Balkan Glory

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1473698790
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 416

Book Description
'Balkan Glory is an epic chapter in the splendid Kydd canon, weaving knotty political gambits with stirring naval actions, expressively re-creating the often harsh reality Jack Tars witnessed within their wooden walls during the Napoleonic Wars' - Quarterdeck 1811. The Adriatic, the 'French Lake', is now the most valuable territory Napoleon Bonaparte possesses. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd finds his glorious return to England cut short when the Admiralty summons him to lead a squadron of frigates into these waters to cause havoc and distress to the enemy. Kydd is dubbed 'The Sea Devil' by Bonaparte who personally appoints one of his favourites, Dubourdieu, along with a fleet that greatly outweighs the British, to rid him of this menace. At the same time, Nicholas Renzi is sent to Austria on a secret mission to sound out the devious arch-statesman, Count Metternich. His meeting reveals a deadly plan by Bonaparte that threatens the whole balance of power in Europe. The only thing that can stop it is a decisive move at sea and for this he must somehow cross the Alps to the Adriatic to contact Kydd directly. A climactic sea battle where the stakes could not be higher is inevitable. Kydd faces Dubourdieu with impossible odds stacked against him. Can he shatter Bonaparte's dreams of breaking out of Europe and marching to the gates of India and Asia? ************************************* Readers LOVE Balkan Glory 'I can say without a doubt Balkan Glory is Stockwin's best of the series. All these elements make it so. It's great, involving reading (I was surprised when I reached The End!). It's what makes for great historical fiction' 'By far the best of the Kydd series. Can the next one possibly be as riveting?' 'One of my must have books each year'

Tyger

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493075063
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
The 16th volume in the popular high-seas nautical adventure series featuring naval hero Thomas Kydd. The greatest naval trial in the Georgian period is underway at Portsmouth with the court-martial of Sir Home Popham, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd’s commanding officer in the doomed occupation of Buenos Aires. Kydd has sympathy for Popham’s unauthorized action but his support for his former commander leaves him athwart some very influential people in the Admiralty. With his frigate L'Aurore unfit for sea, Kydd is given a new commission that his rivals hope will destroy his career. The Tyger's have recently mutinied, but instead of dispersing her company around the fleet as is customary, the ship is pressed into immediate service in the North Sea and Kydd faces a crew still under some malign influence. Enemies aboard and on the high seas are just the start of the problem. Soon he will have to take his untested and untrustworthy crew into the Baltic, where they will find themselves entangled with Napoleon’s invasion of Prussia. The stakes are desperate, the task seemingly impossible, and the French implacable. The only way for Kydd to avoid disgrace is to gamble his reputation and crew on a crazy mission to snatch a Prussian division out of the jaws of Napoleon’s advancing army. Will he return home once more a hero or face a court-martial himself?

Thunderer

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1473698855
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
'Stockwin creates a knotty narrative, writing with authority about Britain's Georgian navy and the physical world at sea with intrigue, captivating characters, and deft storytelling. Thunderer is a suspenseful journey' Quarterdeck 1812. Arriving back in England after his successes in the Adriatic, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is bestowed with honours. In London he's greeted by the Prince Regent who, despite Kydd's protestations that he's happy with his present command, insists he be given a bigger ship - HMS Thunderer, a 74-gun ship of the line. But she's old, and being part of a standing fleet Kydd's chances of further fame and distinction are slim indeed. Winning over his new command is fraught with challenges. A hostile crew, abysmal levels of gunnery and sail-handling capabilities are intolerable to a fighting captain like Kydd. With the ship short of men and no incentives to attract more, can he ever bring Thunderer to a proper state of fighting preparedness? Kydd is sent to reinforce the Baltic squadron as Bonaparte's vast army invades Russia. News reaches him of French victory at the Battle of Borodino. The road to Moscow is now open. To avert total French victory, Kydd must lead a vital convoy through battle and tempest to the aid of Britain's last ally. Praise for Julian Stockwin's Kydd series 'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' Daily Express 'This heady adventure blends fact and fiction in rich, authoritative detail' Nautical Magazine 'Fans of fast-paced adventure will get their fill with this book' Historical Naval Society

Quarterdeck

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493071351
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
Promoted to acting lieutenant at the bloody Battle of Camperdown in October 1797, Thomas Kydd must now sit an examination to confirm his rank—or face an inglorious return before the mast. But this is only the first of many obstacles for a man who was pressed into the King's service and discovered a calling for the sea. Kydd is from humble origins, yet he attains the lofty heights of the quarterdeck as an officer in His Majesty's Navy. If he is to avoid spending the rest of his career as a tarpaulin officer, he must also become a gentleman. Kydd and his enigmatic friend Nicholas Renzi set sail in HMS Tenacious for the North American station. Aboard the old 64-gun ship, Kydd comes to doubt he will ever match up to the high-born gentlemen officers.

