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Entries preceded by a '*' are reviewed on my Nautical Book Reviews page

Entries preceded by a '+' are available electronically, see the separate Electronic Nautical Books List




Lockridge, Richard 1898-
     Inspector's Holiday (Inspector M. L. Heimrich's wife, Susan, contracts
       pneumonia during a bad winter. Because of her slow convalescence, the
       doctor recommends a holiday in a warmer climate, so they take a cruise
       on an Italian vessel leaving New York for the Mediterranean. The
       accommodations and food are superb, and the other passengers
       interesting -- until Sir Ronald Grimes disappears. Grimes and his
       lovely young wife are returning to England on his retirement from the
       British Embassy. Unfortunately he is fated not to "raise roses -- or
       cabbages" as he had planned. The ship's captain calls on Heimrich for
       help and they discover a British Special Branch agent strangled in his
       cabin. Cruise ship routine forms a background while Heimrich tries to
       untangle a web of international intrigue.)

Lodwick, John 1916-
     The Cradle Of Neptune, 1958 (Set at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
       between the world wars, this novel, is a study of young people from all
       walks of life, but all of a certain class, and their interaction as
       they are moulded into potential naval officers.)

Lomask, Milton
     Ship's Boy with Magellan, 1960 (Orphaned Pedro Molino ships out on
       Magellan's circumnavigation as a cabin boy to avoid getting killed by
       his Uncle, who wishes to steal the boy's estate. Young readers, written
       as part of a fiction series featuring Catholic world history.)

London, Jack 1876-1916
     The Cruise of the Dazzler, 1902 (For young readers. 15 yr. old boy runs
       away and inadvertently joins crew of a "Bay Pirate" sloop. Simplistic
       plot and characters, but great descriptions of small boat sailing on
       and just outside of San Francisco Bay.)
    +The Sea Wolf, 1904
     Tales of the Fish Patrol, 1905 (Oyster pirates, illegal fishing and other
       shenanigans on SF bay, lots of small boat sailing, much of it in
       "Columbia River salmon boats.")
     A Son of the Sun, 1911 (The adventures of Captain David Grief in the
       Solomons Islands.)
     The Mutiny of the Elsinore, 1914 (Passion and mutiny aboard a windjammer
       rounding the Horn with a hard-bitten male crew and one woman
       passenger.)
     South Sea Tales, 1939

Long, E. Laurie
     The Trials of the Phideas, 1944 (A novel about the delivery voyage of a
       paddle steamer from the UK to South America.)

Longstreet, Stephen 1907-
     Masts to Spear the Stars, 1967 (China clipper tale.)
     Storm Watch, 1979 (A broken captain takes over command of a supertanker,
       gets involved in an international conspiracy and with a bunch of
       religious fanatics.)

Lovejoy, William H.
     Ultra Deep, 1992 (A Soviet rocket with a nuclear payload sinks deep into
       the ocean, where it will melt down and poison the seas unless our hero
       with his robot submersibles can find and disable it in time.)

Lowden, Desmond
     Bandersnatch, 1969 (Ex-RN officer, unable to adjust to peacetime
       following heroic adventures in Med during WW II relives his glory days
       by buying and living aboard the MTB that he commanded in the war, which
       20 years later is a clapped-out relic. Chased out of the Spanish port
       in which he was harbored by a Greek shipping tycoon, he gets revenge by
       hijacking the magnate aboard his yatch, and holding him and his party
       for ransom.)
     Cry Havoc, 1984 (International yacht racing (Cowes & Admirals Cup) with a
       vivid reconstruction of the disastrous '79 Fastnet Race, make a
       fascinating background for this thriller.)

Lucas, Jeremy
     The Longest Flight, 1982 (perhaps unique, about an arctic tern on its
       trans-ocean flight)

Luddecke, Werner Jorg 1911-
     Morituri, 1965 (German blockade runner leaves Japan in 1943-44, with a
       cargo of valuable war material, a crew full of misfits that -- facing
       charges and execution in Germany -- want the ship captured, a British
       spy whose mission it is to keep the Germans from scuttling the ship, a
       fanatic Nazi who is convinced that the captain wants the ship to get
       captured -- and a humanistic captain who is determined to get back to
       Germany despite his crew, the British spy, and the "aid" of his Nazi
       first officer. En route they collect a beautiful German Jewish woman
       who aided a British liner to fight a German raider. Great fun. Turned
       into a movie starring Yul Brynner and Marlon Brando.)

