====================================== S T O P - P R E S S Read Shipmate Reviews of MUTINY ====================================== "THE BOSUN'S CHRONICLE" --- emailed to Shipmates around the world --- VOL.3, ISSUE 9, September 2003 Avast there - and welcome aboard from the Bosun of the Thomas Kydd Shipmates' Network! 1) NEWS & VIEWS 2) ASK JULIAN 3) RECOMMENDED READING 4) SALTY SAYINGS 5) WHO'S WHO 6) FEATURE 7) CONTESTS 8) NEW ON THE WEB ==================== 1) NEWS & VIEWS --- publishing happenings, shipmates ahoy! --- +Shipmate Reviews of MUTINY Several months ago we ran a contest for Shipmate Reviewers to win an Advance Copy of MUTINY. Here's what they had to say: "Julian Stockwin continues his atmospheric tale of life in the age of sail. As ever, it is superbly descriptive, with intimate detail of the day-to-day life on board ship never slowing up the pace... The reader feels he is at the very heart of one of the most famous mutinies in history and the storyline of this very enjoyable read continues right up to the last page." Simon Nobbs, Plymouth, England "MUTINY was certainly a page turner! I was up until 3 in the morning finishing this latest in the Thomas Kydd series and my only regret is that I have to wait until next year for the next one. This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in ships and sail. And for those who follow the series, Kydd and Renzi are back and they are better than ever!" Jim Schultz, New York "This may be the best adventure so far. The inner turmoil of the hero is very real and the insight into the workings of the Royal Navy are well written and easy to understand." Mark Hudson, Dry Ridge, KY, USA "Once again, with a Thomas Kydd story, the dilemma is whether to read it in one sitting, or savour it over several days. The tale moves from Gibraltar to Venice and back to the UK. There are romantic interludes for Kydd, but his true love is the sea, the wind - and the perpetual motion of a ship-o'-the-line." Bill Aves, London, England. "A superb sea narrative which take the hero on yet another memorable adventure. Julian Stockwin entices us to join master's mate Thomas Kydd and vicariously experience the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of a world long vanished - when His Majesty's ships controlled the seas. In the tradition of C S Forester, MUTINY proves Stockwin's yarn spinning mastery and this reviewer eagerly awaits his next tale." Daniel Manning, Illinois, USA. === +Shipmates ahoy Chris Walklett lives in Portsmouth, England, with his wife Alice. Now retired, as well as enjoying "five lovely grandsons", Chris is reading Earth Sciences at the Open University and delights in being a "silver surfer". Many of Julian's descriptions of messdeck life in the Kydd series are reminiscent of his own early naval experiences, Chris says. Both on the lower deck, and later as a commissioned officer, Chris had a rich and varied career in the British Navy, at sea and ashore. He joined HMS Ganges as a Boy Telephonist and served in HMS Sussex, Belfast, Glory, Pluto, Paladin, Contest, Harland Point, Corunna and Intrepid. He also worked in the British Consulate in Shanghai for two years, before taking up a position at NATO. There, his role involved re-writing NCS (Naval Control of Shipping) tactical publications at a time when Cold War scenarios were changing. It was during this period that Chris met Julian in Hong Kong when Julian was working on the computerisation of NCS. Looking back over his time at sea, Chris can talk about collisions, fires at sea, the beauty of Mt Fujiyama appearing through morning mist as his ship transitted the Inland Sea... But one experience stands out in his memory above all others. He was aboard HMS Constance sailing from Hong Kong to Shanghai when a typhoon struck. "Although I had experienced bad weather before, the fury of that storm really brought home to me the awesome power of the sea. "It also taught me how to continue reading morse whilst being very seasick and, because all the crockery in the mess was smashed in the storm, how to drink tea from a cigarette tin - the only watertight container which was left!" --- Many other Shipmates emailed this month saying how much they are enjoying the series, among them Barry Jackman and John Bratby. Barry recently had an opportunity to revisit "Lorne", a motor launch that was once owned by his grandfather, and which is now being lovingly restored on the Brisbane River in Queensland. He remembers many delightful cruises on the Derwent River in Hobart, Tasmania. "Lorne" was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy in 1942 to serve as a Harbour Patrol vessel on Sydney Harbour. Her armament was 1 Vickers .303 machine gun, 2 MK vii depth charges and six midget depth charges. John, who was a national serviceman in the Royal Navy, has mixed memories of this time. He recalls spending two weeks in HMS "Implacable", a training ship sailing from Portland Bill to Torquay. It was the first time he'd been away from home by himself and he recalls the terrifying Gunnery Instructors. John spent two years in the Royal Navy, mainly on naval air stations in Salisbury Plain, Karachi and Quetta in Pakistan. As it transpired his only seatime was his first two weeks in "Implacable"! --- +An Evening with Julian on the historic "Cutty Sark" Shipmates are invited to join Julian on Wednesday, 29th October, aboard the famous tea clipper for an Evening to celebrate the publication of MUTINY. King William Walk, Greenwich, London SE109HT. Contact: Julia Parker 020 8858 3445. . ===================== 2) ASK JULIAN --- a forum for Shipmates questions --- Janice Highstead from Ontario, Canada asked: "When and under what circumstances were uniforms first worn by Officers and crew in the Royal Navy?" Julian replies: "Before the mid-eighteenth century officers wore whatever fashion was in vogue for gentlemen ashore. Some modifications were made, but the dress was often ill suited to the job. In 1748 the Navy introduced regulations, in part at the request of the officers themselves, which were modified in 1787 and at several other times: officers were to have two uniforms - "dress" or formal, and "undress", to be worn everyday. Basically the dress uniform consisted of a dark blue coat worn over a white shirt, white breeches, white stockings and buckled shoes. Variations in cut, number, placement and style of buttons, gold braid and associated hat distinguished the various ranks. Epaulettes were not part of uniform at this time. This caused some resentment as the army and marine officers were thought to look more splendid! In 1795 epaulettes were allowed for ranks above lieutenant. Then, in 1813, all officers were permitted epaulettes. Warrant officers since 1787 wore a plain blue single-breasted coat with falling collar and nine gilt buttons. Masters mates had a white edging on their coats. More changes came in 1805 - surgeons were given their own uniform and specific regulations about swords were introduced. There was no official uniform for seamen before 1857. An attempt was made in 1824 to standardise dress among seamen with "Instructions to Pursers" about the clothing to be carried in every ship. But the seaman's dress remained distinctive and individual. Typical attire was short jackets and loose trousers, often worn with exotic and flamboyant additions acquired on foreign stations. The short jackets were functional, no dangling tails to endanger a man working aloft. The loose trousers protected the feet and could also be easily rolled up if working out on the yards. Shipmates will recall when Ollie Higgins died in KYDD, his clothes and personal possessions were auctioned among the seamen. This practice raised a few coins for widows and children who had lost their breadwinner. I remember this happening in my time at sea, too." ==================== 3) RECOMMENDED READING --- books, magazines and journals about the sea --- "Maritime Power and the Struggle for Freedom. Naval Campaigns that shaped the modern world 1788-1851" by Peter Padfield. Published by John Murray, ISBN 0 7195 5665 1. One of the reasons Julian chose to write about the Great Age of Sail is that of all naval actions in history, none are so glorious as those of the Nelson era. Padfield's fascinating and illuminating book charts the epic struggle between Great Britain and revolutionary and Napoleonic France, revealing both the hidden forces beneath the surface of events and the strategies and battle tactics which ensured Britain's final victory. ==================== 4) SALTY SAYINGS --- what today's English owes to Jack Tar --- The bitter end Today, if we talk about the bitter end, we mean carrying on to the very end, in spite of difficulties. The origins of this phrase are definitely salty. If the crew lets all the cable run out while anchoring, the rope will come to its bitter end. A bitter is a turn of the cable around the mooring bitts at the ship's bow. ==================== 5) WHO'S WHO --- bio details of the characters in the series --- Jarman William Jarman was born at Durham, England, and was witness to its rapid rise as a centre for winning coal, the fuel for the infant industrial revolution. As a