Tenacious

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 149307136X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
Thomas Paine Kydd is in Halifax enjoying the recognition and favour of his fellow officers when Tenacious is summoned to join Horatio Nelson's task force on an urgent reconnaissance mission. Intelligence suggests the French Revolution is about to set the Mediterranean ablaze, but Bonaparte's fleet is nowhere to be found. Nelson and his band of brothers begin a desperate search for him. Kydd's newfound ambition fuels his desire to be at the forefront of the hunt. But with power comes responsibility; with responsibility, accountability. Kydd will face his greatest challenge ever amidst bloodstained seas. And defeat will mean humiliation—or death.

Invasion

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493071572
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
In the 10th volume in the popular high-seas nautical adventure series, rumors fly of Napoleon's planned invasion of England, and British naval commander Thomas Kydd is sent to liaise with American inventor Robert Fulton, who has created "infernal machines" that can wreak mass destruction from a distance. Fulton believes that his inventions, namely the submarine and torpedo, will win the day for the power that possesses them, and Kydd must help him develop the devices. Despite his own belief that standing man-to-man is the only honorable way to fight, Kydd agrees to take part in the crucial testing of these weapons of mass destruction, which just may decide the fate of England.

Inferno

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 149307508X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 449

Book Description
In the 17th volume in the popular high-seas nautical adventure series, it is 1807 and Captain Sir Thomas Kydd's famous sea action aboard Tyger has snatched his reputation from ignominy. He is the hero of the hour. But although the British Navy remains imperious, a succession of battles has seen Napoleon victorious on mainland Europe. His enemies have sued for peace and the emperor’s Continental System, establishing a European blockade, will leave Britain cut off from her economic lifeblood. One small link in this ring of steel is still free of French control: the neutral state of Denmark, which controls the straits through which the entire Baltic trade passes. In an attempt to prevent the French from taking control of Denmark's navy, Kydd's great friend Nicholas Renzi – now the Lord Farndon – is sent on a desperate diplomatic mission to persuade the Danes to give up their fleet to Britain. But the Danes are caught between two implacable forces and will not yield, opting instead for the inferno of battle.

Command

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493071513
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
In the 7th volume in the popular high-seas nautical adventure series, Thomas Kydd is master of his own brig-sloop Teazer, and he must race the clock to make her battle-ready to defend Malta against Barbary pirates and the French, who are frantically trying to rescue the remnants of their army in the Levant. Suddenly, peace is declared, and the young captain finds himself ashore. To make ends meet, he agrees to transport convicts to Australia. Little does he know that his friend Renzi, weakened by illness and embittered with the service, is also bound for that colony as a settler. There they will be forced to face their deepest fears and prove themselves against all odds.

Victory

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 149307167X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
In the 11th volume in the popular high-seas nautical adventure series featuring naval hero Thomas Kydd, Napoleon Bonaparte continues planning for the invasion of England as Admiral Horatio Nelson and the Royal Navy patrol the seas, seeking out their elusive enemy. When convoluted political machinations in England lead to the impeachment of the head of the Navy, Commander Thomas Kydd is forced to choose sides. Eager to take on the real enemy, Kydd decides to join Nelson's squadron just before the Battle of Trafalgar, the greatest sea encounter of all time. Amidst the chaos and bloodshed, Kydd and his shipmates must prove once and for all that the Royal Navy truly rules the seas.

Pasha

Author: Julian Stockwin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493075047
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 361

Book Description
In the 15th volume in the popular high-seas nautical adventure series featuring naval hero Thomas Kydd, an Admiralty summons to England cuts short Kydd's service in the Caribbean. While the crew of L'Aurore look forward to liberty and prize money, a shadow hangs over her captain: the impending court martial of Kydd's one-time commander, Commodore Popham, who led a doomed attack on South America. Following Nelson's death two years earlier, England is in desperate need of heroes and Kydd's Caribbean exploits are the talk of London. Feted by the king and a grateful country, Kydd is soon on detachment in the dangerous Dardanelles connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea and providing a route to India. The French have long coveted this route, knowing that it could be the key to toppling the British Empire in India. When they successfully whip up such strong anti-English sentiment that the British ambassador to Constantinople has to flee to L'Aurore, a deadly stand-off ensues. Meanwhile Kydd's closest friend, Nicholas Renzi, has assumed a new role that he can never make public. Sent under alias on a mission to Constantinople, Renzi must engineer a coup that will turn the tables on the French. But when he's taken prisoner, only Kydd's superb seamanship and sheer bravado can save the day.