Authors Stockwin
Stockwin, Julian (1944- )
The Kydd series
Based on real events from history, the story of one man’s journey from pressed man to Admiral in the Great Age of Fighting Sail.
Kydd. Hodder & Stoughton, 2001. 440 pages
Europe is ablaze with war. The British prime minister is under pressure to intimidate the French, and dispatches a Navy squadron to appear off the French coast. To man the ships, ordinary citizens must be press-ganged. Thomas Paine Kydd, a young wig-maker from Guildford, is seized and taken across country to be part of the crew of the ninety-eight-gun line-of-battle ship Duke William.
Artemis. Hodder & Stoughton, 2002. 375 pages
Thomas Paine Kydd's jubilation after a ferocious battle against the French is cut short when a family matter means he must return to Guildford. But the sea beckons irresistibly and he manages to ship out again in his beloved Artemis.
Seaflower. Hodder & Stoughton, 2003. 344 pages
England, 1794. Thomas Paine Kydd and the crew of shipwrecked sailors have returned to England for the court-martial of the sole surviving officer of Her Majesty's frigate Artemis. As a result, Kydd and his mate Nicholas Renzi are forcibly shipped off to the Caribbean.
Mutiny. Hodder & Stoughton, 2003. 376 pages
In 1797 Kydd joins the crew of the figate Bacchante in a mission to rescue a British diplomat mired in the hostilities of Napoleon's siege of Venice.
Quarterdeck. Hodder & Stoughton, 2004. 329 pages
Thomas Kydd was promoted to acting lieutenant at the Battle of Camperdown. Now, he must sit an examination to confirm his rank or face inglorious return before the mast. But this is only the first of many obstacles. Kydd is from humble origins and he must become a gentleman - or spend the rest of his career as a tarpaulin officer.
Tenacious. Hodder & Stoughton, 2005. 346 pages
Kydd is in Halifax when Tenacious is summoned to join Horatio Nelson on an urgent reconnaissance mission. However, Bonaparte evades the British ships, sailing towards Egypt, which holds the key to the route to India.
Command. Hodder & Stoughton, 2006. 345 pages
Kydd sails in his first command--the brig-sloop Teazer--to defend Malta against Barbary pirates. Soon peace is declared and Kydd is out of work. To make ends meet, he captains a convict ship to Australia. There, at the ends of the earth, his seamanship and humanity are tested to the limit.
The Admiral's Daughter. Hodder & Stoughton, 2007. 361 pages
Thomas Kydd and Nicholas Renzi return to England in 1803 after tumultuous episodes on the other side of the world to find England in peril of starvation and bankruptcy. Kydd is placed back in command of his beloved vessel, Teazer, but he barely has time to prep her for the sea when he is sent on an urgent mission. Smugglers, enemy privateers, and treacherous sea conditions await Kydd on his journey to northern France on the eve of war, but equally worrisome events are occurring ashore. A growing attachment to the admiral's daughter curbs Kydd's blissful reunion with Teazer and he is forced to make a terrible decision that may cause the end of his friendship with Renzi or the end of his naval career.
Treachery. Hodder & Stoughton, 2008. 344 pages
U.S. Title The Privateer's Revenge. Thomas Kydd has dragged himself up in the navy from press-ganged seaman to captain of his own ship. Now he faces disgrace. After offending a general and suffering a personal tragedy, Kydd is sent to guard the Channel Islands. His career is tatters, he then makes a terrible enemy on his own side. When he is brutally betrayed off the Normandy coast, only his old friend Renzi is willing to stick by him. Then Kydd is given an extraordinary opportunity to salvage his fortunes and return to the sea as captain of a privateer. But privateers are hated by the French - and the Royal Navy.
Invasion. Hodder & Stoughton, 2009. 346 pages
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 scruples, believing 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.
Victory. Hodder & Stoughton, 2010. 352 pages
Commander Thomas Kydd is eager to play his part in thwarting Bonaparte's plans for the invasion of England. Joining Admiral Nelson's command, Kydd and his ship soon find themselves at the heart of the action that leads up to the famous clash of the mighty British and French fleets at Trafalgar. Kydd's journey takes him from false sightings of the enemy and dramatic chases across the Atlantic, to the bloody annihilation of the enemy during the actual battle, and the heroic aftermath.
Conquest. Hodder & Stoughton, 2011. 340 pages
Newly victorious at the Battle of Trafalgar, England now rules the seas and is free to colonize the furthest reaches of the world. Captain Thomas Kydd joins an expedition to take Dutch-held Cape Town, a strategic harbor that will give England a rich trade route to India. With enemies lurking on all sides, Kydd and his men must defend the fragile colony while braving Africa's vast and hostile hinterland. When Renzi learns too much about the enemy's plans, even Kydd may not be able to save him.
Betrayal. Hodder & Stoughton, 2012. 384 pages
Cape Colony is proving a tiresome assignment for Thomas Kydd's daring commander-in-chief Commodore Popham. Rumours that South America's Spanish colonies are in a ferment of popular unrest and of a treasure hoard of Spanish silver spur him to assemble a makeshift invasion fleet and launch a bold attack on the capital of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate, Buenos Aires.
