Authors Dod - Don
Dodd, Anna Bowman (1859-1929)
On the Broads. Macmillan, 1896. 331 pages
Dodge, Constance W. [Woodbury] (1896- )
The Dark Stranger. Penn, 1940. 439 pages
A Scot survivor of Culloden emigrates to the Colonies just in time for the Revolution
Dodson, Kenneth (1907-1999)
Away All Boats. Little, Brown, 1954. 508 pages
Classic story of attack transport USS BELINDA and her role landing marines in the Pacific. To some, one of the best WW II naval novels ever.
Stranger to the Shore. Little, Brown, 1956. 324 pages
Tale of one Kurt Mueller, on the Cape Falcon, a freighter on a dangerous mission from the Coral Sea to Chile. With the port of Felicidad torn internally by conflict with the local Nazis, the peace-loving, shy Kurt tangles with a local trouble maker- and also falls in love.
Donachie, David (1944-2023)
Privateer captain Harry Ludlow series
The Devil's Own Luck. Macmillan, 1991. 269 pages
Ex-privateer Harry Ludlow is impressed into the RN in 1892. His brother is accused of murder amidst shipboard intrigue and politics. Revised in 1995.
The Dying Trade. Macmillan, 1993. 341 pages
Ludlow goes to Genoa to find out why an English captain was hanged.
A Hanging Matter. Macmillan, 1994. 389 pages
Harry Ludlow comes home to England and becomes a smuggler.
An Element of Chance. Macmillan, 1995. 420 pages
Harry Ludlow sails to the West Indies and into a struggle for control of the seas in 1795.
The Scent of Betrayal. Macmillan, 1996. 405 pages
In their latest adventure, the Ludlows find an abandoned merchant ship as they convey a group of French mariners fleeing the French Revolution to the New Orleans of 1795. The Spanish authorities are suspicious of the Ludlows and desperately interested in finding out what happened to the ship. Large sums of money and revolutionary politics are involved. As a result the Ludlows are pinned under the guns of New Orleans until they can solve the mystery.
A Game of Bones. Macmillan, 1997. 342 pages
The Ludlows, homeward bound from America, encounter a French privateer that is capturing an Indiaman. Bested by the Frenchman, Harry Ludlow gets drawn into a duel of wits with the French captain in which Harry's fortune, ship, and life end up as stakes on the board -- all against the backdrop of the Great Mutiny -- which forms a second game into which both Ludlows get drawn by both commissioned acquaintances and forecastle mutineers.
John Pearce series
By the Mast Divided. Allison & Busby, 2004. 336 pages
Young firebrand John Pearce, on the run from the authorities, is illegally press-ganged from the Pelican tavern into brutal life aboard HMS Brilliant, a frigate on its way to war. In the first few days Pearce discovers the Navy is a world in which he can prosper. But he is not alone; he is drawn to a group of men who eventually form an exclusive gun crew, the Pelicans, with Pearce their elected leader.
A Shot Rolling Ship. Allison & Busby, 2005. 333 pages
Pressed into King George's Navy for the second time in a month, John Pearce and his Pelicans find themselves working aboard HMS Brazen. But Pearce must find a way off the ship to rescue his ailing father from the dangers of revolutionary Paris.
An Awkward Commission. Allison & Busby, 2006. 315 pages
Stranded in Portsmouth, John Pearce has once again failed to secure the release of those who depended on him - his fellow Pelicans. They have been shipped off to the Mediterranean while he was indulging himself in London. So he must take ship and follow them. His application to William Pitt for a place finds him as 8th lieutenant on HMS Victory, flagship of Admiral Lord Hood.
A Flag of Truce. Allison & Busby, 2008. 364 pages
John Pearce comes back from Corsica demanding that Captain Barclay of HMS Brilliant, the man who originally pressed him and his fellow Pelicans into the Navy, be tried at home by a civilian court. Barclay's patron Admiral Hotham contrives a way out of the dilemma. He staffs the ship Pearce captured in Corsica with members of the Revolutionary Navy refusing to serve under the Bourbon flag and gives it to Henry Digby, with Pearce and his Pelicans under him, so that they may transport the renegade French sailors to an Atlantic port and set them free.
The Admirals' Game. Allison & Busby, 2008. 318 pages
Lieutenant Pearce's continuing conflict with Captain Ralph Barclay, the man responsible for press-ganging Pearce and his companions into the Navy, intensifies as Barclay faces a court martial for his actions. But with Barclay's superiors, Admiral Lord Hood and Admiral Hotham, in dispute over how to deal with Barclay's misgivings and with his wife, Emily, struggling to cope with his barbarous nature, Barclay's future looks uncertain.Pearce's hope for retribution may occur sooner than he anticipated, but would it be to his advantage?
An Ill Wind. Allison & Busby, 2009. 319 pages
Toulon, 1793. With the Republican Army at the gates, the citizens of Toulon are panicking, trying to flee the retribution of the guillotine. Amongst this confusion John Pearce and the rest of the Allied forces must put the needs of war before their lives: the Arsenal and dockyard must be destroyed, the ships they cannot get away must be set alight to deny them to the enemy. And Pearce is entrusted with dangerous tasks by Admiral Hotham.