Lunnon-Wood, Mike
     King’s Shilling, 1998 (While making her way home, HMS BEAUFORT, a Royal
       Navy Type 23 frigate, is diverted to Liberia, where civil war has
       broken out. We follow her deployment to rescue Westerners caught up in
       the carnage. A fast moving yarn of how the men and women who crew
       today’s Navy cope with a fast deteriorating, potentially likely
       scenario.)
     Let Not the Deep (This Atlantic-set adventure-thriller carries you
       through its pages on waves: A ship with engine failure calls out
       distress and the crew of the MAEVE CORRIGAN, a superbly designed
       lifeboat, set out to the rescue through stormy seas. A story of
       courage and testing and suspense.)

Mac, Gerard
     Pilgrims, a Novel of the Mayflower, 1994 (Voyage of the MAYFLOWER, as
       told from the focus of a 19-year old woman, Daisy Mason, who is a
       passenger aboard the ship.)

Macaulay, David
     Ship, 1993 (Discovery and exploration of a wrecked Spanish caravel by
       marine archeologists, and the story of its construction. Excellent
       drawings. For young Readers.)

McCaig, Donald
     The Bamboo Cannon, 1989 (Boats, planes, love, wild oats and local
       politics in the Caribbean.)

McCammon, Robert R.
     The Night Boat, 1980 (A U-boat is discovered in a Caribbean lagoon... but
       the dead crew are intent on completing their last mission in this
       horror/fantasy.)

McCann, Hugh Wray 1928-
     Utmost Fish!, 1965 (Passed-over RN personnel officer seizes his last
       chance for glory in the opening days of WW I. He leads an expedition to
       transport two patrol boats over 500 miles of jungle to fight a German
       fleet on an African lake. Loosely based on a real incident.)

