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The Nautical Fiction List
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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




Schoonover, Lawrence
     The Gentle Infidel, 1950 (The adventures of a Italian lad wrongly drafted
       into the Ottoman Janissaries during the reign of the sultan immediately
       before Mohammed the Conqueror. Has some very good descriptive material
       on the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The story of how the Sultan has
       his fleet carried over land into the Golden Horn, and why, is worth
       reading in itself, but there is more on the role of sea power. "...Very
       well written and an easy read." [LF])
     The Revolutionary, 1958 (Yet another fictionalized bio of John Paul
       Jones.)
     Central Passage, 1962 (Nuclear war blasts Panama to bits, opens a passage
       between the Atlantic and the Pacific.)

Scortia, Thomas N. 1926- and Robinson, Frank M.
     The Gold Crew, 1980 (Psycological experiment aboard a US Navy SSBN leads
       to big trouble under the Arctic Ocean.)

Scott, Douglas
     The Burning of the Ships, 1980 (A merchant captain, surviving a
       torpedoing, gets rescued by Vichy forces attempting to recover Italian
       survivors from a torpedoed liner -- shades of the LACONIA.  This gets
       him involved in a web of intrigue involving Vichy collaboration with
       the Germans, a sabotage ring burning Allied merchant ships, and a
       Soviet spy seeking to wreck Anglo-Allied cooperation.)
     Chains, 1984 (Merchant captain, captured by a German U-Boat crew after
       his ship is torpedoed and sunk, escapes from a special POW camp in
       France and finds himself enmeshed in a web of espionage and treachery
       in the days leading up to Allied invasion of Sicily.)
     The Albtross Run, 1986 (American war correspondent, recuperating from
       airplane crash injuries in Bombay get swept into the orbit of a
       hard-bitten, self-taught merchant captain who befriends the
       correspondent. The captain arranges for the correspondent -- who is
       trying to get to Sierra Leone -- to travel on his merchantman, which is
       making an unescorted passage from Bombay to Durban in the face of
       German and Japanese opposition. The captain faces down a Japanese
       raider, a typhoon, and a hostile crew, before the correspondent
       discovers that this hero is being destroyed by personal burdens. Good
       read.)

Scott, James Maurice 1906-1986
     The Devil You Don't, 1969 (Three Britons take a 20 ton yawl to South
       Trinidad Island off Brazil in search of treasure stolen during the
       Peruvian war of independence.)

Scott, Justin
     The Shipkiller, 1978 (The story of a man whose sailboat was rammed by the
       largest tanker in the world. He lost his wife and swears that he is
       going to sink the ship. Will he make it ? The story takes you all over
       the world. A well documented fiction but not far from reality.)
     The Normandie Triangle, 1981 (German saboteur who sank the NORMANDIE
       plans an encore by sinking the QUEEN MARY in New York harbor with
       12,000 soldiers aboard. A naval architect working on salvaging the
       Normandie discovers the plot.)

Scott, Michael 1789-1835
     Tom Cringle's Log, 1836 (Magazine serial 1829-33) (Scott puts Tom in the
       Royal Navy in the years 1805-1812. Tom has many nautical adventures
       though the book is as much a travelogue as a nautical log. In some ways
       the book is reminiscent of Marryat and in other respects a precursor of
       O'Brian.)

Scott, William Ralph (using psuedonym Weldon Hill)
     Onionhead, 1957 (A fictionalisation of the author's WW II experiences in
       the US Coast Guard.)

Searls, Hank 1922-
     The Hero Ship, 1969  (A retired mustang USN Captain seeks to block the
       CNO appointment of an officer that served under him during WW II
       because of an act of cowardice committed by the CNO candidate during a
       raid on Japan where their carrier gets hit by multiple kamikazes. The
       captain had backed off punishing the officer in 1945 because he was the
       only witness, and the officer had had an affair with the captain's wife
       while a midshipman at Annapolis.)
     Overboard, 1977 (Yachtsman sailing the Pacific wakes up to discover that
       his wife has fallen overboard. Seventy miles from Tahiti he searches
       for her along the yacht's path.)
     Soundings, 1982 (A sperm whale that wants to communicate with humans
       encounters a sonar officer in a Soviet nuclear submarine stranded on
       the ocean's bottom. Object: survival.)

