The Ramage Companion

The book that Ramage fans have long awaited Between 1965 and 1989 the British author, Dudley Pope, wrote the 18-volume Ramage series of nautical fiction novels. With its publication Mr. Pope joined C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian as one of the giants of the nautical fiction genre. While companion books have been written for the Forester and O’Brian series, no one has yet written a companion book for Ramage… Until Now! Tom Grundner has created an indispensable guide for the Ramage fan. Written in a light and entertaining style, he provides snapshots of the people, places and events that shaped Nicholas Ramage and his times. It’s a treasure trove of information not only for the Ramage devotee, but for anyone interested in 18th and early 19th century naval warfare. • Do you know the difference between a “long nine” and a carronade; the origin of mayonnaise; or how the French press described their victory at Trafalgar? • Do you know the precise location of “no Where;” the amazing history of the Eddystone Light; or how to make lobscouse? • If you had a duke, an earl, and a baron over for a cold one and to watch the game, do you know who gets the pretzels first? The book that puts the capstone on the Ramage series… The Ramage Companion

SIX WHO DARED outlines the lives of six of the most daring, most outrageous, most endearing soldiers of fortune in history. William Walker: If comfortable careers in law, medicine and the church bore you, perhaps you should consider invading various countries with a handful of men until you can eventually become president of one? Ronald Douglas: Born into wealth, married into even more, Douglas died broke-and as a hero in eighteen countries. James Hardin-Hickey: When you come across an uninhabited island in the Atlantic, why not declare it a kingdom and yourself as it's king-at least until England decides she wants the place. Winston Churchill: What better way for a young man to see action than to become a war correspondent, serve in numerous campaigns, get captured, and stage one of the most daring escapes in history? Philo McGiffin: When you graduate near the bottom of your class at the U.S. Naval Academy and your own country won't even give you a commission, what else is there to do but command a squadron of Chinese battleships and become commandant of their naval academy? Frederick Burnham: Just your basic story of how a city boy from Pasadena, CA grows up to be the the finest scout in Africa, and have more hair-raising adventures than Indiana Jones. "A powerful and original writer." Theodore Roosevelt

This book provides summaries and analyses of more than 250 novels and nearly 30 films and examines the extent to which they accurately reflect the history, mores and manners of the period--and the extent to which they reveal the ideas and attitudes of their authors and of the periods in which they were written. Particular emphasis is placed on the nature and importance of the war at sea for the British and on the role of famous naval officers such as Nelson, Pellew, Duncan, Smith and Cochrane in the defeat of Napoleon.

Taking up where Of Modern Dragons (2007) left off, these essays continue Lennard's investigation of the praxis of serial reading and the best genre fi ction of recent decades, including work by Bill James, Walter Mosley, Lois Mcmaster Bujold, and Ursula K. Le Guin. There are groundbreaking studies of contemporary paranormal romance, and of Hornblower's transition to space, while the fi nal essay deals with the phenomenon and explosive growth of fanfi ction, and with the increasingly empowered status of the reader in a digital world. There is an extensive bibliography of genre and critical work, with eight illustrations.

Me Father was the keeper of the Eddystone light, He married a mermaid one fine night... The Eddystone Rocks are among the most feared and romanticized rock formations in the world. Guarding the approaches to Plymouth, England, over the centuries it has claimed hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors. In 1696 Henry Winstanley tried to build a lighthouse there. It, along with the good Mr. Winstanley. were swept away in the Great Storm of 1703. In 1706 John Lovett commissioned John Rudyerd to began work on a lighthouse to which he could charge a toll to passing ships. Completed in 1709, it burned down. It remained for a scientific instrument maker, and self-proclaimed civil engineer, from Leeds, England to complete the job. With amazing intuitive insight, John Smeaton borrowed his basic design from the shape of an oak tree trunk; and built a lighthouse that would stand for over 120 years. Eventually it became the standard design for almost all lighthouses around the world. It's a compelling story of both the tragedy and the triumph of genius. This work is based on an anonymously published book printed in 1876 by T. Nelson and Sons. It is presented here as a Fireship Press Contemporized Classic.T

"It's a book that just makes you feel good." The Oldest Living Member is known only by that name. He is never described and little is known of his background. Nevertheless, across these 10 stories he sits on the terrace of the Marvis Bay Golf and Country Club offering sage advice about life, love and golf to one and all—often whether you want it or not. More importantly, he tells some of the most hilarious golf stories that have ever been written. These are tales of golf as it was before pros became multi- national corporations, and weekend amateurs couldn't live without $400 titanium drivers. There is an elegance to the writing and an innocence to the stories that makes them curiously addictive. You simply cannot read one without wanting to read the next and the next. • It's great if you are an aspiring golf champion and you decide to marry a girl who already IS a champion. But, you probably should ask "in what sport" before you marry her. • It was a grudge match. Play one hole—sudden death— for the hand of a fair maiden. The only problem is that the hole is 16 miles long. • Ramsden Water's idea of talking to a girl was to perspire and gurgle incoherent sounds. On the golf course, however, he had the force and confidence of a caveman. Who knew that a caveman was just what the prettiest girl in town was looking for?

The daring lives of the men who created the 18th century British Navy and famed the world of 21st century nautical fiction. Millions of readers have thrilled to the high seas adventures of characters such as: Horatio Hornblower, Jack Aubrey and Nicholas Ramage. They are characters in nautical fiction, but their exploits are based on people whose contributions and courage were very real indeed. Could Hornblower have possible been unaware of Rodney’s famous maneuver at the Battle of the Saints? Could Aubrey not have been influenced by Nelson’s technique at the Battle of the Nile? Would Ramage have ever proceeded into a fleet action without the signaling system devised by Howe? Would any of our literary heroes have been unaware of the exploits of Anson, Hawke, Duncan and Keppel? The answer, of course, is no. The great fighting captains of the Napoleonic era¾real and fictional¾were both informed and inspired by the greats that went before them. Presented here are the stories of seven of those great admirals. If you wish to truly understand Hornblower, Aubrey and Ramage, this is the place you must start. (Adapted from Geoffrey Callender's: The Sea Kings of Britain, 1907)

Captain Lord Ramage's honeymoon in France is interrupted by a sudden end to the Peace of Amiens. Finding themselves on unfriendly soil just hours before hostilities commence, Ramage and his bride elude the grasp of Napoleon's secret police.