McCutchan, Philip 1920-1996 (Joined the RN as a signalman in 1939 and served
  throughout WW II in a variety of ships, including the cruiser VINDICTIVE,
  the ocean boarding vessel LARGS, and the escort carrier RAVAGER", ending the
  war as a lieutenant, RNVR. His first novel was published in 1957. He went on
  to become one of the fifty most read authors of the British lending library
  system, annually qualifying for the 6,000 pound maximum payable sum for
  Public Lending Rights.)
     Donald Cameron RNVR series: (WW II adventures.)
       Cameron, Ordinary Seaman, 1980
       Cameron Comes Through, 1980
       Lieutenant Cameron RNVR, 1981
       Cameron in the Gap, 1982 (Cameron, aboard destroyer BURNSIDES,
         participates in a convoy to Malta, rescuing a tanker filled with
         avgas in the process.)
       Cameron in Command, 1983 (Cameron, now commanding a corvette is sent to
         stop a Japanese invasion of the Falklands. How? By blocking the
         strait the Japanese plan to take!)
       Orders for Cameron, 1983
       Cameron and the Kaiserhof, 1984
       Cameron's Raid, 1984
       Cameron's Chase, 1986 (Cameron, commanding the destroyer GLENSHIEL,
         joins the chase for the German battleship ATILLA, and becomes a
         decisive part in bringing it to bay.)
       Cameron's Troop Lift, 1987 (Cameron, aboard the destroyer CAITHNESS,
         weathers a typhoon only to find a convoy carrying British POWs to
         Singapore. How can he rescue them without sinking the troopships?)
       Cameron's Commitment, 1989
       Cameron's Crossing, 1993 (The headstrong and capable Cmdr. Cameron
         crossing to the USA aboard an aircraft carrier takes command and
         saves the ship when her captain is knocked out during a fierce
         arctic storm.)
     St. Vincent Halfhyde series: (Late 19th, early 20th century adventures,
     sometimes in the RN, sometimes not)
       Beware, Beware the Bight of Benin, 1974 (The author, in this, the first
         of the series, introduces Halfhyde, a Royal Navy lieutenant, who is
         on a secret assignment to forestall Russian intentions on the West
         African coast. He is captured by the Russians but a subsequent mutiny
         allows him to complete his mission with credit.)
       Halfhyde's Island, 1975 (Halfhyde and a passed-over captain Bassinghorn
         are sent on a superannuated warship, HMS VICEROY, to claim a
         newly-risen volcanic island for Britain before a Russian fleet led by
         Halfhyde's nemesis Prince Gorsinski, can claim it for Russia. But in
         the midst of the Russo-British struggle for the island a Japanese
         fleet appears, seeking Gorsinski's scalp.)
       The Guns of Arrest, 1976 (Halfhyde is attached to Bassinghorn's command
         on the battleship PRINCE CONSORT, and sent to Africa with Inspector
         Todhunter of Scotland Yard, to recover plans stolen by a British
         traitor, Sir Russell Savory and return Savory to custody. A German
         fleet under the command of Admiral von Merkatz intervenes to take
         Savory to Germany.)
       Halfhyde to the Narrows, 1977 (Halfhyde, detached from Bassinghorn,
         is given acting command of the torpedo boat VENDETTA, and as part of
         a flotilla under the command of the mule-headed Captain Watkiss, is
         sent through the Dardanelles to the Black Sea to rescue a British
         merchant ship held under the guns of a Russian fleet commanded by
         Prince Gorsinski.)
       Halfhyde for the Queen, 1978 (Halfhyde, Watkiss and their 4th TBD
         flotilla are operating out of Gibraltar when Halfhyde is ordered to
         pick up a Queens Messenger in Spain. Turns out there is a Spanish
         plot to kill Queen Vicky -- a plot the agent _may_ or may _not_ be
         party to. So, it is off to Balmoral in the VENDETTA!)
       Halfhyde Ordered South, 1979 (Watkiss and Halfhyde are sent on a
         mission to turn over an obsolete battleship to Chile -- except en
         route they learn their real mission is to assist Todhunter to
         recapture an escaped Sir Russell Savory, and free the British admiral
         at that station from Chilean custody. Naturally, von Merkatz and a
         German fleet are trying to stop this.)
       Halfhyde and the Flag Captain, 1980 (Returning to England from Chile
         with Sir Russell Savory, Halfhyde, Watkiss, and Admiral Daintree are
         diverted to Uruguay, to free the British ambassador, held by the
         winning faction in a coup. Daintree is driven to distraction by
         Watkiss's insubordination. Von Merkatz shadowing the British
         squadron, uses the coup to secure Savory for himself.)
       Halfhyde on Zanatu, 1982 (Halfhyde is given command of another torpedo
         boat, and ordered to join Commadore Bassington's squadron off Zanatu.
         There, the natives are in revolt because John Frumm, the cargo cult
         deity is in residence. To end the rebellion, Halfhyde sets out to
         capture Frumm, who turns out to be a shipwrecked and half-pay
         Watkiss. Then, Prince Gorsinski appears on the scene, and steals
         "Frumm" to use to lure islanders to Russian sovereignty.)
       Halfhyde Outward Bound, 1984 (On permanent half-pay -- due to events at
         the end of Zanatu --  and unhappily wed, Halfhyde signs onto a
         windjammer bound for Sydney to learn how to run a merchant ship.
         When the ship stops in Chile, the captain takes on a murderous
         diamond-smuggling passenger, and Halfhyde is shopped to von Merkatz.
         Escaping, Halfhyde enlists the aid of a sympathetic steamship captain
         to rescue his old captain, and elude von Merkatz.)
       The Halfhyde Line, 1984 (Halfhyde, having purchased a steamship, the
         TARONGA PARK, is maneuvered into illicitly carrying arms to Ireland
         from Australia. Although he attempts to warn the authorities they
         fail to stop them being landed, so Halfhyde is left to retrieve the
         situation.  En route he begins a liason with Victoria Penn -- his
         significant other for the rest of the series.)
       Halfhyde and The Chain Gangs, 1985 (With the outbreak of the Boer War,
         Halfhyde is recalled to active duty in the Royal Navy Reserve. Pulled
         off of his ship he is given command of a square-rigger which is to
         carry convict volunteers from Dartmoor to South Africa for a labor
         battalion. The task is complicated by the discovery that gold is
         aboard, and that highly-placed individuals from England have sent a
         yacht to follow him and remove and kill one of the convicts aboard.)
       Halfhyde Goes to War, 1986 (Boer War)
       Halfhyde on the Amazon, 1988 (Watkiss, presumed dead at the end of
         Halfhyde on Zanatu, reemerges -- serving the Brazilian Navy as an
         admiral. Naturally, his disposition gets him in trouble. Halfhyde
         reunited with the TARONGA PARK, sails with Victoria Penn and
         Inspector Todhunter to the Amazon River on an undercover naval
          mission.)
       Halfhyde and the Admiral, 1990 (Halfhyde is en route to Chile on the
         TARONGA PARK with Canon Rampling and Watkiss's missionary sister as
         passengers. The Admiralty then has Halfhyde take Todhunter along to
         place Watkiss, now an admiral in the Chilean navy, into protective
         custody, before the Chileans imprision Watkiss for being irritating.
         As usual, complications ensue.)
       Halfhyde and the Fleet Review, 1991 (Halfhyde is back in the Royal
         Navy; albeit the Royal Navy Reserve. He is assigned to the Chilean
         Navy as their C in C and is given the task of ensuring the safety of
         a controversial Chilean (but English) admiral.)
     Commodore John Kemp series: (WW II adventures of a convoy commander
     aboard the converted passenger liner AURELIAN STAR.)
       The Convoy Commodore, 1986 [1] (Introduces Mason Kemp, convoy
         commodore, as he takes charge of a convoy bound for Halifax, NS
         during the height of the Battle of the Atlantic.)
       Convoy North, 1987 [2] (Mason Kemp leads a convoy on the Murmansk Run,
         during which he encounters a German agent -- who was Kemp's friend
         during peacetime days.)
       Convoy East, 1989 [3] (Mason Kemp, with a group of WRENS in his charge,
         guides his convoy from England through the Mediterranean to
         Alexandria, and thence to Ceylon in the Far East. This novel only
         takes the convoy as far east as Malta.)
       Convoy of Fear, 1990 [4] (Starting at Malta, Kemp takes his battered
         Ceylon-bound convoy through the Suez -- where a cholera epidemic is
         raging -- and then to its ultimate destination at Trincomalee.)
       Convoy South, 1988 (Kemp convoys Australian troop-ships to America amid
         intrigue, suspense and German pocket battleships.)
       Convoy Homeward, 1992 (On the way home to the UK, Kemp deals with
         German prisoners, a troublesome crew and the mysterious presence of a
         pompous brigadier.)
     Tom Chatto series:
       Apprentice to the Sea, 1995 (Original title Tom Chatto. Set on the seas
         of the nineteenth century. Tom Chatto is a young apprentice seaman
         from west Ireland, hoping to make his living on the decks of a
         square-rigged windjammer. He encounters heavy seas, treachery, and
         twists of plot; a delight for sea lovers everywhere.)
       Tom Chatto, Second Mate, 1995 (As the second officer of the steamship
         ORTEGA bound from Liverpool to Chile about 1905, Chatto has no end of
         problems. Fever breaks out among the passengers in the steerage,
         preventing the ORTEGA from stopping at Madeira to repair a mechanical
         problem. Then Tom must contend with a lusty grass widow on her way to
         a new life in South America who has designs on our hero. With
         difficulty Tom (who signed on the ORTEGA as much to see his ladylove,
         daughter of a wealthy Argentine rancher, as to advance his career)
         avoids her advances. To top it all Mr. Patience, the first mate of
         the windjammer Tom sailed in during the first book, is aboard as a
         passenger. Patience seems to have it in for Chatto, but the two
         eventually team up to try to save a derelict windjammer encountered
         off Cape Horn.)
     Bowering's Breakwater, 1964 (A British liner is crossing the Indian Ocean
       when nuclear war breaks out. Seeking refuge in an island lagoon, she
       falls into the hands of Chinese soldiers, and passengers and crew
       become prey to despair and violence as they fight to avoid
       transportation to China.)
     The Last Farewell, 1991 (The liner LAURENTIA leaves New York for England
       in 1915 and is sunk by U-boats off the coast of Britain. Covers the
       political intrigue ashore and the interaction of the various characters
       on board.)

