Authors McC - McD
McCaig, Donald
The Bamboo Cannon. Crown, 1989. 233 pages
Boats, planes, love, wild oats and local politics in the Caribbean. An abandoned smuggler's plane is stolen from the St. Thomas airport in the Virgin Islands. Winston goes after the plane in a sailboat and encounters a reluctant tourist and a hurricane.
McCammon, Robert R. (1952- )
The Night Boat. Avon, 1980. 261 pages
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 (1928-2014)
"Utmost Fish!" Simon and Schuster, 1965. 384 pages
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.
McCarthy, Justin Huntly (1869-1936)
Marjorie. R. H. Russell, 1903. 292 pages
McCormick, Jay (1919- )
November Storm. Doubleday, Doran, 1943. 339 pages
A teenage boy who takes a job as deckhand on an ore carrier. The crew are only ordinary men, but the very ordinariness of their lives brings out desire, pettiness, jealousy, and violence. The dramatic climax of the novel comes when a terrifying autumn storm descends upon the ship in Lake Michigan.
McCunn, Ruthanne Lum
Sole Survivor. Design Enterprises of San Francisco, 1985. 235 pages
On November 23, 1942, German U-boats torpedoed the British ship Benlomond, and it sank in the Atlantic in two minutes. The second steward, named Poon Lim, with no knowledge of the sea, managed to stay alive for 133 days on a small wooden raft.
McCutchan, Philip (1920-1996)
Donald Cameron RNVR series:
Cameron, Ordinary Seaman. A. Barker, 1980. 160 pages
Cameron is aboard the destroyer Carmarthen severely damaged in a surprise daylight attack.
Cameron Comes Through. A. Barker, 1980. 157 pages
The British destroyer Wharfedale is tasked to rescue two men from Crete.
Cameron of the Castle Bay. A. Barker, 1981. 166 pages
The Castle Bay is to blow up a secret Nazi base in the Norwegian mountains.
Lieutenant Cameron RNVR. A. Barker, 1981. 159 pages
Cameron is the only officer among the survivors when the Northumberland is sunk by a German cruiser. Thousands of miles from land, their only hope is to be picked up by a roving warship.
Cameron in the Gap. St. Martin's, 1982. 155 pages
Cameron, aboard destroyer BURNSIDES, participates in a convoy to Malta, rescuing a tanker filled with avgas in the process.
Cameron's Convoy. St. Martin's, 1983. 156 pages
The battle-weary Sprinter has to transport VIP's bound for an arms conference in Moscow.
Orders for Cameron. St. Martin's, 1983. 154 pages
The corvette Oleander joins in the manoeuvres of Operation Torch
Cameron in Command. St. Martin's, 1983. 163 pages
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!
Cameron and the Kaiserhof. St. Martin's, 1984. 187 pages
Cameron is given orders to fly to Gibralta and make contact with a British agent.
Cameron's Raid. St. Martin's, 1984. 184 pages
Cameron is part of a raid on Brest when he is forced to take command
Cameron's Chase. St. Martin's, 1986. 182 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1987. 185 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1989. 190 pages
Cameron is puzzled. Why has he been given command of the light cruiser Castile?
Cameron's Crossing. St. Martin's, 1993. 171 pages
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:
Beware, Beware the Bight of Benin. St. Martin's, 1974. 164 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1975. 184 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1976. 203 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1977. 180 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1978. 178 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1979. 220 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1980. 183 pages
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 the Yangtze. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1981. 178 pages
The European residents in Chungking are threatened with rebellion and massacre by the Chinese.
Halfhyde on Zanatu. St. Martin's, 1982. 165 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1984. 165 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1984. 182 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1985. 184 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1986. 183 pages
Halfhyde is captured in a train wreck by the Boers.
Halfhyde on the Amazon. St. Martin's, 1988. 188 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1990. 187 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1991. 216 pages
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:
The Convoy Commodore. St. Martin's, 1986. 186 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1987. 177 pages
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 South. St. Martin's, 1988. 187 pages
Kemp convoys Australian troop-ships to America amid intrigue, suspense and German pocket battleships.
Convoy East. St. Martin's, 1989. 192 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1990. 190 pages
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 Homeward. St. Martin's, 1992. 182 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1995. 183 pages
U.K. title: Tom Chatto, Apprentice. 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.
The Second Mate. St. Martin's, 1995. 186 pages
U.K. title: Tom Chatto, Second Mate. 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.
The New Lieutenant. St. Martin's, 1997. 181 pages
U.K. title: Tom Chatto, RNR. After being attacked by the Dresden, Tom volunteers for the Royal Naval Reserve where he commands a decoy ship, luring German submarines to their doom. The vessel has the appearance of a merchant ship, but in fact is armed.
On Course for Danger. St. Martin's, 1959. 247 pages
A story for boys.
Storm South. G.G. Harapp, 1959. 288 pages
Bowering's Breakwater. G.G. Harapp, 1964. 204 pages
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. St. Martin's, 1991. 308 pages
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.
McDaniel, J. T.
With Honour in Battle. Writers Club, 2001. 257 pages
At the end of 1944, Korvettenkapita¨n Hans Kruger, Germany's top U-Boat 'ace, ' is exhausted and in need of rest. Instead, he is given command of U-2317, an experimental U-boat with a revolutionary power plant that offers vastly increased underwater speed, but at the risk of blowing up the boat and everyone aboard. Sent to sea with orders to cause as much trouble as possible for the enemy and, perhaps, delay the war long enough for Germany to regain the advantage, Kruger must face a triumphant enemy, as well as jealous superiors and the intrusion of the war into his shattered personal life. Revised by the author in 2003.
McDermot, R. E.
Deadly Straits. the Author, 2011. 414 pages
Consultant and very part-time spook Tom Dugan is a happy man until his CIA handler comes calling. With a hijacking investigation pointing to his long-time client and best friend, London ship owner Alex Kairouz, Dugan is guilty by association and forced to go under cover in Alex's company to clear his own name. In attempting to prove Alex's innocence along with his own, Dugan manages to implicate them both more deeply, and when one of Alex's tankers is found adrift near Singapore with a dead crew, and another explodes in port, Dugan is framed for the attacks. When Alex is hospitalized, in critical condition after a suspicious suicide attempt, Dugan finds himself almost out of options.
McDonald, Roger (1941- )
Mr. Darwin's Shooter. Atlantic Monthly, 1998. 365 pages
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.