QUARTERDECK MARITIME LITERATURE & ART REVIEW SUMMER 2021 The Matthew Loftus Novels by Marcus Palliser THE DESTINATION FOR NAUTICAL FICTION www.mcbooks.com / www.rowman.com QUARTERDECK 11 MARITIME LITERATURE & ART REVIEW T S C Quarterdeck is published quarterly by Tall Ships Communications Contents 6952 Cypress Bay Drive Kalamazoo, MI 49009 SUMMER 2021 269-372-4673 EDITOR & PUBLISHER George D. Jepson [email protected] INTERVIEWS ASSOCIATE EDITOR Amelia A. Yeoman 11 WILLIAM C. HAMMOND The American novelist shares the story behind the Cutler Family Chronicles. MARINE ART Quarterdeck is distributed by McBooks Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot 246 Goose Lane, Suite 200 21 ABRAHAM HULK Guilford, CT 06437 Matthew Honan profiles the Anglo-Dutch painter EDITORIAL DIRECTOR George D. Jepson Phone: 269-372-4673 DEPARTMENTS [email protected] www.mcbooks.com 4 SCUTTLEBUTT Visit Quarterdeck and McBooks Press on Facebook 30 BOOK REVIEWS 5 33 MARITIME FICTION 36 MARITIME HISTORY COLUMNS 5 By George ON THE COVER: A Journey Back in Time On the cover: “HMS Griffin at Bombay,” a watercolor by English 22 AUTHOR’S NOTES marine artist Colin Baxter © Colin Baxter Splice the Mainbrace by Kathy Stockwin PD - US © Tall Ships Communications 3 | QUARTERDECK | SUMMER 2021 SCUTTLEBUTT BOOK LAUNCHES 2021 US (United States) UK (United Kingdom) HB (Hardback) PB (Paperback) TPB (Trade Paperback) EB (Ebook) JULY Trial By Fire (USHB) by P. T. Deutermann AUGUST Harbor of Spies (USTPB) by Robin Lloyd A Matter of Honor (USTPB) by William C. Hammond SEPTEMBER James L. Nelson The Bomb Vessel (USTPB) by Richard Woodman AMES ELSON The Corvette (USTPB) J L. N by Richard Woodman Captain Isaac Biddlecomb Returns 1805 (USTPB) by Richard Woodman he last of the Isaac Bid- “With McBooks Press as the undis- dlecomb books was puted leader in maritime fiction pub- In Distant Waters (USTPB) “T published twenty years lishing in this country, this is a by Richard Woodman ago, the characters stuck halfway partnership that is long overdue, and through the Revolution,” said James one that I’m sure will prove a great OCTOBER L. Nelson. success.” “To this day, I regularly receive cor- Watch this space for more details A River in Borneo (USHB) by Richard Woodman respondence from readers asking if about Isaac Biddlecomb’s return and future. more volumes are on the way. They No Sacrifice Too Great (USHB) were not, of course, with the series William c. Hammond locked up and pretty much ignored by the publisher. SIGNALS . Thunderer (UKHB) “But that is about to change, and I James L. Nelson will soon publish The by Julian Stockwin cannot be more delighted. With the Buccaneer Coast, the first title in a NOVEMBER series poised for re-launch by Mc- new maritime adventure series – Books Press, a new generation of Blood, Steel, and Empire. The Bucca- The Isaac Biddlecomb Novels USTPB) readers will discover the books. neer Coast is the story of Jean-Bap- by James L. Nelson “For those tens of thousands of tiste LeBoeuf set in 1629 as Spain's readers who have been waiting for iron grip on the West Indies is start- DECEMBER more books in the series, they will ing to loosen, and England, France, finally discover what becomes of and Holland are making their pres- HMS Hazard (USHB/UKHB) Isaac Biddlecomb. ence known. by David Donachie 4 | QUARTERDECK | SUMMER 2021 By George! A Family’sReal lives that rival History fiction “. my ancestors led a far more interesting life that I ever have done.” – Lance Whitehead RIGHT Lance Whitehead, few months back, my thoughts naval fiction enthusiast, turned to our last visit to Eng- with a family story to to tell. land, and, in particular, to a day out in Dartmouth, the pictur- esque town on the South Devon coast. Wandering along the quay beside the River Dart as the sun appeared after a showery morn- Aing, we happened upon a small, welcoming spir- its shop and stepped inside to browse. The shopkeeper, making companionable conversa- tion, inquired whether we had tried award-win- ning Dartmouth English Gin, relatively new on the market. Admitting that we hadn’t, he offered us a sample taste. The flavors – botanicals and floral notes – were delightful, so we purchased a bottle and carried it back home. Friends with whom we shared the gin were also impressed. At the time, it wasn’t available in America. Photo courtesy of Lance Whitehead. A year later, while reminiscing about that day in Dartmouth, I googled the distiller’s website tury in the book trade, I’ve communicated with and queried whether there was consideration of scores of readers from all walks of life, but exporting to the United States. Lance’s revelation was singular when he shared Surprisingly, I received an immediate reply his family history with me in the days ahead. from Lance Whitehead, the firm’s managing As a boy in England, he embarked on a life- director, saying that the