young man he quickly saw there was more adventure in the coal trade at sea and became an apprentice in "The Three Brothers", a London collier. There, he learned the ways of the sea in the hardest trade of all, rising to mate of the small vessel. In London, Jarman was fortunate to secure an ocean-going post in an East Indiaman, "Windsor Castle". He relished the slow but dignified voyages around the Cape to India, and in her, learned more of deep-sea navigation - perusing John Hamilton Moore's sailing directions and other tomes, wielding an octant for the first time and absorbing the mass of sea knowledge necessary to advance in the profession. When he felt ready, he entered for master at Trinity House. The Elder Brethren had responsibility for issuing certificates of competency for master for the Royal Navy, which was then gained through examination. Following his success in this, Jarman was offered his first appointment in the King's Service - sailing master of the topsail cutter "Seaflower". ==================== 6) FEATURE Julian's favourite sea painters - Part two Another of the maritime artists whose work has a special attraction for Julian is Derek Gardner. Derek, now nearly ninety, is still enjoying his work "as much as ever". When contacted by the Bosun in the course of writing this article, Derek said it is one of his great regrets that never met John Chancellor (who was profiled in the newsletter last month). Derek served in the British Navy during the Second World War- in the Atlantic, Arctic waters and the Mediterranean - absorbing the colours and run of the sea in those varied settings. After the war he joined the Colonial Service and worked in Kenya as a chartered Civil Engineer. It was during his years there that he taught himself to paint in his spare time, both watercolours and oils. Returning to England in 1963 he embarked on a new career as an artist, and took up residence in Dorset, where he still lives. Many of his paintings take months to complete. "I work slowly and take a great deal of trouble over research," Derek says. "I have always regarded marine painting as being essentially conservative, best rendered by conservative methods." Julian and Kathy have three of Derek's watercolour prints ("Glory and Valiant", "Orion" and "Defence") in their dining room. The "Glory", a 90-gun 2nd rate was built at Plymouth and launched in 1788. The "Valiant" was a 3rd rate of 74 guns. Both ships fought under Admiral Lord Howe at the Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794. The "Orion" and the "Defence" were 74-gun ships-of-the-line, both with distinguished careers, too. The "Defence" came to a tragic end in a fearsome storm in 1811, going to the aid of the 90-gun ship "St George" on the Jutland coast. All told, the sea was to claim almost 2000 lives that day. These three prints, in muted autumn tonings, combine both the stately majesty of sail and a timeless quality that is one of the hallmarks of Derek's work. And an added bonus is that two of the settings are Berry Head in Devon, which is not more than 30 miles from where Julian and Kathy live. A selection of Derek's work can be seen in Peter Goodwin's "Nelson's Ships." Derek is also featured in "The Tall Ship in Art", ISBN 0- 86288-2591-1; "Dictionary of Sea Painters", Antique Collectors Club 1980; and "Twentieth Century Marine Painting" by Denys Brook-Hart, Antique Collectors Club, 1981. ==================== 7) CONTESTS Congratulations to David Arstall, winner of the superb limited edition Geoff Hunt print of "Seaflower". The correct answer to the question was San Domingo. This month's contest is for a copy of the unabridged audiobook of "Seaflower" published by BooksonTape. To enter, email the Bosun with the answer to the question: "Name the Danish officer who boarded from Christiansted." First correct entry out of the hat September 29 wins the 7-tape set of "Seaflower" =================== 8) NEW ON THE WEB SITEMAP. For charting your course around the world of Thomas Kydd and his creator! OLLA. A number of features have been consolidated onto this new page. > OLLA > ESSAY. An Essay by Julian: "Will the Real Jack Tar Please Stand Up?", published in "Maritime Life and Traditions" > SETTING > SHIPS. "The Manoeuvrability of Sailing Warships". > LINKS > TALL SHIP VOYAGING. "HMS" Rose, world's largest active wooden sailing vessel. > SETTING > SEA > EVENTS. This month's historical maritime highlights And, there's still a chance to win a signed copy of MUTINY in the website CONTEST! Yours aye, THE BOSUN ++ Back issues of the newsletter downloadable from the website ++