Authors D - Dav
D'Amato, Barbara (1938- )
Hard Tack. Scribner's, 1991. 229 pages
A Cat Marsala mystery. A locked room murder mystery on a sailboat in the Great Lakes. The author is not a sailor and is only a so-so writer but the whole book does take place on a boat.
Dahl, Mary (Bartlett)
Free Souls. Houghton Mifflin, 1969. 133 pages
Novel based on the true story of the capture of the Spanish slaver AMISTAD by its "cargo" in 1839.
Daly, R. W. (Robert Welter) (1916-1975)
Broadsides. Macmillan, 1940. 528 pages
U.K. title: Heart of Oak. Napoleonic war adventures, inevitably climaxing at Trafalgar, with obligatory stops at Siege of Toulon, the Glorious First of June, Cape St. Vincent, and the Siege of Acre
Soldier of the sea. William Morrow, 1942. 306 pages
A Story of the Commandos of 150 Years Ago. Napoleonic wars from the Royal Marines' perspective
Daniel, Hawthorne (1890-1981)
Head Wind. Macmillan, 1936. 177 pages
Colonial shipping in Connecticut
Whampoa. Crowell, 1941. 273 pages
Fogbound: A waterfront mystery. John C. Winston, 1943. 257 pages
Danielski, John M.
Royal Marine Captain Thomas Pennywhistle series
Active's Measure. Fireship Press, 2015. 474 pages
The Royal Navy of Great Britain is all that stands between Napoleon and absolute domination of Europe. Royal Marine Captain Thomas Pennywhistle is assigned to HMS Active, part of a small squadron of frigates in the Adriatic Sea. It's considered a sideshow theatre of the war, but on those waters, one of the greatest naval battles of the age will be fought. As a Marine, Pennywhistle fights on land and sea. He leads his handful of men first against a battalion of Napoleon's Army and finally against the French fleet in all its terrible grandeur, always leading from the front, fighting not only with weapons but by using his wit - cool and analytical where others are blinded by passion.
The King's Scarlet. Penmore Press, 2016. 1 volume
Trapped behind enemy lines with vital dispatches for Lord Wellington, Pennywhistle violates orders when he saves a beautiful stranger, setting off a sequence of events that jeopardize his mission. The French launch a massive manhunt to capture him. His Spanish allies prove less than reliable. The woman he rescued has an agenda of her own that might help him along, if it doesn’t get them all killed.
Blue Water Scarlet Tide. Penmore Press, 2017. 344 pages
It’s the summer of 1814, and Captain Thomas Pennywhistle of the Royal Marines is fighting in a New World war that should never have started, a war where the old rules of engagement do not apply. Here, runaway slaves are your best source of intelligence, treachery is commonplace, and rough justice is the best one can hope to meet—or mete out. The Americans are fiercely determined to defend their new nation and the Great Experiment of the Republic; British Admiral George Cockburn is resolved to exact revenge for the burning of York, and so the war drags on. Thanks to Pennywhistle’s ingenuity, observant mind, and military discipline, a British strike force penetrates the critically strategic region of the Chesapeake Bay. But this fight isn’t just being waged by soldiers, and the collateral damage to innocents tears at Pennywhistle’s heart.
Capital's Punishment. Penmore Press, 2017. 319 pages
Royal Marine Captain Thomas Pennywhistle has no wish to see the young American republic destroyed; he must strike a balance between his humanity and his passion for absolute victory. Captain John Tracy of the United States Marines hazards his life on the battlefield, but he must also fight a powerful conspiracy that threatens the country from within. Pennywhistle and Tracy are forced into an uneasy alliance that will try the resolve of both. Together, they will question the depth of their loyalties as heads and hearts argue for the fate of a nation.