MacDonald, John D. (John Dann) 1916-1986
     The Last One Left, 1967
     Travis McGee series: (McGee is a private detective who lives on his boat
     based in Florida. Only the books that seem to have a significant nautical
     element are listed here.)
       The Deep Blue Good-by, 1964 (Begins and ends aboard the BUSTED FLUSH,
         McGee's 52-foot houseboat. Quite a bit of on-the-water action. McGee
         chases a bad guy through Florida in search of a fortune in jewels.)
       Bright Orange for the Shroud, 1965 (Set in Florida, with McGee sailing
         his houseboat to where the baddies live. Lots of nautical by-play,
         including an on-the-water climax. McGee breaks up a vicious
         marry-for-money con game.)
       Darker Than Amber, 1966 (Set in Florida and the Caribbean. Not much
         boating, although a good fraction takes place on a cruise ship. McGee
         breaks up another con game, this one with murderous twist.)
       Pale Gray for Guilt, 1968 (Set in Florida. Lots of floating in this
         one, McGee goes to visit an old football friend, only to find that he
         killed himself in an implausible manner. One of the best McGee
         novels, some say.)
       A Tan and Sandy Silence, 1971 (Set in Florida and the Caribbean as
         McGee follows the trail of a missing lady friend to the island of
         Grenada, where he discovers a stranger posing as his friend and an
         intricate, murderous con game. Quite a bit of boating and a _very_
         wet climax.)
       The Scarlet Ruse, 1973 (Set in Florida, with plenty of boats (and a
         description of a very dangerous way to end a water-skiing session.)
         McGee looks for some missing rare postage stamps.)
       The Turquoise Lament, 1973 (Set in Hawaii and Tahiti, with boat-related
         flashbacks to Florida and Mexico. McGee tries to convince a friend's
         daughter that her new husband isn't really trying to kill her.)
       The Dreadful Lemon Sky, 1974 (Set in Florida.  McGee stays on the
         "FLUSH" for this one, but there's not a lot of boating. McGee agrees
         to keep a package for a friend who then walks in front of a truck.)
       The Empty Copper Sea, 1978 (Set in Florida, no boating to speak of. A
         friend of McGee's is accused of losing his boss overboard. McGee
         tries to clear his name.)
       Cinnamon Skin, 1982 (Set in Florida, Texas, Mexico, and elsewhere. Not
         much boating. McGee's best friend Meyer has his boat blown up, and
         the two of them set out to find the real reason.)
       The Lonely Silver Rain, 1985 (Set in Florida, with some boating. McGee
         is asked to find a missing yacht, but then finds himself the target
         of assassination attempts with no apparent reason.)