Sellwood, A. V. (Has written many excellent non-fiction books about naval
  warfare.)
     Stand By to Die, 1961 (Extremely improbable novel about a Royal Navy
       river gunboat, built for China service but withdrawn to Singapore in
       1940, that is trapped behind Japanese lines when Singapore falls. The
       crew attempts to escape to Australia, but encounters a Japanese
       invasion fleet in Indonesia, and goes down in a blaze of glory, with
       the survivors then continuing their efforts in small boats and with
       native assistance.)

Senseney, Dan
     Scanlon of the Sub Service, 1963 (Teen joins the Navy, following family
       tradition by striking for submarines, experiences submarine training,
       and is posted on a nuclear sub heading for the North Pole. For young
       Readers.)

Setlowe, Richard
     The Black Sea, 1991 (The Soviet luxury liner BLACK SEA is highjacked by
       Moslem fundamentalist pirates in the Singapore Strait, who then hide
       her up an uncharted jungle river. A US destroyer captain tries his
       darndest to find and rescue the hostages. A thriller about the new
       world order.)

Shannon, Dell 1921-
     The Scalpel and the Sword, 1987 (Irish surgeon moves to London in 1803 to
       improve his fortune, then does a stint as a Royal Navy surgeon. He
       serves in the Mediterranean, and sees action at Trafalgar.)

Shay, Edith Foley and Smith, Katherine
     The Private Adventures of Captain Shaw, 1945 (Cape Cod captain's curious
       adventure in 1790s France lead to a prosperous voyage.)

Shea, Philip
     The Devil Captain, 1992 (Bartholemew Roberts, forced to become a pirate
       when captured by them, becomes captain Black Bart Roberts, scourge of
       the Atlantic. Improbable but fun pirate adventure set during War of
       Jenkins' Ear.)

Shellabarger, Samuel 1888-1954
     Lord Vanity, 1953 (From galley slave to the most dangerous swordsman in
       Europe in the 1750s.)

Shepperd, Stephen
     For All the Tea in China, 1988 (Two rogue captains are challenged to sail
       the tea route from China to England in a race against a steamship. The
       Winner makes a fortune, gets the girl, and keeps his ship.)

Sherlock, John 1932- and Westheimer, David
     The Amindra Gamble, 1982 (Cargo ship smuggles England's gold reserves
       to the Canada in fall 1940 struggles to avoid capture by Germans.)

Shirreffs, Gordon D.
     Roanoke Raiders, 1959 (William Barker Cushing fits out a spar torpedoboat
       to destroy the newly launched Confederate ram ALBEMARLE, lying eight
       miles up North Carolina's Roanoke River. Based on an actual exploit.)
     The Gray Sea Raiders, 1961 (Civil War adventure for young readers.)
     The Mosquito Fleet, 1961 (The siege of Vicksburg, for young readers.)
     Powder Boy of the Monitor, 1961 (Civil War adventure for young readers.)
     Torpedoes Away!, 1967 (Bob Dunbar and Gary Lunt get back on board the
       submarine GRAYFIN just in time for its third patrol in World War II, a
       special mission  in the Java Sea to seek out and destroy enemy ships.)
     The Killer Sea, 1968 (Discharged from the Navy after World War II but not
       yet ready to exchange sea life for college life, two young men join the
       crew of a salvage tug, and find themselves trying to salvage a Canadian
       ship taken over by twenty Japanese who do not know the war is over. For
       young readers.)
     Captain Cutlass, 1978 (Giant pirate battles other pirates, Spanish ships
       and two women. Somewhat erotic at times.)

Shute, Nevil (Nevil Shute Norway) 1899-1960
    *Most Secret, 1945 (A flamethrower is fitted to a fishing boat as a secret
       weapon during WW II.)
     The Breaking Wave, 1955 (REQUIEM FOR A WREN in UK. Australian veteran of
       WW II returns home to discover his parent's housekeeper has just died
       through an overdose of sleeping pills. In attempting to unearth her
       true identity he discovers that she was his late brother's fiance, a
       WREN during the War. Much of the novel takes place ashore, but the
       central events are linked to the sea, whether in harbor or on the
       English Channel.)
     The Trustee from the Toolroom, 1960 (Machinist goes to the South Seas to
       salvage a yacht and settle an estate.)

Silliphant, Stirling
     Steel Tiger, 1983 ( Our hero, an ex-cop and Vietnam vet, sails off to the
       South Pacific, smack into a mystery of brutal killings that he has to
       solve.)