Bellerophon’s Champion: Pennywhistle at Trafalgar. Penmore Press, 2019. 328 pages
Deep within each man, lies the secret knowledge of whether he is a stalwart or a coward. Three years an un-blooded Royal Marine, 1st Lieutenant Thomas Pennywhistle will finally “meet the lion,“ protecting HMS Bellerophon at the Battle of Trafalgar. Not only will Pennywhistle be responsible for the lives of 72 marines aboard Bellerophon but their direction will fall entirely on his shoulders since his fellow Marine officers consist of a boy, a card shark, and a dying consumptive. If he has what it takes to command, it will take everything he’s got.
Bombproofed. Penmore Press, 2020. 464 pages
Pennywhistle has a code to break, a murder to solve, and spies to outfox. He will be entering a world of international intrigue, confronting a conspiracy to undermine the British monarchy.
Attaché Extraordinaire. Penmore Press, 2022. 570 pages
Officially, Royal Marine Major Thomas Pennywhistle is the British Naval Attaché. Unofficially, he is on a covert mission to protect the prince Regent. Because the man who murdered his brother is the same one who threatens his prince, Pennywhistle must decide if justice should come by gavel or a gun.
Destination Waterloo. Penmore Press, 2023. 450 pages
Working as the Naval Aide to the Duke of Wellington, Pennywhistle will battle smugglers, outlaws, renegade soldiers, and French sharpshooters. Along the way, he will steal a prototypic submarine, help defend a besieged fortress, and witness a cavalry charge.
Dann, Jack (1945- )
Going Under. Omni, September 1981.
Short story where the RMS Titanic is a modern-day thrill ride where passengers opt to go down with ship and die or choose to reserve a lifeboat and live. Incorporated into the novel The Man Who Melted, Bluejay, 1984.
David, Evan John (1877-1961)
As Runs the Glass. Harper & Brothers, 1943. 312 pages
The Tudor family, of coastal Maine, in the 1780's, during the period when the young country is involved in running British blockades, aiding the Revolutionary French and building legend in the shipping trade.
David, Lawrence
The Danger Zone. E. Nash & Grayson, 1930. 287 pages
Globetrotting Great War thriller
Davidson, Louis Bennett (1894-1964) & Doherty, Eddie (1890-1975)
Captain Marooner. Crowell, 1952. 245 pages
Fictionalized account of the mutiny aboard the American whaleship GLOBE in the 1820s, in the Pacific, and the pursuit of her by USS DOLPHIN.
Davies, Hugh Sykes (1909-1984)
Full Fathom Five. Bodley Head, 1956. 271 pages
Submarines
Davies, Lieut. John, RNVR (1913- )
Lower Deck : The story of a gun's crew in a destroyer. Macmillan & Co, 1945. 172 pages
Six weeks service in a fictional destroyer until she is sunk in 1942 in the Eastern Mediterranean seen, as the title suggests, from the lower deck.
Stone Frigate. Macmillan & Co, 1947. 179 pages
Prequel to Lower Deck. Covers the transition of civilian to sailor while being trained as an ordinary seaman.
Sabotage at Sea. Ward, Locke, 1959. 158 pages
Davies, J. D.
The Journals of Matthew Quinton series:
A series to run from the Restoration to the Georgians.
Gentleman Captain. Old Street, 2009. 320 pages
Charles II has been restored to the English throne for one year. He presides over a court swirling with intrigue, where friends and enemies mingle and conspire. Our hero, 22-year-old Matthew Quinton, is from a family loyal to their monarch. Pressed for time and facing evidence of yet another plot against his person, the king gives Quinton command of a ship and tasks him with a delicate mission: to sail to the western isles of Scotland, intercept a cargo of weapons destined for the king's sworn enemies and blow the conspiracy apart. Matthew is not an experienced seaman his last ship was lost with all hands. Dreading another failure, he is determined to master the sea and overcome his own fear and ignorance. But he has other difficulties to face on the voyage north: a resentful crew, a suspicion of murder, and the growing conviction that betrayal and treason lie closer to home than he thought.
