====================================== S T O P - P R E S S + Shipmate Reviewers Programme launched next month + ====================================== "THE BOSUN'S CHRONICLE" --- emailed to Shipmates around the world each month --- VOL. 2, ISSUE 9, September 2002 Avast there - and welcome aboard from the Bosun of the Thomas Kydd Shipmates' Network! 1) DECKLOG 2) HANDS TO MUSTER 3) NAUTICAL WEBSITE OF THE MONTH 4) ANATOMY OF A MAN-O'-WAR 5) ON THE STOCKS 6) SIGNALS FROM FOREIGN PARTS 7) DAYS OUT 8) SHIPMATE REVIEWERS PROGRAMME ==================== 1) DECKLOG --- events and activities --- WORKING WITH GEOFF HUNT ON THE SEAFLOWER COVER One of Julian's pleasures each year is seeing Geoff Hunt's specially commissioned original oil painting for the cover of the upcoming book in the series. Even before the actual manuscript is finished Julian talks to Geoff about the concept of the book. "This is very helpful putting my own early ideas on track," says Geoff. Geoff has a special arrangement with Julian and the publishers to read the entire manuscript of each book before he begins. "All too often I have to scheme a cover painting on the basis of a few chapters, or at worst, a synopsis. It's a pity because sometimes an excellent visual idea can spring from a few lines or even a few words of description which may not be hugely important in literary terms." Geoff explains that with the SEAFLOWER cover he wanted to give a strong sense of place, and also some of the sense of mystery and excitement - and perhaps apprehension - connected with preparing for night operations. "It's quite different to KYDD and ARTEMIS. Be prepared for colour!" +Bosun. The cover of SEAFLOWER is stunning! Think golds, purples and dusky pinks. [Limited edition prints are available for the first two books in the series and will be issued as each new book is launched. See website Links for details. Next month the first chapter of SEAFLOWER will be on the website!] _____ NELSON COMMEMORATIONS Nelson buffs in the UK may be interested in some of the activities organised by the Official Nelson Commemorations Committee to mark the 200th anniversary of the visit of Nelson and Emma Hamilton to South Wales and the Midlands. This month there is a Wine Reception and Lecture "Nelson and the Hamiltons" by Colin White at 7:30 pm, September 7, Birmingham (tickets: david@kgfs.org.uk) and an Exhibition "Nelson and Emma, Personal Pots and Lasting Memories" from September 14 to November 30 at the Museum of Worcester Porcelain, Severn Street, Worcester. The OFNC is currently co-ordinating an ambitious programme of national and international activities to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005. "The Bosun's Chronicle" will announce details as they come to hand and we hope to chat to Colin White about some of his plans in a future issue. ===================== 2) HANDS TO MUSTER --- Behind the Thomas Kydd series is a great team; "The Bosun's Chronicle" goes behind the scenes to talk to one of the Shipmates who have been involved in some aspect of the book --- This month we chat to Hazel Orme, who has just finished the final editorial work on SEAFLOWER. Hazel has been involved with the Kydd series from the outset, and is one of the most highly respected Copy Editors in the UK. She and her husband David are great collectors - advertising memorabilia, curios and art-deco objets. Recently, Hazel had her first taste of the sea when she and her family went on a week-long Mediterranean cruise. Unfortunately, the weather was "frightful" - winds at gale force 9, mountainous seas, hammering rain, ship rolling all over the place. +Bosun. So you wouldn't say another sea adventure is high on your wish list? +Hazel. No. I will content myself with reading about the sea from now on! +Bosun. How would you define your role as Copy Editor? +Hazel. To prepare a typescript for press: amend and correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, syntax; identify any stylistic "tics" of the author and amend; point out flaws in plot or factual errors by checking with other sources; removing repetition of words, information, whatever; tightening narrative if the author has used too many words. In short, I fine-tune a book: some require considerably more input from me than others. +Bosun. Tell us about how you actually work with a manuscript and how long it takes? +Hazel. I start to copy-edit from my first reading of page one and would reckon to have most of the main work completed on that first read. I read it again to smooth off any rough edges, rethink any tricky issues and pick up anything I might have missed previously. My work takes anything from 20 to 60-80 hours, more in special cases. +Bosun. Were there any elements that needed special attention in Julian's writing? +Hazel. What a question! I have an overall impression of very clean manuscripts. I amended some punctuation, the odd grammatical lapse. Julian tells a great yarn very well. +Bosun. What happens if an author does not agree with you? +Hazel. That has happened and then of course they should win the argument! [Julian has only very rarely disagreed.] ==================== 3) NAUTICAL WEBSITE OF THE MONTH --- Every month Julian selects a website with sea links --- USS Constitution Museum A fact-filled site about America's best-loved maritime icon, "Old Ironsides." The story goes that when USS Constitution was engaged in battle with HMS Guerriere in the War of 1812, an unidentified sailor exclaimed, "Huzzah, her sides are made of iron!" as the British cannonballs appeared to bounce off her thick wooden sides. The nickname remains to this day. The classic work about "Old Ironsides" is Martin Tyrone's "A Most Fortunate Ship", published by the Naval Institute Press, 1997. ==================== 4) ANATOMY OF A MAN-O'-WAR --- The sailing ships of Kydd's day were the most complex machines on the planet at that time --- THE GREAT GUNS. The ship-of-the-line could carry more than 100 