Silver, Richard
     Captain Shark series: (Pirates against Spanish in the 1680s Caribbean)
       By Pirates' Blood, 1975 [1] (Introduces, Sebastian Shark, pirate
         captain in the dying days of the buccaneers -- who sailed with Morgan
         to Panama in his youth and now commands various ships, generally
         named DRACO. He buckles a swash across the Spanish Main in various
         scrapes and contretemps.  Ahrrg, me hearties!)
       Jaws of Death, 1975 [2] (Picks up from BY PIRATE'S BLOOD with Shark
         escaping from Spanish captivity, embarking on a wide variety of
         stereotypical buccaneering activities, and finally going in search of
         Morgan's treasure.)

Silverberg, Robert
     Lord of Darkness, 1983 (In the late 16th century a young British seaman
       is captured by the Portuguese and shipped to Angola, where he's forced
       to act as pilot for slavers. He gets drawn into African Satanic rites,
       and confronts the Lord of Darkness.)

Simpson, George E. and Burger, Neal R.
     Ghostboat, 1976 (Fantasy. US Submarine CANDLEFISH disappears on December
       11, 1944 and reappears on October 5, 1974 with everything in perfect
       working condition - but no crew. A new crew assembles to retrace the
       last voyage.)
     Thin Air, 1978 (Shades of THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT! A ship disappears
       during tests, the crew reappear 25 years later. Investigation of Navy
       coverup of secret weapon tests ensues.)

Skouen, Arne 1913-
     Stokers' Mess, 1948 (Norwegian sailors on Norwegian-flagged cargo ships.)

Slater, Ian 1941-
     Firespill, 1977 (An oil spill ignites off the Canadian coast, turns into
       an inferno.)

Slaughter, Frank G. (AKA C. V. Terry) 1908-
     Buccaneer Surgeon, 1955 (Originally published using the pseudonym C.V.
       Terry. Footloose British-Spanish surgeon's adventures as a spy,
       adventurer, and ship's captain serving Francis Drake as "El Draco"
       raids Santo Domingo and Cartegena in the years leading up to the
       Armada. A CAPTAIN BLOOD knock-off, but not a particularly good one.)
     Darien Venture, 1955 (English who used his buccaneering income to become
       a surgeon. Unable to set up a practice is Edinburgh, he gets dragged
       against his better judgment into a Scots attempt to buccaneer and
       settle in the Darien coast (Panama). Events take place in 1698-1700.)
     The Mapmaker, 1957 ("A novel of the days of Prince Henry the Navigator."
       Andrea Bianco escapes from slavery on a Moorish galley to become a
       navigator in the service of Prince Henry of Portugal. Between fending
       off the treachery of his half-brother, he discovers the Senegal River
       and Cuba -- before Columbus. Fun and plausibly told. _Very_ loosely
       based on the life of a noted cartographer: Andrea Bianco.)
     The Deadly Lady of Madagascar, 1958 (A C. V. Terry book. Bonita, daughter
       of pirate pirate Red Carter, buckles swashes with the best of them,
       mesmerizes British captain, and steals gold.)
     Pilgrims in Paradise, 1960 (Puritan expedition to settle Eleuthera in the
       1650s. Book pivots around the interaction of the expedition's surgeon,
       a freethinking doctor, and its leader, the surgeon's bluenosed brother.
       Action includes plagues and pirates at sea, survey of a coastline,
       shipwreck, and escape on a raft, a battle against a Spanish ship that
       attempts to raid the colony, and a witchcraft trial.)
     The Purple Quest, 1965 (The Phonecian merchant-prince Stabon -- who is
       _not_ a surgeon -- helps Queen Dido establish Carthage, after himself
       establishing a Phonecian colony in Spain. Sea battles, shipbuilding and
       ocean voyages a plenty, but as with most Slaughter sea novels, most of
       the action occurs on shore. Enjoyable read.)
     Plague Ship, 1976 (An archeologist releases an Ebola-like disease from an
       ancient burial site in Peru. Only the archeologist's brother, a
       Nobel-winning epidemiologist, and a clapped-out hospital ship with a
       bad engine, offer a chance to control the virus before it becomes a
       world-wide epidemic. Then the superstitious population of the port at
       which the ship is berthed force it out to sea into the path of a
       Pacific storm. Good medical detective read, but doesn't get to sea for
       the first 2/3rds of the story.)