McDonald, Roger 1941-
     Mr. Darwin's Shooter, 1998 (The story of the young sailor who became
       Charles Darwin's manservant during the voyage of HMS BEAGLE. In the
       seven years they voyaged together he shot and collected many of the
       specimens that his 'gent' used to arrive at his theory of natural
       selection. "I do not  praise many contemporary novels, but this one is
       truly remarkable." [CP])

Macdonnell, James E. 1917- (Australian author of naval stories, mostly set in
  WW II and featuring Royal Australian Navy heroes.)
     Fleet Destroyer, 1945
     Enemy in Sight, 1958 (Lt. Peter Bentley is detached from his destroyer to
       take command of a 4-man minisub, which is supposed to sneak into a
       Japanese harbor and attack the cruisers therein.)
     Mutiny, 1958
     Target Battleship, 1959
     The Recommend By, 1960
     Eagles Over Taranto, 1961
     The Lesson, 1961
     Battle line, 1962
     The Gunner, 1962
     The Gun, 1963
     Broadsides!, 1965
     Not Under Command, 1967
     Headlong into Hell, 1968
     To the Death, 1969
     The Iron Claw, 1973 (Centred around an Australian destroyer flotilla
       whose leader is the WIND RODE - her Captain, Peter Bentley with his
       brother-in-law Bob Randall as First Lieutenant, operating out of Port
       Moresby in WW II. A lone Japanese cruiser is targeting lightly
       protected convoys in what should be Allied controlled areas of the
       Pacific and Bentley makes it his business to try and eliminate this
       threat. Very Australian Navy - surprisingly (for less than 130 pages,
       packed with non-stop action) very readable.)
     Escort Ship, 1981
     Full Fathom Five, 1968 (The thread of this book starts with an action
       between the destroyer JACKAL - Captain "Dutchy" Holland and an Italian
       surface raider off the North West coast of Australia. Also a cruiser,
       HMS SURREY - Captain Bentley Snr., in action on the Russian convoys. As
       the threads are woven together Bentley Snr. joins his son Peter Bentley
       and son-in-law, Bob Randall, in WIND RODE with some help from the
       JACKAL, for an exciting sea battle against a Japanese invasion fleet.)
     Choke Point, 1985
     Kenyon PT boat series:
       The Convert, 1967 (Lt. Kenyon takes command of a PT Boat and must prove
         himself to himself, his crew and the squadron.)
       Down the Throat, 1967 (Lt. Kenyon sinks Japanese transport that turns
         out to have been full of Allied prisoners and nurses. Of course it
         was a set-up, but Kenyon must overcome his doubts and prove himself
         to himself, his crew and the squadron.)
       South Pacific Fury, 1968 (Kenyon and the 44-boat are sent to rescue a
         coast watcher on a Japanese-held island in the Phillipines. In the
         process they sink or cripple numerous major elements of the IJN which
         are attempting an offensive.)
     Jim Brady series: (RAN sailor who works his way up to become an officer
     during WW II.)
       Gimme The Boats, 1953 (A classic "destroyers at war" novel mainly of
         the destroyer SCOURGE - Captain James Brookes. Although not primarily
         about Jim Brady he features strongly in this story, as a petty
         officer, the back-bone of the navy, whose contribution to the success
         of the ships he serves in is already being noticed.)
       Jim Brady: Leading Seaman, 1959
       Commander Brady, 1956 (Jim Brady is now in command of the destroyer
         CIRCE at war with the Japanese. The problems of combat, grounding and
         having to put divers down in shark infested water, coupled with his
         doubts of the decisions he has to make form a basis for quite a good
         yarn.)
       (more)