great guns on three gundecks, making it a mighty arsenal of destruction able to unleash as much firepower on the enemy as a fortress on land. The largest cannon (which weighed 3 tons) were able to penetrate through two feet of solid oak a mile away. British tactics in battle were to try to get as close to enemy ships as possible to shoot at the hull and sink the ship; most engagements were fought at 100 yards, known as half pistol shot range. This made for a rather bloody encounter with murderous splinters of wood blasted from the timbers as well as the actual damage from the cannon balls. When you think about these conditions you realise it took a very brave man to face an enemy at such close quarters. Up to 20 men served the big guns during battle, led by the gun captain, a highly skilled sailor. Some of the gun crew had special duties such as boarders or sail trimmers and could be called away to these tasks even under enemy fire. Also part of the crew were the powder monkeys, ship's boys who had the dangerous task of running between the guns and the magazines below decks carrying cartridges in closed wooden boxes. Night actions were particularly challenging - Nelson's heroic achievements during the Battle of the Nile certainly demonstrated this. =================== 5) ON THE STOCKS --- News of upcoming books, foreign translations, audio versions, other products --- Audiobook hits best-sellers list Books on Tape unabridged audiobook of ARTEMIS has just been released in the States and it is already in their Top 50 Best-sellers. The audiobook is read by John Lee (who also read KYDD) and has a 5-star rating. "Fast paced - believable action, leaves you hungry for more" says one listener/reviewer. The 8-tape audiobook is on offer at a special discount of $48. Paperback launch For the paperback launch of ARTEMIS on November 7 Julian's British publisher Hodder & Stoughton have put together an exciting marketing programme of trade promotions and consumer advertising. As well as special displays in the bookstores there will be a nation-wide railtrack publicity campaign that will target millions of readers across the UK. Julian will also be doing signings at many bookstores. We'll report location details in "The Chronicle" and on the website as these come to hand. ==================== 6) SIGNALS FROM FOREIGN PARTS --- We welcome news and views from Shipmates around the world --- This month's Shipmates are Greg Perri, and husband & wife Shipmates Sandra and Peter Addaya. Greg, an insurance agent born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, credits his love of books to his mother and father constantly reading to him and his 11 brothers and sisters as they grew up. With a special interest in British history, Greg has visited the UK twice and plans to visit again as soon as he can. He says that as he got about half way through KYDD he began to dread the fact that the story would finish so he contacted the bookstore where he had bought it to find out whether Julian had written any more books. The Addayas now live in Menorca, the second largest of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. Peter hails from Kent, England, and at the age of 15 first joined the London Nautical School to train for the Merchant Navy. He recalls that he and a friend rebelled and signed on for HMS Ganges, where became a Button Boy and also a Silver Call Boy. Later, Peter saw sea service in "Cochrane", "Gabbard", "Birmingham" and "Diamond". Sandra met Peter in March 2001 and they were married in December in Menorca, where they thoroughly enjoy the weather and lifestyle. Like Peter, she's read both KYDD and ARTEMIS and found them "great reads". Sandra says however, that unlike Peter, she is wondering what will happen to Cecilia and some of the other female characters in the books! [A Button Boy belongs to a select band who actually climbed to the very top of the Ganges mast; a Silver Call Boy had to learn over 20 calls and then pass an exam in order to earn this special title.] Julian would love to hear from you. Contact ==================== 7) DAYS OUT --- Each month we visit somewhere around the world of special nautical interest --- Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Canada Located at the dockside on Lower Water Street, outside it's a delightful site to sit and view the sea of today; inside it's the perfect place to experience the sea of the past. The Museum's collection is in excess of 24,000 artefacts, with many fascinating exhibits: + The Days of Sail Gallery celebrates Nova Scotia's magnificent sailing vessels from the barque "Calburga" to the coastal schooner "Rayo". + Nova Scotia's waters are strewn with over 10,000 shipwrecks; the Shipwreck Treasures Gallery highlights some of the recent finds of underwater archaeology. + The Halifax Explosion Exhibit tells the story of the devastating 1917 detonation of an ammunition-laden ship in harbour - the largest man-made explosion before the atomic age! Then, if you feel like keeping the day in a nautical vein, why not visit "The Pressed Man" restaurant? With a name like that, Julian and Kathy couldn't resist trying there for some of the excellent seafood for which the city is justly famous. They liked it so much they presented the staff with an appropriately inscribed copy of KYDD! =================== 8) SHIPMATE REVIEWERS PROGRAMME Next month we will announce details of a special contest in which six Shipmates around the world will be invited to write advance reviews about Julian's next book, SEAFLOWER. + The October issue will also be the first of occasional Special Feature Issues - and will look at the world of ship model building. From your emails we know that there are a number of model-building Shipmates - if you have any comments or suggestions on this topic, just drop the Bosun a line. ================== Yours aye, THE BOSUN ++ Back issues of the newsletter by request ++ (To unsubscribe this newsletter email )