Blown Off Course. Allison & Busby, 2010. 382 pages
Lieutenant John Pearce is in London seeking protection for his friends, the Pelicans, from a reluctant Admiralty. Sat in the Pelican Tavern where they were first press-ganged, he wonders what future he has, lacking funds and an occupation if he leaves Navy, and without the evidence that would bring Captain Ralph Barclay to justice for perjury. Problems are mounting for Barclay as well. Emily, his young, estranged wife, is refusing to live under the same roof as him and intends to use the evidence Pearce thinks is lost to get her own way. What action will be necessary to silence those who spell trouble for Barclay?
Enemies at Every Turn. Allison & Busby, 2011. 350 pages
1794. Free from jail, John Pearce is not free from the smugglers whose boat he stole - they want bloody revenge and are prepared to chase him to the ends of the earth to get it. While lying low at Emily Barclay's, Pearce soon has other pressing concerns on his mind: fellow Pelicans Charlie and Rufus remain incarcerated in the Chatham hulk prison ship, and Emily's rescue of the court martial papers that threaten to damn Pearce are at risk due to the dangerous scheming of Ralph Barclay and his slippery clerk, Gherson.
A Sea of Troubles. Allison & Busby, 2012. 320 pages
In the wake of the Glorious First of June, an equivocal success for the British naval fleet against the French Revolutionary forces, John Pearce has pressing matters to attend to. He has an urgent commission from Lord Hood, he must track down Midshipman Toby Burns and placate Emily who, estranged from her husband, Pearce 's enemy Captain Ralph Barclay, is now under his protection. Meanwhile, Pearce finds himself aboard HMS Agamemnon, and in series of actions and shore raids, impresses Horatio Nelson with his bold and brave manoeuvers.
A Divided Command. Allison & Busby, 2013. 350 pages
In his latest adventure, trouble follows John Pearce to the Mediterranean. He has to fight admirals, a duel and even Emily Barclay, the woman he loves, while back in London his mortal enemy and her husband, Captain Ralph Barclay, is seeking a way to confound him. All he has to rely on are his Pelicans, as well as the crew of his ship, HMS Larcher and this is tested to the limit when he has take on a superior force of Barbary Corsairs to both save Emily and the ship on which she is a passenger, in a fierce battle he thinks he cannot win.
The Devil to Pay. Allison & Busby, 2014. 352 pages
Faced with a ship in need of repair, enemy attacks and the threat of wily Admiral Hotham, John Pearce is sailing into danger. Meanwhile Ralph Barclay is on his way to the Mediterranean. Thinking his wife still with Pearce and that he can repair his marriage by rescuing her, he sails in pursuit, Hotham half-hoping he suffers the same fate as the admiral has in store for Pearce. Can John Pearce fight to first save himself and his charges from captivity and then to be free from the enemy? It is a battle that will require all of his wits.
The Perils of Command. Allison & Busby, 2015. 352 pages
Fresh from battle in the Gulf of Ambracia with the villainous Turk Mehmet Pasha, Lieutenant John Pearce and his trusty Pelicans arrive in the Italian port of Brindisi, with captures in tow and his wounded superior, Henry Digby, in a convalescent state. Their landing in the harbour is met by crowds and local dignitaries who insist Digby is attended to by their best physician. Free from authority, Pearce travels to Naples to track down his lover, Emily Barclay. But upon finding her, Emily reveals astonishing news that will send her back to her brutish husband and Pearce’s longstanding enemy, Captain Ralph Barclay
A Treacherous Coast. Allison & Busby, 2016. 320 pages
Pearce and his wife Emily are in living in Bath, when Minister of War Henry Dundas turns up and suggests a second mission to the Vendee, this time as a liaison between the French emigres intending to land in Brittany and the British naval and military commanders who will accompany them. The proposed expedition looks promising and Pearce takes the bait. Once at sea, however, Pearce and his crew encounter a French fleet and an indecisive battle ensues off the Ile de Groix. Pearce, accompanied by his faithful Pelicans, must go ashore into dangerous territory to check the lay of the land, find the allies and seek to coordinate actions in a situation where the forces of the Republic are gathering to crush the rebels.
On a Particular Service. Allison & Busby, 2017. 320 pages
John Pearce is going home. But he has to avoid capture by an Algerine warship, having his Pelicans pressed into a British frigate and that's before they are at risk of being hanged for desertion once home. Then there is the problem of Emily Barclay and their son Adam. By cunning and bluff he protects his friends, but not his troubled love life. In a whirlwind of action, there are forged wills, devious trades, contrived murders and dangerous spy missions, with so much deceit that Pearce does not know who to trust. All he can hope to do is survive.