McFee, William 1881-1966 (McFee was a marine engineer, his writing is set
  during the heyday of steam. In addition to his novels, he wrote several
  excellent reminiscences about his career in steam.)
     Casuals of the Sea, 1916
     Command, 1923
     Sailors of Fortune, 1929 ((A collection of short stories and one novelette
       dealing with the men, officers and soldiers of fortune who serve in
       ocean liners. Taken from the pages of HARPER'S, ATLANTIC MONTHLY,
       REDBOOK AND THE AMERICAN MERCURY, 1923-1929.)
     North of Suez, 1930 (The adventures of Lt. Stephan Rumford, RNR as he
       serves as the Chief Neutral Transport Officer at Port Said during WW I.
       Rumford -- who believes all foreigners are "Dagos" -- executes his
       responsiblity for passing neutral ships through the canal with
       scrupulous honesty, to the discomfort of the captains attempting to carry
       private cargos on government charters, and the disgust of his wife, who
       cannot understand why he won't feather his nest with offered bribes.)
     Derelicts, 1938 (Our hero, chief engineer of the SS SANSOVINA, meets a
       wealthy passenger and spins her a yarn about WW I.)
     Ship to Shore, 1944 (The captain of the luxury liner LEXINGTON during the
       Depression deals with a fire at sea.)
     In the First Watch, 1946

McGee, James
     Wolf's Lair, 1990 (A familiar story - In the closing hours of the Third
       Reich a U-boat is loaded with a mysterious cargo and an even more
       mysterious passenger. The captain's orders are to proceed (refuelling
       on the way of course!) to Argentina and ignore all instructions to
       surrender. A present day adventurer, ex-special forces - framed drug
       smuggler, is recruited by the U-boat captain's son to solve the
       whereabouts of the lost submarine after his father's Knight's Cross
       (with oak leaves, swords and diamonds) is found clutched in the hand of
       a dead Greek fisherman. Written in an offhand style making a fair light
       read in spite of the spectre of the Fourth Reich.)

McGlamry, Beverly
     Goodly Heritage, 1986 (In the late 17th and early 18th centuries Abrial
       Barker becomes buccaneer while Eliza Barker becomes renowned ship
       designer. )

McGowen, Tom
     The Last Voyage of the Unlucky Katie Marie, 1969 (After spending all his
       money on a cargo to trade in India, the captain of the clipper UNLUCKY
       KATIE MARIE is forced to use chunks of ice to ballast the ship.)

MacGregor, James Murdoch 1925-
     When the Ship Sank, 1959 (A motor passenger vessel -- modeled loosely on
       the ATHENIA -- sails from Britain with a load of passengers escaping
       WW II. Then, on the first day of the war, it gets torpedoed and sunk,
       forcing all aboard to fight for survival. Book focuses on the fates of
       six women on the ship, and their friends, families and associates also
       aboard.)

MacHardy, Charles
     Send Down a Dove, 1968 (The submarine HMS SCORPION has its refit
       cancelled, and in April 1945, is sent on a poorly thought-out mission
       to patrol the Skaggarak with a captain that believes he will be passed
       over for promotion and a disaffected crew.)

McIntyre, Marjorie
     The River Witch, 1955 (The daughter of riverboat captain and her
       adventures along the upper Mississippi. So notorious in her day, they
       wrote songs about her.)