expense to export to the long “nautical reading orientation” with HMS US was prohibitive. Twenty-four hours later, I Marlborough Will Enter Harbour by Nicholas received another email from Whitehead thank- Monsarrat. “I have re-read this book several ing me – with tongue-in-cheek – for removing times since,” he said. “It is such an inspiring the tariff on the product, and that shipment was story.” now possible. Enjoying “quite a wide range of authors,” Along with that news, Whitehead mentioned Whitehead’s naval fiction favorites include that he was an avid naval fiction reader. This “Monsarrat, C S Forrester, Douglas Reeman, prompted more questions. Over a quarter-cen- Alexander Fullerton, Julian Stockwin, Rich- † 5 | QUARTERDECK | SUMMER 2021 ern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, and Kuwait “Throughout, I spent as much time as I could on the water, rac- ing and cruising all over Europe and exploring the Belize coast in a locally built wooden fishing sailing boat. I also explored the Falk- land Islands in an open boat in the winter, which was an experi- ence – had to throw lines overboard to Photo courtesy of Lance Whitehead. thaw them enough to use. The Falklands were littered by sailing ships – wooden and iron that “I own a traditionally-built wooden replica of a Bris- managed to reach safety tol Pilot Cutter, a 48-foot gaff-rigged vessel that would having suffered cata- strophic damage trying not have looked out of place in Nelson’s time.” to round Cape Horn, or similar misfortune. “In Port Stanley, there was an Indiaman ard Woodman, Patrick O’Brian, Philip Mc- ABOVE Lance Whitehead called Jhelum and another an iron schooner Cutchan, to name a few. at the helm of Merlin of called Lady Elizabeth. Anywhere else in the Falmouth, a 48-foot replica “I also love some of our classic novelists, of a British Pilot Cutter world, they would have been scrapped and bro- such as Thomas Hardy, Dickens, Jane Austen, named for the Rolls Royce ken up, but they were just left to fade away etc.,” he added. “Contemporary novels and sci- Merlin engine, which pow- gracefully and remained amazing time capsules ered RAF fighters and ence fiction are not really for me.” bombers his father flew, as to explore.” Family stories passed down through genera- well as the American P-51 The sea is a common thread entwined tions have inspired Whitehead’s love for naval Mustang fighter. Crafts- through generations in Whitehead’s family and fiction. men built the boat in Fal- continues today. “I have been a keen sailor mouth, Cornwall. “I have to admit that my ancestors led a far since childhood, taught by my father with more interesting life that I ever have done,” whom I sailed until he was 85,” he said. said Lance, who on leaving school served 21 “These days, I own a traditionally-built years in the Royal Air Force Regiment. The wooden replica of a Bristol Pilot Cutter, a 48- RAF’s elite private army, not dissimilar to the foot gaff-rigged vessel that would not have Royal Marines, led him to a Boys Own adven- looked out of place in Nelson’s time. Merlin of ture all over the world. Falmouth is fast, a joy to sail and very comfort- “During my service, much of the time was able to live on, too.” dominated by the Cold War, and the Regi- Listening to tales of his forebears, Whitehead ment’s role was to counter Soviet air attack and has seen “many parallels with their lives in a special forces’ attack against RAF bases and as- wide range of naval fiction from Napoleonic sets in the UK and Germany,” he explained. times until the Second World War, that really “While in the RAF, I lived in England, North- bring their experiences to life for me. In ad- † 6 | QUARTERDECK | SUMMER 2021 Cape Finisterre in 1780 during the Anglo- Spanish War. Promoted to captain in 1795, Sav- age joined HMS Orion, the third-rate 74-gun ship-of-the-line under Captain (later Admiral) James Saumarez, “who became a lifelong friend.” Orion was present with Nelson’s fleet at the Battle of the Nile, also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay, in 1798. During the fierce fight- PD - US ing, Savage narrowly es- caped serious injury or death, said Whitehead, when “a French cannon dition to the storyline and setting, I find the ball passed between his arm and his side, leav- glimpse into life and society over this period ing him badly bruised but relatively un- to be fascinating.” scathed. “Before the battle, Saumarez, having John Boscawen Savage addressed the officers and ship’s compa- Whitehead’s fifth great-grandfather on ny, turned to Savage with, ‘Will you his father’s side, John Boscawen Sav- say a few words to your men?’ On age, lived through adventures rivaling which Savage spoke: ‘My lads, do you those written by Forester, Alexander see that land there? Well, that's the Kent, O’Brian, Seth Hunter, and land of Egypt, and if you don't fight Stockwin.