A Close Run Thing. Allison & Busby, 2018. 384 pages
John Pearce is hiding in Gravelines with his mysterious companion, known to him as Oliphant. Although they find a crew willing to take them back to England, they learn on the journey that Pearce’s old enemies, the Tolland brothers, are still active on the route, and may have been responsible for the murder of Catherine Carruthers. Back in England their problems continue: Pearce must seek to mend fences with Emily Barclay, in a relationship in which nothing is simple. And just as things may be looking up, it seems Henry Dundas has another role for him and Oliphant: a mission to North East Spain.
HMS Hazard. Allison & Busby, 2021. 304 pages
John Pearce is stuck with a difficult mission—a raw crew of Quota Men forced to enlist in the Royal Navy and four brand-new midshipmen as well as Samuel Oliphant, companion cum spy, whom he finds a constant irritant. In his favour he commands HMS Hazard, a sound and speedy warship, a pair of competent officers and, of course, his trusty old friends the Pelicans. Their primary mission is to head for the Mediterranean Fleet and warn Admiral Sir John Jervis of impending danger he will face, fighting a combined French/Spanish fleet.
A Troubled Course. Allison & Busby, 2022. 320 pages
John Pearce discovers that Madrid plans to desert the British-led coalition and join the enemy. In company with Lord Langholm, he has taken a Spanish treasure ship. But a violent Atlantic westerly forces them into a deep bay overlooked by Spaniards, who have created a trap with cannon on the heights aimed at the narrow entrance.
Droits of the Crown. Allison & Busby, 2023. 312 pages
John Pearce faces a court martial. With the matter unresolved, HMS Hazard is put under the command of Horatio Nelson, with whom no cruise can be without incident. Pearce is sent on a mission to collect fleeing members of the Corsican government: an assignment which looks simple but is anything but. Seeking a solution which will not risk his ship, he sets out to negotiate the aid of a local clan chief, inadvertently putting himself, his crew, and his rescued charges in jeopardy.
Nelson and Emma series
On a Making Tide. Orion, 2000. 688 pages
Starting with Nelson's arrival at Chatham aged 12 to join his first ship the Raisonable (moored next to his last, the Victory) and with Emma rejecting life as a domestic servant to live in a bawdy house, this book will take Nelson and Emma to 1798 and the battle of the Nile, the crushing victory which secured Nelson's fame. In the U.S. this novel was split into two volumes consisting of On a Making Tide and the first half of Tested by Fate.
Breaking the Line. Orion, 2001. 576 pages
Following Nelson's victory at the Nile he was feted at home. Further victories against the French raised his popularity with the public at large to fever pitch. But at court Nelson's ego and his love for Emma Hamilton, seen as little more than a whore by the courtiers surrounding George III, dogged his progress. Only in death was he finally accepted at the heart of society. In the U.S. this novel was split into two volumes consisting of the second half of Tested by Fate and Breaking the Line.
Contraband Shore Series
The Contraband Shore. Allison & Bubsy, 2017. 318 pages
1787. Captain Edward Brazier is on a mission: recently paid off from his frigate and comfortably off with prize money, he is headed to Deal to propose marriage to the young and lovely widow Betsy Vaughan. But all does not go well.
A Lawless Place. Allison & Bubsy, 2018. 230 pages
Edward Brazier is enlisted by Prime Minister William Pitt to assist his investigation into smuggling activity in Deal. However, with his love Betsy now locked into a loveless marriage with Tom Spafford, a useless drunk, and living as a prisoner, Brazier is distracted from his mission. Having foiled Spafford's plan to steal Betsy away to her family-owned plantation in the West Indies, Brazier finds himself taken captive.
Blood Will Out. Allison & Bubsy, 2019. 350 pages
Captain Edward Brazier is wounded and in desperate need of medical attention, but those from whom he could seek help have no idea where he is - although neither do his enemies. With his beloved Betsey currently imprisoned by her brother Henry, who is considering committing her to an asylum to take her off his hands, time is running out for Brazier to rescue her and end the tyranny of the local smuggling ring of Deal once and for all
Doner, Mary Frances (1893-1985)
Some Fell Among Thorns. Penn, 1939. 377 pages
Lyn's wealthy grandmother attempts to break up her romance with a Great Lakes ship captain
Chalice. Penn, 1940. 448 pages
Autobiographical novel set in the Great Lakes
Not By Bread Alone. Doubleday, Doran, 1941. 322 pages
The Great Lakes and its freighters and shipping as a background for a story of three generations of a family, and of how each woman, offered marriage with money, ease and security, took the hard way and married the men they had to support and protect.
Glass Mountain. Doubleday, Doran, 1942. 299 pages
Story of an ambitious and reckless seaman plying the Great lakes and the woman who loves him.
Blue River. Doubleday, 1946. 274 pages
A Story of the Great Lakes Country.
Doolaard, A. den [pseud. Cornelis Johannes George Spoelstra Jr.] (1901-1994)
Roll Back the Sea. Heinemann, 1949. 414 pages
Translation of Walcheren komt boven water. Documentary novel of Dutch hydraulic engineers' efforts to repair wartime breaches in the dikes and reclaim Walcheren island from the sea.