Mack, William P. 1915- (Vice Admiral USN (ret.))
     WWII Destroyer series:
       South to Java, 1987 (Co-author William P. Mack Jr. Four-piper O'LEARY
         starts the Pacific war in the Asiatic Fleet stationed in Manila. With
         a suicidal captain, and a disgruntled Lieutenant Fraser, it must
         weather the initial Japanese onslaught against the Philippines and
         Dutch Indonesia. Nov. '41 - Mar '42.)
       Pursuit of the Seawolf, 1991 (O'LEARY, following refit, is transferred
         to the Atlantic, less Fraser, Arkwright, and the doctor. Meridith is
         CO, a rich Texan, Tex Sorenson, becomes Exec. Takes O'LEARY through
         the worst stages of the Battle of the Atlantic, until she is sunk in
         a duel with a German Seawolf sub. May '42 - Nov '43.)
       Checkfire!, 1992 (WW I vintage destroyer becomes amphibious transport
         in the Pacific during WW II.)
       New Guinea: A Novel of War at Sea, 1993 (Sorenson, now qualified for
         command takes charge of USS CARSON, a SIMS class destroyer. With
         other survivors of the O'LEARY, the current XO of the CARSON, and an
         ex-naval aviator, Auerbach, he commands the ship during operations
         off New Guinea, the Admiralties, and a fictional invasion of Morotai,
         supporting McArthur's advance. Nov 1943 -- Sep 44)
       Straits of Messina, 1994 (Introduces the BENSON-class DD LAWRENCE, with
         a new cast of characters, as it provides escort services and offshore
         support to the Anglo-American invasions of Sicily and Salerno. One or
         two O'LEARY alumni are aboard in supporting roles, and the O'LEARY
         makes a cameo appearance. Major new characters are "Horse" Phelps,
         commodore of DesDiv 32, Pete Fannon, XO, and "Beetle" Bronson,
         communications officer.)
       Normandy, 1995(Takes LAWRENCE from pre-D-Day build-up, through the
         invasion of Southern France. Phelps is still commodore, but Fannon
         is the LAWRENCE's captain, Bronson is XO. Book ends with "Beetle"
         Bronson taking command of the GRAYSON, another destroyer in the
         flotilla.)

McKay, Simon
     The Seas of Fortune, 1983 (Yankee captain and ship designer moves to
       Charleston, begins developing revolutionary steamships, becomes a noted
       blockade runner during the Civil War, and continues his struggle to get
       steam accepted following that conflict.)

McKenna, Richard
     The Sand Pebbles, 1962 (US gunboat on the Yangtze River.)
     The Sons of Martha, and Other Stories, 1967 (Posthumous collection of
       McKenna's short stories, and the unfinished novel on which he was
       working when he died. In addition to first three sections of the novel,
       the collection consists of an autobiographical essay, Journey With a
       Little Man; short stories King's Horseman, Fool's Errand, and A
       Chronicle of a Five-Day Walking Tour Inland on the Southern Portion of
       Guam.)
     The Left-Handed Monkey Wrench, 1984 (Collection of stories, essays and
       part of the autobiographical novel he was working on at his death.
       Includes: The Left-Handed Monkey Wrench; Church Party; King's Horsemen;
       Life Aboard the USS Gold Star; The Fiction of History; The Wreck Of
       Uncle Josephus; and The Sons of Martha.)

Mackintosh, Eliza (Josephine Tey) 1896-1952
     The Privateer, 1952 (Famous mystery writer tries her hand at tall ships
       book with this tale of Henry Morgan in Jamaica.)

McLaughlin, W. R. D. (Born in Aberdeen, the author began his sea-going career
  in 1927. He was with the famous whaling firm of Salversen for twenty-three
  years, fifteen of which were as an executive officer with whale factory
  ships.)
     Antartic Raider, 1960 (In the closing days of 1941 the German surface
       raider VIKING leaves Hamburg on a secret mission to capture the Allied
       whaling ships operating off Antarctica and return them to Germany with
       the whale oil from which glycerine is to be extracted for munitions.
       The mission is not as secret as the Germans hoped, the British have got
       wind of it and dispatch the armed merchant cruiser QUEEN OF NEW
       ZEALAND, under the command of Captain Carmichael, RN, to combat the
       threat.)
     So Thin is the Line: A Further Novel of the War in the Antarctic, 1963
       (A convincing WW II story of piracy, sabotage and murder on the high
       seas when whaling was a reputable industry and an economic necessity.
       As the sub-title hints, this is a continuation of the author's
       previous novel and concerns the German commandos and officers in charge
       of the two Norwegian whaleships, CACHELOT and ANTARCTICA, that the
       VIKING captured and sent back to Germany, and the reactions of the
       ships' crews. The two ships are in the charge of two very different
       types of German officers.)

