Douglas Edward Reeman, writing as Alexander Kent, crafts gripping historical fiction centered on the Royal Navy, primarily during the Napoleonic Wars and World War II. Drawing from his own extensive naval service, Reeman brings a profound authenticity to his narratives of maritime conflict and the lives of sailors. His storytelling is renowned for its vivid depictions of naval warfare and its deep exploration of the human experience at sea. He masterfully captures the spirit and challenges of naval life across different historical eras.
It's Malta 1941. To most people HMS Saracen is just an ugly, obsolete ship with an equally ugly recent history: her last commander is due for court-martial after shelling the troops he was sent to protect. But to Captain Richard Chesnaye she brings back memories.
1941. To the residents and defence forces of the Crown Colony of Hong Kong, the war in Europe remains remote. Even the massive build-up of Japanese forces on the Chinese border cannot dent their carefree optimism. Yet one man suspects the truth. Lieutenant Commander Esmond Brooke, captain of HMS Serpent and a veteran of the cruet Atlantic, sees all too clearly the folly and incompetence of Hong Kong' s colonial administration. But, in war, there will always be some who attempt the impossible, even in the face of death.
As 1794 draws to a close Richard Bolitho, commanding the old seventy-four-gun ship of the line Hyperion, leaves Plymouth to join a squadron blockading the rising power of Revolutionary France. After six months of repairs his ship is ready to fight again, but her company is mostly raw and untrained. Unfortunately, Bolitho finds himself under a commodore who is no match for the French admiral, Lequiller, whose powerful squadron uses guile and ruthless determination to elude him and vanish into the Atlantic. Hyperion, as part of a small British force, gives chase, the desperate voyage taking them from the Bay of Biscay's squall to the heat of the Caribbean - and for each mile sailed and every battle fought Bolitho finds himself being forced into the ever more demanding role of strategist and squadron commander.
It is December 1917, Germany opens the final, bitter round of the war with a new and deadly weapon in the struggle for the seas -- the Vulcan sails from Kiel Harbour. To all appearances she is a harmless merchant vessel. But her peaceful lines conceal a merciless firepower; guns, mines and torpedoes that can be brought into play instantly. The Vulcan is a commerce raider. And under crack commander Felix von Steiger her mission is to bring chaos to the seaways.
Set against the backdrop of January 1944, the story follows Rudolf Steiger, a legendary U-boat commander grappling with the shifting tides of war. As he leads the U-boat flotilla Meteor into perilous Atlantic waters, he confronts not only external enemies but also his inner turmoil and doubts about Germany's fate. Steiger's journey explores themes of honor, duty, and the haunting possibility of a heroic death as he navigates the harsh realities of warfare and his own psyche.
It is 1784, and His Majesty's frigate "Undine" sets sail from Spithead for India. Europe may be at peace, but in colonial waters the promises of statesmen count for little and the bloody struggle for supremacy goes on. Richard Bolitho undertakes a task that would be better handled by a squadron.
Three generations of Blackwoods have served the Royal Marines with distinction. Now it is the turn of young Jonathan Blackwood to take up arms. In 1915, he fights from the sea, supported by the Royal Navy in the battlefields of the Dardanelles and Gallipoli, helpless to save either himself or his men. Two years later in Flandrs, Blackwood finds that Hell can get worse as he and his men fight on the horrific Western Front
Set in 1960s Hong Kong, the story follows Captain Mark Gunnar aboard the USS Hibiscus, which is being refitted before its handover to the Nationalist Chinese. Haunted by past torture from Viet Cong guerillas, Gunnar sees his new command as an opportunity for revenge. However, the reality of the desolate island group Payenhau challenges his expectations, leading to a worsening crisis that forces him to confront his demons alone as the situation spirals out of control.
H.M.S. Phalarope is ordered to the Caribbean but the most deadly enemy is already aboard her. January 1782, Portsmouth: His Britannic Majesty's frigate Phalarope is ordered to the assistance of the hard-pressed squadrons in the Carribean. Aboard is her new commander — Richard Bolitho. To all appearances the Phalarope is everything a young captain could wish for. But beneath the surface she is a deeply unhappy ship — her wardroom torn by petty greed and ambition, her deckhands driven to near-mutiny by senseless ill-treatment…
At last the British agreed to send them a small flotilla of motor torpedo boats under the command of John Devane. Devane had been in the Navy since the outbreak of war. Given command t short notice, Devane soon learned that, even against the vast and raging background of the Eastern Front, war could still be a personal duel between individuals.