The Mountain of Gold. Old Street, 2011. 386 pages
Beset by pirates, Knights of Malta, and saboteurs, Captain Matthew Quinton sails to Africa in pursuit of a mountain of gold. When a captured Barbary pirate saves his neck with a tall tale of a fabled mountain of gold, Quinton has his doubts. But King Charles II can't resist the chance to outstrip the Dutch with a limitless source of wealth. With the devious pirate O'Dwyer in tow, Quinton embarks on a voyage beyond the map's edge, still convinced that the mountain is mere legend. But as attempts to sabotage his mission draw closer to the mark, he begins to wonder. Back in England, the king has arranged a wedding between Matthew's elder brother, the Earl of Ravensden, and a mysterious lady rumored to have murdered her previous two husbands. Resolved not to fail his meddlesome sovereign, and to return home in time to protect his family and his home, Captain Quinton approaches the coast of Africa with a troubled mind.
The Blast That Tears The Skies. Old Street, 2012. 368 pages
Set in the opening year of the war - 1665 - and centred on the Battle of Lowestoft, one of the most stunning victories in British naval history. Captain Matthew Quinton finds himself thrust unexpectedly into the midst of a deadly conspiracy against King Charles II when he is given command of a vast and ancient man-of-war. Forced to contend with scheming ministers of state, a raw, rebellious crew and an alleged curse on his ship, Quinton sails against the might of the Dutch fleet.
The Lion of Midnight. Old Street, 2013. 249 pages
Captain Matthew Quinton's fifth mission for King and country is to the Swedish court at Gothenburg. Sweden is at the height of its military power, and Quinton is charged with securing much-needed support in England's new war against her old enemy, the Dutch republic. Accompanying him is the mysterious Lord Conisborough, who - unknown to his captain - is sworn to another, secret mission: to track down and kill the notorious regicide John Bale, alone among peers of the realm to sign the death warrant of Charles I. Gothenburg proves to be a hotbed of dangerously con?icting loyalties, and Quintonand crew find themselves needing help from the most unexpected quarters.
The Battle of All the Ages. Old Street, 2014. 288 pages
Once again Captain Quinton finds himself in the thick of the action, fighting the Dutch in one of the epic encounters of the age of sail. But the battle is a disaster: the fleet is mysteriously divided, with part of it sent to meet a French threat that never materialises, while thousands are slaughtered by the Dutch. As popular fury turns violent, the King decides heads must roll, and Quinton is sent to rebellious, pirate-infested Plymouth to root out the source of the false intelligence that cost so many British lives.
Death's Bright Angel. Old Street, 2016. 289 pages
In September 1666, one word was on everyon's lips. Fire. But not all attention was on the blaze that destroyed London. Just three weeks earlier, British ships had obliterated the Dutch town of Westerschelling and set 150 merchant vessels ablaze. In an atmosphere thick with rumour, many thought the Great Fire of London was caused by Britain's enemies, perhaps in revenge for Westerschelling. Perhaps they were right. In the weeks before London's burning, Sir Matthew Quinton, master of H.M.S. Sceptre, is recalled to a city seething with foreign plots and paranoia, and given a dangerous mission by the King. A secret quartet of terrorists is planning to destroy the capital, stir rebellion, open the way for invasion. Only Quinton can stop them.
The Rage of Fortune. Self published, 2017. 281 pages
A prequel to the Quinton series. Set against the backdrop of a series of real historical events, depicting naval actions such as the affairs of Invisible Armada, and at the Battles of Castlehaven, Kinsale and Sesimbra Bay, as well as intrigues over the succession to the English throne.
The Devil Upon the Wave. Self published, 2017. 202 pages
England suffers the worst defeat in her naval history, at the hands of the Dutch, who, not content with attacking and destroying British ships in their own waters, added insult to injury by towing away the flagship Royal Charles. The shame and humiliation is too much for this king’s captain of the seas to bear. He must recapture the Charles and redeem his country’s honor.
Ensign Royal. Canelo Adventure, 2018. 108 pages
Another prequel. Matthew Quinton, eighteen years old and an ensign in the Royalist Army in exile, is sent by his older brother the Earl of Ravensden into the heart of Oliver Cromwell’s England. Surrounded by enemies, he soon becomes tangled in a dark web of conspiracy.