Caribbee. Hodder & Stoughton, 2013. 368 pages
More than a decade ago, Thomas Kydd and Nicholas Renzi were in the Caribbean as sailors before the mast in the old Trajan. Now Kydd, a storied hero of Trafalgar, holds the glory of being Post-captain of the 32-gun frigate, L'Aurore. His almost unbelievable feat of self-advancement is the toast of his own crew... but the envy of others less blessed than he. After unremitting war a Caribbean posting seems a welcome respite. But, in addition to the balmy warmth and turquoise waters, Kydd and Renzi find themselves facing a familiar threat as the French imperil Britain's vital sugar trade. When more and more merchantmen begin vanishing from the sea, fear spreads. Before long, the sugar ships refuse to set sail at all. Now Kydd and Renzi must embark on a dangerous game of espionage, seamanship and breath-taking action in order to destroy this new and terrible danger to the Empire.
Pasha. Hodder & Stoughton, 2014. 328 pages
Kydd returns to sea and has just pulled off a daring reconnaissance into the inner harbour of Cadiz when he is summoned to urgently carry despatches to Admiral Louis in Malta. Word has come from the British ambassador Arbuthnot that the neutral Turks are being wooed by the French; if the ancient city of Constantinople falls into their hands Napoleon's route to India will be completely unfettered and his plans for world domination a reality. Concerned for his safety, Arbuthnot is demanding a large fleet presence to take him off and bring the Turks to their senses.
Tyger. Hodder & Stoughton, 2015. 352 pages
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 some sympathy for Popham’s unauthorised 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 commission that some hope will destroy his career. Tyger has recently mutinied but instead of having her company dispersed around the fleet as is customary, the ship is pressed into immediate service in the North Sea. Kydd faces a crew still under some malign influence.
Inferno. Hodder & Stoughton, 2016. 448 pages
1807. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd’s famous sea action aboard Tyger has snatched his reputation from ignominy. He is the hero of the hour. But though Britain’s Navy remains imperious, a succession of battles has seen Napoleon victorious on mainland Europe. In an attempt to prevent the French from taking control of Denmark’s navy, Kydd’s great friend Nicholas Renzi – now 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
Persephone. Hodder & Stoughton, 2017. 416 pages
November 1807. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd must sail to Lisbon to aid the Portuguese Royal Family’s evacuation in the face of Napoleon’s ruthless advance through Iberia. In the chaos of the threatened city an old passion is reawakened when he meets Persephone Lockwood, a beautiful and determined admiral’s daughter from his past. But the Royal Family’s destination is Brazil, Perspehone’s England, and it seems Kydd’s chance has gone again. Only later he discovers Persephone has another suitor – and that, if he wants to win her hand, he must enter the highest echelons of London society.
The Baltic Prize. Hodder & Stoughton, 2017. 400 pages
1808. Parted from his new bride, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is called away to join the Northern Expedition to Sweden, now Britain's only ally in the Baltic. Following the sudden declaration of war by Russia and with the consequent threat of the czar's great fleet in St Petersburg, the expedition must defend Britain's dearly-won freedom in those waters. However Kydd finds his popular fame as a frigate captain is a poisoned chalice; in the face of jealousy and envy from his fellow captains, the distrust of the commander-in-chief and the betrayal of friendship by a former brother-in-arms now made his subordinate, can he redeem his reputation?
The Iberian Flame. Hodder & Stoughton, 2018. 432 pages
1808. With the Peninsula in turmoil, Napoleon Bonaparte signs a treaty to dismember Portugal and put his brother, Joseph, on the throne of Spain. Meanwhile, Nicholas Renzi, the Lord Farndon, undertakes a deadly mission to stir up partisan unrest to disrupt this Napoleonic alliance with Spain. Thrust into the crucible of the uprising, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is dismayed to come up against an old foe from his past - now his superior and commander - who is determined to break him.
A Sea of Gold. Hodder & Stoughton, 2019. 400 pages
1809. After his heroic actions during the retreat to Corunna, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is the toast of London society. Here he falls in with the legendary frigate captain, Lord Thomas Cochrane. So begins a relationship, professional and personal, that will be unlike any that Kydd has known: a relationship that will lead him, almost simultaneously, to first glory, then ruin.
To the Eastern Seas. Hodder & Stoughton, 2019. 432 pages
With Bonaparte held to a stalemate in Europe, the race to empire is now resumed. Britain's ambitions turn to the Spice Islands, the Dutch East Indies, where Admiral Pellew has been sent to confront the enemy's vastly rich holdings in these tropical islands. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd joins reinforcements to snatch these for the British Crown.
Balkan Glory. Hodder & Stoughton, 2021. 432 pages
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.
Thunderer. Hodder & Stoughton, 2022. 342 pages
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.
Yankee Mission. Hodder & Stoughton, 2022. 392 pages
1812. Off the coast of Brazil, HMS Java, a proud British 38-gun frigate, is captured in battle by the American USS Constitution. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is given a mission: engage the young republic in a fair fight, frigate against frigate, and restore the Navy’s reputation. And they have just the ship and crew for him…Tyger.
Sea of Treason. Hodder & Stoughton, 2024. 432 pages
Following his recovery after a savage wounding in America, Kydd returns to England to re-assume command of his ship-of-the-line, Thunderer, which is sent to the remote station of Bermuda.
Admiral. Hodder & Stoughton, 2025. 342 pages
Kydd is offered an admiral's flag in the West Africa station and the anti-slavery operations. Kydd sees this as the realization of his life's ambition and readies for sea in his beloved Thunderer as his flagship. Then Napoleon escapes from Elba and the Thunderer is the sole seaworthy ship of the fleet