<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> T H E B O S U N ' S C H R O N I C L E <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> S T O P - P R E S S + Shipmate Ambassador Programme launched - Join Now! + Tom_Kydd E-group established Welcome aboard the world of Thomas Kydd VOL. 4, ISSUE 5, May 2004 1 NEWS & VIEWS 2 ASK JULIAN 3 BOOKSHELF 4 SALTY SAYINGS 5 FEATURE 6 ACCUL TO ZOLL 7 CONTEST 8 NEW ON THE WEB ==================== 1 NEWS & VIEWS --- publishing happenings, Shipmates ahoy! --- + Shipmate Ambassador Programme After a number of Shipmates contacted us saying they loved the books so much they wanted to "spread the word" about the Kydd series in some tangible way we came up with the idea of "Shipmate Ambassadors" - and a small trial convinced us that there is definitely an interest in such a programme. We're now ready to launch the first stage, for Shipmates living in the UK. All this involves is contacting the Bosun with your postal details and asking to be signed up as a Shipmate Ambassador! A special pack of bookmarks, postcards and other material will be sent to you to distribute to friends, family, local libraries and bookstores - wherever you'd like to introduce Thomas Kydd. And everyone who signs up to become an Ambassador will have a chance to win a special thank-you gift from Julian later in the year. We plan to extend the programme to Shipmates in other countries in the future, and we're also working on a special pack for history teachers to use in schools, and another one for Reading Groups. + British paperback edition of MUTINY out this month ISBN 0 340 79480 1 Carolyn Mays, Hodder & Stoughton's Editorial Director, told the Bosun: "Early feed back is that the paperback edition of MUTINY is selling in extremely well, and I'm delighted to say that we've just signed off our largest ever first print run for the paperback edition." Press acclaim for MUTINY: "A storming sea story that should carry a force nine warning!" - Northern Echo "Leaves the reader almost tasting the sea salt on the wind... and wanting to search out the previous books" - Good Book Guide "The appeal of the story is in the telling... genre fiction at its best but with sufficient originality to win great praise from the critics" - Publishing News + Young Shipmates Ahoy! Devin Smith is a 16-year-old high school student in Arizona. He came across KYDD in a Barnes and Noble bookstore and was attracted to the cover because of his interest in ships and the sea. Devin says he really felt a connection with Tom as the story progressed and has since been so drawn to Kydd's world that he is now avidly collecting background on these exciting times. He was particularly taken with Joe Bowyer's philosophy [KYDD, chapter 3] of making the best of things, even in the worst of times: "Way I sees it, you has just two things you c'n do about it - get yourself into a fret all the time over what can't be undone, or do somethin' about it". And, Lt Cdr (SCC) Noel Wheatley RNR sent a special message of appreciation on behalf of the young people in his charge in the 10 Sea Cadet Units of the London South East District. "They all get a copy of the Bosun's Chronicle. There is always something interesting in it but perhaps more importantly it is a very useful training aid - helping to keep Naval tradition alive and well!" + Royal Society of Marine Artists at the National Maritime Museum The RSMA has represented the finest in British contemporary marine art for nearly sixty years and is mounting a special exhibit at the National Maritime Museum, from 30 April to 13 June. Well worth a special trip to Greenwich! + Hornblower and Prize Money "History, Fiction and the Royal Navy (1793-1815)" Naval historian Admiral Richard Hill is giving a talk on this topic in the Princess Royal Gallery, Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth, on Sunday May 9 at 11:30 a.m. Shipmates welcome! Further information: jaorob@fareham74.fsnet.co.uk ===================== 2 ASK JULIAN --- a forum for Shipmates' questions --- Ken Kelley of MD, USA emailed: "I've heard about night glasses being used aboard ships in Kydd's day. How did they work?" Julian replies: "It is amazing how the human eye can adapt to very low light levels at sea. Of course anyone coming on deck had to be very careful not to carry a lanthorn near the lookouts or they could lose their night vision for a time and the ship be endangered. The night glass was basically a refracting telescope, about two feet long. The extra-large lenses inside concentrated what little light there was, but produced an inverted image. It did not have much magnification, but its field of view was extensive - good for discovering objects such as vessels, coasts, rocks etc. that were not too far distant. As you can imagine, seeing inverted images may have taken a little getting used to! Early lenses suffered from chromatic aberration but this was improved with the work of John Dollond. In fact, all glasses came to be known as Dollond glasses. Sailors today have infra-red night vision equipment, as well as radar - but they still rely on the Mark I Eyeball!" And Dave Bennett of British Columbia wanted to know: "Is there a site on the net that gives the manning structure for each type of ship in Kydd's day?" Julian suggests: http://home.gci.net/~stall/ship2.htm> The site also gives common gun configurations for each class of ship. Do you have a question for Julian? There's a signed set of postcards for each question published. Email: JulianStockwin@JulianStockwin.com. Please write "Ask Julian" in