside. An inward-bound pas-senger steamer might have slipped past the piers extend-ing into the lake, belching black smoke, and announc-ing its arrival with a throaty whistle. On the shore, ascow schooner, with a square bow and stern, might beon the stocks, with a crew of shipwrights working to

finish the vessel as quickly as possible. South Haventhen was a thriving maritime town, along with manyothers that populated the shores of the Lakes. Today, thesmall city is a tourist mecca, with beautiful beaches,

well-appointed marinas, and quaint shops. But the mar-itime legacy created by courageous sailors a greatmany of them imigrants from Scandinavian countries over a century ago has all but vanished.

As the railroads and motor transportation evolved in

the twentieth century, Americans looked inland, awayfrom the Lakes. Schooners that had survived the ele-ments slowly rotted away in backwaters, their bleachedbones disappearing under shifting sands. In places likethe Manitou Passage, Thunder Bay off Alpena,Michigan, and the Shipwreck Coast along the southernshore of Lake Superior, the lake bottoms are the finalresting places for thousands of wrecked vessels, victimsof violent storms, shoals, and sometimes bad luck.These days, a small dedicated band of historians andarcheologists work to document middle Americas mar-itime heritage. Since the early 1960s, C. PatrickLabadie, historian at the Thunder Bay National MarinSanctuary and Underwater Refuge has collected rarephotographs and the histories of ships and boats dating

back to the nineteenth century. Pats collection, whichnow belongs to the Marine Sanctuary, can be viewedonline at www.greatlakesships.org. Its a window back intime to an era when the Great Lakes were seaways forcommerce in Americas heartland.

So when we raiseJane Anns sails in the South Havenchannel, and tack northward or southward just beyondthe barn-red lighthouse on our port side, we journeyback to another time. The only sounds are the pop of asetting sail, the creak of a wooden spars, wind in the rigging, the cries of gulls, and the gurgle of sweetwater

along the hull.

George Jepson

ID Booth Building520 North Meadow StreetIthaca, NY 14850

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