Jack Stannard of the Navy Royal trilogy:
Destiny's Tide. Canelo, 2019. 318 pages
Battle's Flood. Canelo, 2019. 288 pages
Armada's Wake. Canelo, 2020. 280 pages
Philippe Kermorvant Thrillers:
Sailor of Liberty. Canelo, 2023. 304 pages
Tyranny's Bloody Standard. Canelo, 2023. 312 pages
The Cursed Shore. Canelo, 2024. 352 pages
Davies, Jack (1913-1994)
Esther, Ruth, And Jennifer. W.H. Allen, 1979. 281 pages
Counter-terrorism consultant and cat aficionado Rufus Excalibur ffolkes foils an assault on a North Sea oil platform. The title refers to ffolkes' three kittens.
Davies, Shelia
The Young Marchesa : a story of Malta. Sampson, Low, 1951. 276 pages
Two British naval officers from Nelson's fleet help a young girl plot the overthrow of Napoleon's regime on Malta in 1798
Daviot, Gordon [pseud. Josephine Tey] (1896-1952)
The Privateer. Macmillan, 1952. 279 pages
Famous mystery writer tries her hand at tall ships book with this tale of Henry Morgan in Jamaica.
Davis, A. Kennard (Arthur Kennard) (1910- )
The Gentle Captain. Jonathan Cape, 1954. 175 pages
In bad weather the tramp steamer ANTARES is in trouble and her master Captain O'Maras experience of the sea, and probably more importantly, human nature, is severely tested as he attempts to save his ship and her people.
The Three-Yard Ensign. Barrie & Rockliff, 1963. 188 pages
Sea adventure - "brings vividly to life the very smell, feel and atmosphere of a small ship in the tropics, and of coastal life in East Africa today".
Davis, Bart (1950- )
Peter MacKenzie series:
Full Fathom Five. Bantam, 1987. 311 pages
US Navy must recover stolen Soviet nuclear sub.
Raise the Red Dawn. Pocket, 1991. 339 pages
The Soviet sub RED DAWN is trapped under ice while on a secret mission. A US sub tries to rescue her and capture her secrets while a Soviet killer sub tries to protect the prize.
-
Destroy the Kentucky. Pocket, 1992. 371 pages
Terrorists seize the minisub USS KENTUCKY and plan to attack Moscow with nuclear missiles. The Soviets put an American captain in a Russian sub to hunt her down.
-
Atlantic Run. Pocket, 1993. 288 pages
Captain Peter MacKenzie takes a group of undersea "top guns" to stop a top Soviet submarine captain from delivering a high-tech submarine to Cuba.
-
Voyage of the Storm. Pocket, 1995. 366 pages
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington have assigned Admiral MacKenzie to oversee the transfer of a shipment of plutonium from Russia to Japan. But fanatic Japanese terrorists have hijacked the deadly cargo in mid-ocean. Isolated on a South Seas island, MacKenzie and a small band of survivors are determined to raise the Storm and sink the terrorists before they unleash a ring of deadly fire.
Davis, Clyde Brion (1894-1972)
The Annointed. Farrar & Rinehart, 1937. 277 pages
A seaman figures God has elected him to solve the secret of the universe
Davis, John (1774-1854)
The Post Captain, or, The wooden walls well manned : comprehending a view of naval society and manners. T. Tegg, 1806. 300 pages
Reprinted in the Nautilus Library, 1936. Lively adventures, both afloat and ashore, in rollicking language.
Jack Ariel; or Life on Board an Indiaman. H. Long and Brother, 1847. 156 pages
Events in the East India merchant service, during a voyage from London via Bombay to Canton and home.
Davis, John Gordon (1936-2014)
Cape of Storms. Doubleday, 1971. 519 pages
Southern Ocean whaling based in South Africa.
Leviathan. Dutton, 1976. 309 pages
Oceanographer's son tries to save the whales by sinking a Soviet whaling factory ship in the Antarctic with a midget sub, helicopter and other hi-tech toys he inherited from his dad.