the subject line ==================== 3 BOOKSHELF --- books, magazines and journals about the sea --- The Marine Art of Geoff Hunt To be published by Conway Maritime in August, this book gives a fascinating insight into the creative genius of Geoff Hunt, whose work graces the covers of Julian's books. As well as superbly reproduced colour plates and commentary of many of Geoff's most important paintings, there is a section on five paintings, from conception to completion. It was Julian's special pleasure to write the Foreword to this book. ISBN 0851779719 ==================== 4 SALTY SAYINGS --- what today's English owes to Jack Tar --- In somebody's black book If a person is in someone's black book, he is out of favour, or in disgrace. The origins of this phrase are definitely salty, and derive from the Admiralty Black Book which dates from the 14th century and is concerned with ship conduct and discipline. The Admiralty Black Book is preserved in the Public Records Office at Kew. Its full title is "Rules for the Office of Lord High Admiral; Ordinances for the Admiralty in Time of War; the Laws of Oleron for the Office of Constable and Marshall; and other Rules and Precedents". ==================== 5 FEATURE Of urchins and umbrellas... In book one of the series Joe Bowyer tells Tom Kydd that he's one of Jonas Hanway's boys - "Don't rightly know m' Dad 'n' when I was a nipper m' mum gave me up to Hanway's Marine Society fer to go to sea." Bowyer, along with many thousands of other boys, many as young as eight years old, was taken under the wing of the Marine Society to be prepared for a life at sea. They were equipped with clothing and provided with a pre-sea education. The Marine Society, founded in 1756, was the brainchild of Jonas Hanway (1712-1786), merchant, philanthropist and social reformer. (Admiral Lord Nelson was a member of the Council.) The Marine Society established the first pre-sea training school, the "Beatty". On 13 September 1786 the 350-ton sloop took 30 boys onboard in the charge of a superintendent, assisted by a mate, schoolmaster, boatswain and cook. By 1940 the Marine Society had trained nearly 80,000 boys for the Royal Navy and the merchant service. A significant number of adults had also been equipped for life at sea. Jonas Hanway travelled extensively and it was while in Persia that he discovered the umbrella and brought a silk one back to England. He was ridiculed for many years by hackney coachmen who thought it would cause them to lose income. Hanway stubbornly carried a brolly through London for three decades and lived to see it become the standard accoutrement of the English gentleman, even being called a "Hanway". Today, the Marine Society and its associated charities have helped well over six million seafarers and their dependents. ==================== 6 ACCUL TO ZOLL --- an 18th C sea glossary --- All the words we will bring you in this section were familiar aboard ship in the age of sail. + Chinse. The seams of planks of wooden ships had to be sealed in order to prevent water seeping in. This was done by driving oakum (tarred hemp or manila fibres from old ropes) in with a caulking iron and heavy hammer, and then sealing with pitch. Chinsing was a temporary measure of pressing oakum into a seam with a knife or chisel until it could be properly caulked. It was also the light caulking of a seam in places where the ship's structure could not withstand the full force of caulking. ==================== 7 CONTEST There was a tremendous response to the Free KYDD for a Friend offer for American Shipmates and we hope to repeat it in future with some of the other titles. We also had a large number of entries for the contest for the presentation packs of stamps of the great liners of the world. The answer to the question "Which liner made her inaugural transatlantic voyage in April?" was, of course, Queen Mary 2 (she's the largest, longest, tallest, widest AND most expensive passenger liner ever built!). This month's prize is a paperback British edition of MUTINY. For a chance to win one of four signed copies, email the Bosun (by May 25) with the answer to this question: < Name Kydd's rate when he first joins "Artemis" > =================== 8 NEW ON THE WEB www.JulianStockwin.com Lots happening this month! + Tributes in wood Canadian Shipmate Bob Squarebriggs continues to find inspiration in Julian's work for his wonderful ship models. Bob's latest project is a relief carving of "Artemis". There's a special feature on his work now on the website. ->Olla->Links->Ship Modelling->KYDD Ships Bob is currently following the progress of a group of model builders who are involved in a fascinating project in France. The modellers are from all over the world and are building the same vessel at the same time and in the same manner. http://forum.aceboard.net/index.php?login=15916 + Kent's Maritime Heritage A fascinating 325-mile long tour of Kent, Medway and Nord-Pas de Calais coastline. Shame they haven't updated the Events details since last year. ->Olla->Links->Maritime Regions + Kydd e-group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Tom_Kydd/ And, last but by no means least, Australian Shipmate Donald Telfer has started an internet discussion group about the Tom Kydd series. Log on and sign up to have your say! Julian plans to visit the forum from time to time and looks forward to reading your comments. ->Olla->Links->Discussion groups =================== Yours aye, THE BOSUN Bosun@JulianStockwin.com ++ Back issues of the newsletter downloadable from the website ++