Smith, Arthur Douglas Howden 1887-
     Porto Bello Gold, 1924 (A prequel to TREASURE ISLAND, telling about all
       the characters and how they became who they were. I starts off with
       Captain Flint and all the pirates on the WALRUS and how they end up on
       Treasure Island...Darby, Ben Gunn, Long John Silver are all explained
       in this book...very well written.)

Smith, Cicely Fox -1954
     Tales of the Clipper Ships, 1926 (Six short novels about adventures
       aboard clipper ships.)

Smith, Martin Cruz 1942-(Author of Gorky Park)
     Polar Star, 1989 (Arkady Renko, formerly a top criminal investigator in
       Moscow, investigates deaths aboard the Russian fish factory ship on
       which he is crewman. Set in the Bering Sea in the late 1980s.)

Smith, Wilbur
     Shout at the Devil, 1968 (Flynn Patrick O'Flynn, an ivory poacher by
       profession, lets his hatred of the German East African governer lead
       him to an assault on a mercantile raider in 1914.  He drags Sebastian
       Oldsmith, an innocent son of English industry, into his schemes.  Made
       into a movie by the same name starring Lee Marvin and Roger Moore.)
     Eye of the Tiger, 1976 (Attempted salvage of a sunken East Indiaman off
       the coast of Africa. The title refers to a diamond from the throne of
       Tipoo Sultan, an indian ruler in the 18th century. Boat chases, diving,
       shooting, sex, sharks, sunburn and the British Library!)
     Hungry As The Sea, 1978 (Nicholas Berg, forced out of leadership of the
       Christie Line, starts over with an ocean salvage company, then rebuilds
       his fortune by salvaging ships from the company he once headed. A
       business duel with the man who stole his wife and company results,
       leading to a climactic conclusion when the world's largest tanker
       breaks down with a load of poisonous oil in a hurricane.)
     The Diamond Hunters, 1991 (Two men battle for supremacy in the Van Der
       Byl Diamond Company. Lots of action and adventure from Cape Town to
       London. The successfull exploration of an offshore diamond field will
       decide the winner.)
    *Birds of Prey, 1997 (Action, sex and skullduggery along the African coast
       as British privateer Francis Courteney and his 14 year old son harass
       and loot the ships of the Dutch republic.)
     Monsoon, 1999 (Sir Hal Courteney goes back to sea to confront the
       pirates who are threatening the East India Trading Co.)

Smollett, Tobias 1721-1771 (Born in Dalquhurn, Dumbartonshire, Scotland, he
  was apprenticed to a Glasgow surgeon in 1736. After moving to England and
  failing to get his tragedy THE REGICIDE accepted, he took the post of
  surgeon's mate in HMS CHICHESTER. He witnessed the appalling conditions
  during the siege of Cartagena in 1741. On the way home, the fleet put into
  Jamaica, where Smollett fell in love with Nancy Lascelles, a planter's
  daughter he married on his return to London. In 1756 he published an
  official record of the siege in AN ACCOUNT OF THE EXPEDITION AGAINST
  CARTHAGENA.)
     The Adventures of Roderick Random, 1748 (The siege of Cartagena and other
       nautical adventures with his uncle Lt. Tom Bowling. Good descriptions of
       the conditions aboard British men-of-war of the period. Smollett had
       been at the siege of Cartagena while serving as a surgeon's mate in the
       Royal Navy in the 1740s.)

Snow, C. P. (Charles Percy), 1905-
     Death Under Sail, 1963 (Six guests are detained on their murdered host's
       wherry halfway through a holiday on the Norfolk Broads. One of them has
       killed Roger Mills, and, as the enigmatic Finbow points out, all of
       them hated him... A murder mystery of buttonholding tension.)

Solley, George C. 1946- and Steinbaugh, Eric (Editors)
     Moods of the Sea: masterworks of sea poetry, 1981
     Short Stories of the Sea, 1984

Southworth, John V. D. 1904-
     The Pirate From Rome, 1965 (Young Roman, captured by Mediterranean
       pirates, and abandoned by his family, who would rather see him dead --
       so they can inherit his estate -- joins the Pirate Brotherhood rather
       than allow himself to be sold into slavery. Shortly after he does so,
       Rome begins efforts to eradicate the pirates. Features appearances by
       Julius Caesar and Sparticus. "A first rate story combined with first
       rate history as well..." [PH])

Spector, Robert M.
     Salt Water Guns, 1970 (Impetuous and strong-willed youth, who wants to
       join Washington's Army is instead put on a ship that is running guns
       and ammunition to the Continental Army. Because he is aboard
       unwillingly, his attitude and actions threaten the mission until he
       becomes convinced of its importance.)