MacLean, Alistar 1922-1987
     HMS Ulysses, 1955 (British light cruiser escorts WW II Murmansk convoys.)
     South by Java Head, 1958 (Motley group of suspicious characters trying to
       escape from the Japanese advance on Singapore on a rotting tramp
       steamer.)
     Dark Crusader, 1961 (Written under the pseudonym Ian Stuart. Also
       published as THE BLACK SHRIKE(?). Couple on honeymoon voyage are
       actually agents on trail of missing scientists, end up on Polynesian
       island after series of disasters.)
     Fear is the Key, 1961 (Search for treasure aboard a sunken DC-3 mixed in
       with murder, mystery, and revenge.)
     Golden Rendezvous, 1962 (Tramp steamer with luxury cabins for rich folks
       get hijacked in gold theft with nuclear twist.)
     Ice Station Zebra, 1963 (American nuclear sub is sent on a mission to
       rescue the staff of an ice pack weather station -- or at least that is
       how it seems.)
     When Eight Bells Toll, 1966 (Secret agent pursuing pirates who hide their
       prizes by sinking them.)
     Bear Island, 1971 (Murder among movie crew trying to shoot film 300 miles
       north of the Arctic Circle.)
     Seawitch, 1977 (Industrial sabotage directed at a mobile offshore oil
       rig.)
     San Andreas, 1984 (WW II medical ship ferries wounded and onboard
       saboteur across North Atlantic tracked by the Luftwaffe and U-boats.)
     The Lonely Sea, 1986 (Collection of MacLean's nautical short stories
       dating back to his first published effort (The Dileas, 1954) that
       kicked off his writing career. The Dileas: Old man risks his fishing
       boat and crew in terrifying storm to rescue his two sons.)

McLean, Allan C.
     Master of Morgana, 1959 (16 yr. old Hebridean lad joins a salmon fishing
       crew on the isle of Skye to find out who pushed his brother off of a
       footbridge.)

McLeay, Alison
     Sea Change, 1992 (In the 1860s our heroine, a New Orleans riverboat rat,
       flees to England in search of her "place" in life. The search ends
       aboard a fabulous yacht in the middle of the Atlantic.)

McNamara, George (Tom's son, age 6!)
     George and The Tricky Fish, ? (George loves to go sailing with his
       family. While vacationing on the family's boat off Catalina Island,
       George learns how to fish, and discovers that it is not always easy.
       Childrens' book.)
     George and the Sailboat Race, ? (George and Dad enter a sailboat race in
       San Diego Harbor with George as skipper and Dad as crew. Childrens'
       book.)

McNamara, Tom 1944-
     Henry Lunt Series: (Fictionalized account of one of the author's
     ancestors, who historically sailed as one of John Paul Jones's officers.
     McNamara embroiders family tradition about Lunt into his
     tales)
       Henry Lunt & the Ranger, 1990 [1] (Rescued from British captivity by
         John Paul Jones, Henry Lunt serves as a lieutentant aboard the USS
         RANGER. Lunt is sent ashore in Belfast, to spy out the reason that
         HMS DRAKE is avoiding combat with Jones, discovers the ship is
         testing a new secret weapon (the carronade), and galls the Drake's
         captain into trading broadsides with Jones.)
       Henry Lunt & the Spymaster, 1994 [2] (Following the return of the
         DRAKE to France, Lunt serves with Franklin at the American
         Delegation in Paris. He discovers that British spies have
         infiltrated the delegation, and then is sent to England to
         re-establish contact with the "Spymaster.")
       Henry Lunt at Flamborough Head, 1995 [3] (Lunt serves aboard the BON
         HOMME RICHARD on the cruise that ends with the epic battle with
         SERAPIS off Flamborough Head.)
     Skull and Cross Bones, 1996 (Pirates in the Carribean. To be published
       soon.)

MacNeil, Robert 1931- (Of the MACNEIL/LEHRER NEWS HOUR)
     Burden of Desire, 1992 (Tells the tale of the Halifax Explosion of 1917,
       when a fully loaded ammunition ship blew up in Halifax harbor, and the
       aftermath of the disaster.)

Maitland, Alan (Editor)
     Favourite Sea Stories from Seaside Al, 1996 (In this delightful anthology
       of maritime stories, we meet mermen and maids, Nova Scotia fishermen,
       and Stevenson's bottle imp. We visit the isle of Inishmoor, the cliffs
       of Connemara, and the Queen Charlotte Islands. We travel aboard a cargo
       ship bound for Bombay, feel the ocean spray in our faces,and discover a
       manuscript in a bottle.)

Mallalieu, Joseph Percival W. 1908-1980
     Extraordinary Seaman, 1944 (This fictionalised account of the life and
       career of Captain Lord Cochrane, tenth Earl of Dundonald, is divided
       into ten chapters and covers the SPEEDY and the EL GAMO sea fight to
       his service against Spain in the Chilean and Peruvian Wars of
       Independence.)
     Very Ordinary Seaman, 1944 (Written during WW II; vividly describes in
       fictionalised style the life on the lower deck, from joining the Royal
       Navy and through to service aboard a destroyer on Murmansk convoy
       protection duties. One of the best books of its genre.)

Mandel, Paul and Sheila
     The Black Ship, 1968 (US PT boat stalks German destroyer run by the SS
       in the English channel during WW II.)

Copyright © John Kohnen 1999
Commercial reproduction prohibited without written consent


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