On my mother's knee, aged three months. This picture was taken in early 1944 when the country was still at war and my father was an officer in the army 

A young sea cadet desperately trying to be mistaken for a real sailor! We were living in Coventry, an English city a whole 100 miles inland when this picture was taken. I suppose I was about eleven

 Here I am, with a group of my fellow boy seamen at TS Indefatigable. Can you spot which one is me? (click here to see if you're right...)

On the ran-tan in 1960s Sydney, Australia, with chum, engineer apprentice Dave Nothrop. At that stage we were both at HMAS Nirimba, now sadly no longer training men for the Australian Navy. Old shipmates recently got together for a 50th anniversary of the founding.

Old ships! The fleet carrier Melbourne in which I served as a petty officer for two years in the Far East and Vietnam. I was also aboard her at the time of her disastrous peace-time collision with Voyager

My first boat She was a little Tamar class dinghy and my pride and joy! On shore leave in Tasmania I sailed her where Bligh had been two hundred years before

Now I'm an officer! Lt Julian Stockwin on the starboard bridge wing as a boarding officer during the Cold War - somewhere in the South China Sea...

A wardroom goodbye for Kathy and myself from the Naval Control of Shipping Group in Hong Kong, prior to returning to England to live

A very proud day for Kathy and me. My appointment to the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace, presented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

One of my most pleasurable memories of 2001 was sailing from Ireland to Liverpool aboard the Earl of Pembroke, a barque full-rigged in eighteenth century style with the distinctive single topsails of Kydd's day

This is a picture of a television program about Sir Peter Blake's 2001 expedition to the upper reaches of the Amazon. The expedition doctor takes in a good book...

A uniquely preserved jewel of history - Nelson's dockyard at English Harbour is the only remaining Georgian dockyard in the world. I am here at the careening capstan

Even in Barbados, with another glorious Caribbean evening tempting, the boss makes me write up my research notes for SEAFLOWER at the end of the day...

The Rock of Gibraltar is a truly awesome sight. Gib was vital to Britain's maritime success, lying as it does so strategically athwart the entrance to the Mediterranean. Nelson's great victories would have been impossible without Gibraltar

A moving moment at the Trafalgar Cemetery in Gibraltar; the inscription here quotes Admiral Collingwood's famous despatch after the battle telling of victory and grief at Trafalgar

A treasured possession, a beautifully crafted half-model of Artemis presented to me in Halifax, Canada by Shipmate Robert Squarebriggs. On the table in front are some of my cherished 18C sea artefacts; cable, tankard, cutlass...

In the course of research for MUTINY I revisited the windy grey shores of Sheerness. This is the Great Nore anchorage today, where the drama of the mutiny took place 

Along the River Erme at the spot where Thomas Kydd comes ashore, while on a mission for Captain Dwyer of the Achilles in MUTINY

On the famous New York waterfront at South St Seaport, genuine square riggers returned to their rest

No lover of the sea should miss a pilgrimage to Old Ironsides in Boston

Taking time off during the 2002 Author Tour of the east coast of the United States to enjoy the seashore at Martha's Vineyard

I was delighted to be invited to give several talks aboard Cutty Sark and was ably assisted by members of the Sea Cadets

The launch of MUTINY was held at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. I am seen here with Commodore Tony Johnstone-Burt.

A bronze cannon dating from the reign of William & Mary (1689) captured from the English on the island of Minorca, outside the military museum

Having fun with the children of St Mary's primary school on World Book Day in Portsmouth

Standing at the magnificent entrance to the harbour at Malta with Captain Reuben Lanfranco, director of the Maritime Institute of Malta

During a visit to Malta on location research for COMMAND, it was my pleasure to present a copy of QUARTERDECK to the British High Commissioner His Excellency Mr Vincent Fean.

Newly signed on crew: able seamen kittens Chi and Ling helping with the final edit of TENACIOUS in 2005

At sea with Polperro’s Bill Cowan, during Cornish location research for book eight, to be published this year. Bill, a sprightly 80‑something, seemed to have better sea legs than me!

Later, as I gaze out at this tranquil scene in Polperro harbour, the plot for “Kydd: The Admiral's Daughter” began to unfold...

It gives me great pleasure to receive the various foreign language editions of my books as they are published, and the Japanese editions are particularly appealing (even though I don’t read Japanese!). This photo is Ms Yoko Ohmori, who translates my books for Hayakawa Publishing, and who I met in 2004 when she visited England.

Imagine my surprise to be invited to sign paperbacks of TENACIOUS aboard the ship of the same name! She is one of the vessels of the Jubilee Sailing Trust which enables people of all physical abilities to experience the wonder of tall ship sailing

Kathy and I are standing in front of a magnificent portrait of the famous Admiral Saumarez hanging in Government House, Guernsey. We were honoured to be invited to view the painting by Sir Fabian Malbon during our visit to the Channel Islands on the location research for Book Nine

Commander Richard Morris kindly invited Kathy and myself to join him and his ship's company aboard HMS Southampton for two days at sea. Here, we are on the starboard bridge wing as we heave in our anchor and set sail for Portsmouth

Old friends from Hong Kong days Lt Cdr Howard Libauer USN and wife Darian with Julian and Kathy at a naval reunion held at HMS President in London on July 1st 2007, marking the 10th anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty to China

I'm pictured at a special Ivybridge Library event to celebrate the launch of DAUGHTER on October 18, 2007. I brought along with me some of my sea artefacts which are always of special interest!

Kathy and I arrived at the Appledore Book Festival in splendid style in a carriage drawn by two horses, and escorted by 18C officers and soldiers to be met with a salute from the artillery.

On location research in Deal, Kent, I came across this wonderful old Navy anchor from Kydd's day, recovered by “hovellers” from the treacherous Goodwin Sands, where thousands of ships met their end. Although now no longer in existence, the Navy Yard in Deal was very important during the Napoleonic Wars.

Photo Castle Studio

My secret weapon! Kathy and I work together very closely as a creative team. This picture was taken on our 25th wedding anniversary