Sperry, Armstrong 1897-
     All Sail Set, the authentic yarn of a race 'round the Horn on board the
       greatest clipper ever built, The Flying Cloud, 1935
     Call it Courage, 1940 (Polynesian youth goes into self-imposed exile
       from his island because of his fear of the sea. During his adventures
       on the sea and on a taboo island, he overcomes his fears and comes to
       manhood. For young readers. Newberry Award winner.)
     Storm Canvas, 1944 (American Jason Cobb learns that his stepfather is a
       British spy in 1814. To avoid the man's vengence when he discovers
       Jason's knowledge, Jason flees to the ship commanded by a friend of his
       birth father, the 32-gun USN frigate THUNDERBOLT. Jason sets sail on
       the ship for adventures in the Caribbean, including a diplomatic
       mission to Haiti, and the improbable capture of Admiral Home Popham's
       flagship -- a 74-gun ship-of-the-line.)
     Hull-Down For Action, 1945 (Independent sequel to LOST LAGOON. Four young
       men are stranded on a raft in South Pacific, after a German and
       Japanese agent on their sailing brig take over the ship on December 7,
       1941. Young adult.)
     Danger to Windward, 1947 (In 1816, an orphaned teen inherits a whaler
       from his grandfather, but has to battle his uncle's family --
       figuratively and literally -- to keep the prize when they dispute the
       existence of the will, and go to more direct lengths to eliminate the
       youth from consideration.)
     Black Falcon, 1949 (It is the last year of the War of 1812. Wade Thayer
       is captured by the British while aboard a merchant ship running the
       blockade from New Orleans to Havana. Escaping, he joins up with Jean
       Lafitte, and helps repell the British invation of New Orleans. For
       young readers.)
     Lost Lagoon (Teenage boys discover uncharted island in South Pacific
       which is covered with a valuable, rare shell.)

Stabenow, Dana
     Fire and Ice, 1998 (A well-wrought thriller set in the herring-roe
       fishing fleet of Bristol Bay. The Alaskan background is first rate. "I
       learned more about that kind of fishing than I ever imagined I would.
       I'll certainly be looking for her other books." [JD])

Stables, Gordon, MD, RN (W. Gordon-Stables) 1840-1910
     Westward With Columbus, 1894 (Fictionalized account of Columbus' famous
       voyage.)
     The Cruise of the Vengeful, 190? (The Royal Navy in a war against France
       and Russia set in 1909! Although for the younger reader the message was
       clear Britain must have a modern powerful navy or this sort of thing
       would happen!)
     The Meteor Flag of England, c1900 ("A rousing tale of war. England, some
       eighty years hence [c1980], has to fight a combination of powers on sea
       and land. How she meets her foes and overcomes them is told in Dr.
       Stables' well-known vigorous style." [From a bookjacket blurb])

Stackpole, Edouard A. 1905-
     Madagascar Jack; The Story of a Nantucket Whaler, being the account of
       Obed C. Folger, thirteen years of age, who went to the South Seas with
       whalemen and found there many adventures as well as sperm whales, 1935

