Ship classes in the works of Douglas Reeman

[tigercat]

Thought it might be fun to pin down the ship classes of the main protagonist they seem to be mostly based on real life examples.

First up...


The Destroyers - V&W class destroyers

Send a Gunboat - Sandpiper class gunboat

In Dangers Hour- possibly a Halcyon class minesweeper the description is about 15 ft too short but everything else fits

Sunset - old R Class destroyer

[steve roberts]

Hi Tigercat There is also a book about a monitor but I can not for the life of me remember the title.I can see the cover in my mind,and the Monitor certainly resembles HMS ROBERTS and her class. Regards Steve.

[INVINCIBLE]

Hi Tigercat There is also a book about a monitor but I can not for the life of me remember the title.I can see the cover in my mind,and the Monitor certainly resembles HMS ROBERTS and her class. Regards Steve.

Steve,

You are right and I think it was called "HMS Saracen". They are certainly good reads but getting a bit dated now. I met him once and he must be getting on a bit now.

[steve roberts]

Hi Invincible.Thanks.I met him once in a pub in Falmouth when he was doing research for his charcter Richard Bolitho,books of which he published under the name Alexander Kent,they are also cracking good reads.His last publication under that name was in 2005.So I guess he is still around.Regards Steve.:)

[INVINCIBLE]

Hi Invincible.Thanks.I met him once in a pub in Falmouth when he was doing research for his charcter Richard Bolitho,books of which he published under the name Alexander Kent,they are also cracking good reads.His last publication under that name was in 2005.So I guess he is still around.Regards Steve.:)

Steve,

Thanks - I wondered who he had based Richard Bolitho's character on !! - you obviously drank in the same pubs.
I agree they are good reads but there is a lot of competition out there. VICTORY and Portsmouth Naval Museum host the O'Brian weekend this w/e. Price of tickets - £450.

[Dave Hutson]

Are you sure this O'Brien character isn't emulating some of his Book Characters - some called them privateers, the honest called them pirates.

The first Bolitho I read was "To Glory We Steer" and that was in 1969 - after that I was hooked on everything Reeman/Kent wrote. He hasn't published anything for about four years now so I hope he is still around.

Has anyone been following Julian Stockwin's novels - The main character is Kydd - I can't wait for the next volume. His research is so accurate and he brings every event to life. Also his factual stuff is great too.

Dave H

[INVINCIBLE]

Are you sure this O'Brien character isn't emulating some of his Book Characters - some called them privateers, the honest called them pirates.

The first Bolitho I read was "To Glory We Steer" and that was in 1969 - after that I was hooked on everything Reeman/Kent wrote. He hasn't published anything for about four years now so I hope he is still around.

Has anyone been following Julian Stockwin's novels - The main character is Kydd - I can't wait for the next volume. His research is so accurate and he brings every event to life. Also his factual stuff is great too.

Dave H

Dave,

I enjoyed the Bolithos but I think they came out sometime ago. I have Julian Stockwin's first Kydd book but must confess I have not yet read it, but on the strength of your recommendation I must have a go. I also have not yet read all the O'Brian novels. Attached is the advert for the O'Brian get together in Portsmouth this w/e. If I had thought of going this w/e my wife would probably have come up with a different suggestion for the use of £450.

[Dave Hutson]

Mine too ..... but I don't think I should anticipate her words on here.

Stick with Julian Stockwin - his research also included getting the dialect and language of the era correct which leads some to put the book down but keep faith and the characters grow [And no , JS is not my pen name].

Dave H

[steve roberts]

Hi Guys.I don't know if Reeman/Kent is still around,as I said the last I read was in 2005.He had started to base the Bolitho books on the characters adopted son Adam,after Richards death.Regads Steve.:confused: PS I never seemed to get along with Mr O'Brians work,I think Forster had spoilt me.!!!

[alanandbren]

Hi Steve, A point of interest, most of Reemans novel covers were ilustrated by a noted maritime artist by the name of Geoff Hunt whom I commissioned to do a painting for me which was displayed at the Maritime painters

exhibition in the Mall Galleries around the very late 80's or early .90's

[astraltrader]

Steve - Yes Alexander Kent [Douglas Reeman] is still alive and well and coming up to his 86th birthday.

Although his previously prodigious output of novels has understandably slowed down in recent years he is still writing them.

There will be a new Adam Bolitho book published in the autumn of this year called In the Kings Name . [28th in Bolitho series].

The most recent novel written under his pen name Douglas Reeman was his 37th published last year called The Glory Boys.

I think I know what you mean about O`Brien. I find his books although beautifully written and incredibly detailed lack the blood and guts excitement of either Kent/Reeman or the Hornblower novels of C.S Forester.

As I have mentioned I think somewhere else in the forum, my only criticism of the novels of Reeman are they tend to follow the same formulaic pattern so that one can get the feeling you are reading the same story each time but with a different ship!

But it is such a successful and effective formula that it seems to still work each time!!

I think the Bolitho novels written under his real name Alexander Kent tend to be better written on the whole and because they form a series manage to avoid this formula to a large degree.

[steve roberts]

Hi Terry.Yes I agree with you.The Bolitho novels seem to have a more human side to them.Glad to hear he is still going,it is understandable that he has slowed down a little.You have now got me running to Amazon for the two books mentioned! Regards Steve.

[INVINCIBLE]

Hi Steve, A point of interest, most of Reemans novel covers were ilustrated by a noted maritime artist by the name of Geoff Hunt whom I commissioned to do a painting for me which was displayed at the Maritime painters

exhibition in the Mall Galleries around the very late 80's or early .90's

This is a fascinating thread started by Steve.
What is the painting Geoff Hunt did for you? –obviously a maritime scene for the Maritime Painters exhibition.
Geoff Hunt is certainly a superb painter of maritime scenes and is the President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. He must be the best painter of covers of naval books and has done a very great many. The originals of the O’Brian covers by him are on display in the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. He kindly did the modern cover on my book on the Navy (Safeguarding the Nation, the Story of the Modern Royal Navy). The original C S Forester (Hornblower) books pre date Geoff Hunt though some of the more recent editions have his paintings on new covers. The post war Penguin editions of Hornblower were mostly painted by the late Kenneth Wynn (died 18 October last year). He also was a prolific book illustrator covering racing, cover girls, nude, and seafaring covers with his very distinctive style. Robin Jacques, with his characteristic style, illustrated the earlier Penguins. Examples below: first by Wynn, second by Jacques and third by Hunt.