Stacpoole, Henry de Vere 1863-1951
     Palm Tree Island trilogy:
       The Blue Lagoon: A Romance, 1908 (A boy and a girl shipwrecked on a
         tropical island grow up together and learn about the birds and the
         bees. Filmed in 1949 and 1980.)
       The Garden of God, 1923 (Sequel to THE BLUE LAGOON. The movie RETURN TO
         THE BLUE LAGOON was loosely based on this novel.)
       The Gates of Morning, 1925
     The Cruise of the "Kingfisher": A Tale of Deep-Sea Adventure, 1910 ("The
       KINGFISHER is a cable ship which has undertaken a voyage down to the
       Canaries in order to mend the Venezuelan cable which runs under the sea
       near there." [from review in THE NEW YORK TIMES)
     The Ship of Coral: A Tropical Romance, 1911 (A tale of pirates, treasure,
       and murder in the Carribean.)
     The Children of the Sea: A Romance, 1913 (Chronicles the exploits of a
       deep-sea cable mender and his friend; set in the sea of Japan and in
       Iceland.)
     The Blue Horizon: Romance from the Tropics and the Sea, 1915 (A
       collection of sea tales set along the Florida coast.)
     The North Sea, and Other Poems, 1915
     The Pearl Fishers, 1915 (Two men and a woman "fish" for pearls on a
       Pacific island.)
     The Reef of Stars: A Romance of the Tropics, 1916 (GOLD TRAIL in US.
       Five men leave Sydney for New Guinea in search of gold.)
     In Blue Waters, 1917 (Consists of eight short stories and three novellas,
       including THE LUCK OF CAPTAIN SLOCUM.)
     Sea Plunder, 1917 (Consists of two novellas: THE BUCCANEERS and THE
       "HEART OF IRELAND".)
     The Beach of Dreams: A Story of the True World, 1919 (A flapper named
       Cleo is shipwrecked on a barren island in the Indian Ocean.)
     Under Blue Skies, 1919 (A collection of stories, some set at sea,
       including one about a photographer on board a cable ship which pulls a
       sea serpent to the surface, and his excitement over developing the
       photograph, only to discover that he had used an already exposed
       plate.)
     A Man of the Islands, 1920 (A collection of stories originally published
       in magazines. "Once again we are on the fringe of southern Pacific
       seas, lost in a world thronged with lovely, lonely islands, whereon
       sailor-men, beachcombers and Kanakas play the good or the bad game of
       love and hatred, vice and death, with romantic wilfulness. The most
       acceptable part of this book consists of the first six tales, which
       group around Sigurdson, a big, brawny and bearded Dane, with enormous
       strength, unsubduable persistence and a pretty fashion of winning his
       way in the end. He belongs to the fraternity of wandering sailors who
       inevitably get cast on a rough beach in the company of a woman...."
       [The Bookman])
     Vanderdecken: The Story of a Man, 1922 (Hank Fisher sets out with a
       friend to claim the reward offered to anyone who can capture the
       pirate Vanderdecken.)
     Golden Ballast, 1924 (Richard Sebright discovers that the dilapidated
       mystery ship BALTRUM he has just bought contains a beautiful girl and a
       pile of golden ballast. In order to convert the gold to cash without
       arousing government suspicions he takes the BALTRUM south on a
       hazardous voyage, ostensibly in search of hidden treasure.)
     Ocean Tramps, 1924 (A collection of fifteen stories, including: Bud and
       Billy; Mandelbaum; A Deal with "Plain-Sailin' Jim")
     Tropic Love, 1928 (Stories.)
     Old Sailors Never Lie, and Other Tales of Land and Sea, By One of Them,
       1938 (Stories.)

Stahl, Norman
     The Assault on Mavis A., 1978 (A hijacked supertanker and crew of
       terrorists attacks an enormous oil rig in the North Sea, in the midst
       of a storm.)

Stanton, Ken
     Whirlwind Beneath the Sea, 1972 (Secret agent Tiger Shark and the
       underwater service are off to Australia to solve the mystery of an
       undersea eruption, a rising land mass and beautiful babes.)

Stanwood, Donald A.
     The Memory of Eva Ryker, 1978 (Eva Ryker survives the sinking of the
       TITANIC. In 1941 a middle-aged couple are murdered in Hawaii. In 1962 a
       multi-million dollar salvage expedition is exploring the TITANIC. All
       three events are linked in this thriller.)

Steinbeck, John 1902-1968
     Cup of Gold, 1929 (The infamous 17th-century pirate Henry Morgan, captain
       of the real JOLLY ROGER, consumed by lust and greed, tries to conquer
       Panama--and a mysterious woman. Steinbeck's first novel.)

Stephens, Edward
     Blow Negative, 1962 (Beach bum gets called back from the inactive
       reserves in an effort to discredit a Jewish submarine commander,
       Sampson Greice, but instead becomes an efficient submariner, and one of
       the commander's loyal supporters as Greice confounds his superiors and
       contemporaries while commanding a diesel boat, then forces through the
       development of the nuclear powerplant for submarines. Can anyone say
       Hyman Rickover? "One of the best nautical novels I have ever read."
       [DH] "...enthralling, inspiring, and hilarious!... a 'read it in one
       setting' joy." [AK] "I won't say it's great literature, but it does
       cover a broad slice of Navy life in a funny but eye-opening sort of
       way.... There's a scene in the book where the young, confused hero,
       briefly in command a submarine on his qualifying run, can't remember
       what to do next. He needs to blow a tank -- the safety tank -- but
       can't think which. His commander silently mouths 'safety, safety' and
       the young officer finally blurts out 'Blow Sanitary!' Which means that
       the contents of the head are distributed throughout the submerged boat
       leaving everyone smelling -- well, not like roses. The next scene of
       officers and crew all staggering out into the fresh air when the boat
       finally surfaces, cursing under their collective breath is priceless."
       [BB])

Sterling, Dorothy 1913-
     Captain of the Planter: the story of Robert Smalls, 1958 (Robert Smalls,
       a slave who is captain of a paddle wheel steamer in Charleston at the
       outbreak of the Civil War sails (paddlewheels?) her Up North, and later
       is elected to Congress. A novel based on true events.)

Stevenson, Janet
      Departures, 1985 (Novel about a 19th Century woman allowed to sail with
        her husband, captain of a merchant ship. She takes command after he
        falls gravely ill and, having learned navigation, gets the ship to the
        mouth of the Columbia River. Loosely based on an actual incident.)

Stevenson, Robert Louis 1850-1894
    +Treasure Island, 1883 (The classic grandaddy of all pirate stories. Jim
       Hawkins discovers a map to treasure on the Spanish Main. With the local
       squire and doctor, he sets out to recover the treasure -- only to
       discover they hired the pirates that originally buried it for the crew
       of their ship.)
     Kidnapped, 1886 (David Balfour is kidnapped and shipped off in the brig
       COVENANT, but escapes and is shipwrecked.)

Stevenson, Robert Louis 1850-1894 and Osbourne, Lloyd
     The Wrecker, 1891 (A wonderful mystery novel set in roughly 1880 or so,
       centering on the salvage rights to a wreck out on Midway Island. When
       the rights are auctioned in San Francisco, and an odd consortium bids
       far more than the wreck ought to be worth, Our Hero outbids them -- and
       then has to try to figure out what's so valuable about his wreck.)
     The Ebb-Tide, 1894 (Some neer-do-wells steal a ship and discover an
       uncharted island on which a pearl fishery is operating. Set about
       1890.)

Stevenson, Robert Louis III (Yes, a descendant of THE RLS)
     Torchlight, 1997 (In 1917, a U-boat torpedoes an American cruiser making
       a secret voyage to England, which sinks in 250 feet off the coast of
       Rhode Island. On board the cruiser is a fortune in American Double
       Eagle twenty-dollar gold coins. These coins were to be used to keep the
       Russians in the war against Kaiser Bill. Today, a ruthless arms dealer
       with the very highest connections in Washington wants to use the
       treasure to buy nuclear weapons from the former USSR. He acquires the
       assistance of two ex-SEALS, who, unbeknown to him, are connected to
       American Intelligence! Throw in some romance and double crosses, but
       the realistic deep-water diving scenes are the centerpiece and most
       memorable parts of the novel.)

Steward, Davenport
     Way of A Buccaneer, 1956 (English youth escapes from Spanish treachery
       when his father is killed and his ship stolen. He takes up with the
       maroons in Jamaica, grows into manhood, then gets captured and enslaved
       by the Spanish. After a long period he is liberated by buccaneers,
       joins Morgan's raid on Porto Bello, and becomes a buccaneer captain.)
     Caribbean Cavalier, 1957 (Professional soldier on his way to visit an
       ill brother in Georgia gets caught up in the opening of the War of
       Jenkins Ear. After escaping Spanish imprisonment, he seeks revenge by
       becoming a privateer.)

Stewart, Fred Mustard 1932-
     The Magnificent Savages, 1996 (The illegitimate son of an American
       shipping magnate signs on to one of his father's clipper ships. Marked
       for murder by his half brother, he's saved by a missionary's daughter,
       only to be attacked by pirates & taken as a slave in China.)

Stockenberg, Antoinette
     The Challenge and the Glory, 1987 ("Harlequin" style romance set around
       the America's Cup races.)

Stockton, Frank Richard 1834-1902
     The Adventures of Captain Horn, 1895 (A typical late 19th century
       adventure story, with 2 shipwrecks, Aztec gold, and a shootout with
       a murderous gang.)

Stone, Irving 1903-1989
     The Origin, 1980 (Fictionalized biography of Charles Darwin. Nautical
       part is his voyage with Fitzroy in the BEAGLE.)

Stone, Raymond
     Tommy Tiptop and His Boat Club, 1914 (Tommy Tiptop is the born leader of
       his neighborhood and is always getting up ideas, teams, projects,
       trips, etc. This time he forms a boat club. He's a nervy and
       responsible little lad and of course everything goes very well indeed
       in the club's first race.)

Stone, Robert
     Outerbridge Reach, 1992 (A decision to enter a solo round-the-world pits
       man against the sea and impinges on relationships he has established
       ashore. With an episode inspired by the Crowhurst disappearance in the
       1960s during a similar race, this novel concerns love, betrayal, and
       self-betrayal.)

Stoppard, Tom
     Rough Crossing, 1985 (Comedy play set on an ocean liner by the author of
       ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, loosely based on another play by
       Ferenc Molnar, best known now for some stuff that got turned into
       screwball comedy movies.)

Street, James Howell 1903-
     By Valour and Arms, 1944 (The Civil War battles for Vicksburg form the
       backdrop for this novel. Even though the North controlled most of the
       Mississippi River throughtout the Civil War, it wasn't until July 4,
       1863 that Vicksburg fell. While following the exploits of a confederate
       naval gunner through his service on the truly amazing CSS ARKANSAS in
       the summer of 1862 and his efforts to find iron to build a new ARKANSAS
       during the following year, Street manages to include a lot of history
       and seemingly authentic and fascinating insights into the politics and
       social customs of the times. He presents a fairly thorough picture of
       the laws and attitudes about slavery and the relations between black
       and white, northern and southern sympathizers, high society and low,
       without letting it get in the way of a good story with lots of
       action.)

Strickland, Brad
     Dragon's Plunder, 1992 (Having been kidnapped by former pirates because
       of his ability to whistle up the wind, fifteen-year-old Jamie agrees to
       help their leader, a living corpse, find the dragon of Windrose Island.
       For young readers.)

Stuart, V. A. (Vivian Stuart, William Stuart Long, an officer with the British
  Army in Burma, Japan, India and Australia.)
     Phillip Hazard 19th Century British naval series: (Crimean War and Indian
     Mutiny.)
       The Valiant Sailors, 1966 [1] (We meet our hero, 1st Lieutenant Phillip
         Horatio Hazard, in London aboard the 300 hp. 31 gun steam frigate
         TROJAN. TROJAN is dispatched to the Crimea with a large RN fleet to
         deal with the Russian Black Sea fleet and support the reduction of
         Sevastapol. By 1854 the RN has many steam driven vessels but the
         captain of TROJAN is an old timer who finds the whole concept
         obnoxious and makes the life of Hazard very unpleasant(hazardous?)
         indeed. Much of the novel's ensuing action takes place on land.)
       Brave Captains [2] (Charge of the Light and Heavy Brigades, supported
         by men and ships from the Royal Navy.)
       Hazard's Command, 1971 [3] (In temporary command of TROJAN, Commander
         Hazard transports troops and battles a hurricane.)
       Hazard of Huntress, 1972 [4] (Hazard gets his own ship, the steam-screw
         sloop HUNTRESS, in time to do battle in the Crimean winter.)
       Victory of Sebastopol, 1973 [5] (Hazard must clear a channel through
         the Strait of Kertch so the Allied fleet can launch a final attack on
         Sebastopol and end the Crimean War.)
       Hazard in Circassia, 1973 [6] (Hazard to the Rescue in the US. Hazard
         meets with guerrilla leaders in the spring of 1855.)
       Guns to the Far East, 1975 [7] (Also published as SHANNON'S BRIGADE,
         Hazard is sent to India to support the beleaguered British army.)
       Escape From Hell [8] (Also published as SAILORS ON HORSEBACK, Philip
         Horatio Hazard serves in the Naval Brigade ashore in India supressing
         the Sepoy Mutiny, and seeking his two sisters, caught up in the
         Mutiny.)
     The Seafarers, 1988 (The only nautical book in Stuart's Australian
       series, published in the US as written by William Stuart Long. Samuel
       Gordon is mate aboard the clipper Cutty Sark.)

Sturgeon, Theodore (Popular sci-fi author)
     Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, 1961 (The SEAVIEW, an atomic research
       submarine belonging to a federal exploration agency is on its maiden
       voyage when solar activity begins cooking the world. The submarine's
       designer realizes that the only way to counteract the flare is to
       launch a payload of ionized carbon into the Van Allen Belt, and takes
       the SEAVIEW to do so. Unfortunately a distinguished scientist decides
       that this will worsen the problem, and mobilizes the United Nations to
       destroy SEAVIEW. Translation of a movie screenplay, basis of the TV
       series by the same name.)

Copyright © John Kohnen 1999
Commercial reproduction prohibited without written consent


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