Douglas Reeman

Douglas Reeman (born October 15, 1924 in Thames Ditton , Surrey , England - † January 23, 2017 ) was a British writer . He became known for his naval war novels , especially the series about Richard Bolitho , which he wrote under the pseudonym Alexander Kent from 1968 to 2005.

Life

Douglas Reeman joined the Navy in 1940 at the beginning of World War II . After the war, in which he fought as a British officer in the Atlantic and Mediterranean , he worked in various professions and began writing in 1958. In 1968 he published his first novel about Richard Bolitho . In 1985 he married Kimberley Jordan.

The Richard Bolitho novels

Richard Bolitho's adventures range from 1772, when he began his naval career as a midshipman , to 1815, when he died as an admiral off the waters of Malta .

The individual novels in the order of the plot:

1. 1975 - The Baptism of Fire: Richard Bolitho - Ensign at Sea (Richard Bolitho - Midshipman)
2. 1978 - Beach wolves: Richard Bolitho's dangerous home leave (Midshipman Bolitho and the Avenger)
3. 2005 - Brotherhood of the Seas: Richard Bolitho in Heavy Waters (Band of Brothers)
4. 1980 - Cannon fodder - Lieutenant Bolitho's coup in Rio (Stand into Danger)
5. 1977 - Torn flags: Lieutenant Richard Bolitho in the Caribbean (In Gallant Company)
6. 1972 - Ready for battle: Captain Richard Bolitho off New Jersey's coast (Sloop of War) Translated by Herwig Schubert, Franckh, Stuttgart 1974, ISBN 3-440-04141-7 .
7. 1972 The Decision: Captain Bolitho Trapped (Sloop of War)
8. 1968 - Fratricidal Battle : Richard Bolitho: Captain in Chains (To Glory we steer)
9. 1973 - The Pirate Lord: Frigate Captain Bolitho in the Java Sea (Command a King's Ship)
10. 1976 - Fever on board: Frigate Captain Bolitho in Polynesia (Passage to Mutiny)
11. 1988 - The King's contraband: Captain Bolitho and the Shadow Brothers (With all Despatch)
12. 1969 - Close combat of the giants: Flag captain Bolitho at the blockade of France (Form Line of Battle!)
13. 1970 - Enemy in Sight: Commander Bolitho's battle in the Atlantic (Enemy in Sight!)
14. 1971 - The Pride of the Fleet: Flag Captain Bolitho off the Barbarian Coast (The Flag Captain)
15. 1974 - One last broadside: Commodore Bolitho in the Eastern Mediterranean (Signal - Close Action!)
16. 1978 - Galleys in the Baltic Sea: Rear Admiral Bolitho off Copenhagen (The Inshore Squadron)
17. 1981 - Admiral Bolitho's legacy: A coup in Biscay (A Tradition of Victory)
18. 1983 - The Brander: Admiral Bolitho fighting for the Caribbean (Success to the Brave)
19. 1986 - Thunder under the horizon: Admiral Bolitho and the Tribunal of Malta (Colors Aloft!)
20. 1987 - The Sailor's Bride: Sir Richard and the Honor of the Bolithos (Honor this Day)
21. 1990 - Walls of wood, men of iron: Admiral Bolitho at the Cape of Decision (The only Victor)
22. 1992 - The Last Reef: Admiral Bolitho - missing from West Africa (Beyond the Reef)
23. 1993 - Dawn over the Sea: Admiral Bolitho in the Indian Ocean (The Darkening Sea)
24. 1995 - For the sake of the fatherland: Admiral Bolitho off the coast of America (For my Country's Freedom)
25. 1996 - Under the George Cross: Admiral Bolitho fighting for Canada (Cross of St. George)
26. 1998 - The last stand: Admiral Bolitho off Malta (Sword of Honor)

The series of novels continues with the following titles about the life of Richard Bolitho's nephew, Adam Bolitho :

1. 1999 - enemy port of Algiers: secret mission for Adam Bolitho (Second to None)
2. 2001 - Hunting Without Mercy: Adam Bolitho's Hunt for the Slavers (Relentless Pursuit)
3. 2003 - Under sail before cannons: Adam Bolitho in the wake of Sir Richard (Man of War)
4. 2007 - Shadow Hunt: Adam Bolitho's Special Mission (Heart of Oak)
5. 2013 - In the name of the king: Adam Bolitho's mission in the Atlantic (In the King's Name) , translated by Wolfram and Helma Schürer, Ullstein, Berlin 2013, ISBN 978-3-548-28156-8 .

The Blackwood saga

The Blackwoods represent a family of officers in the British Marines. The plot ranges from 1850 to 1943.

The individual novels in the order:

1. 1982 - The first ashore, the last back: Captain Blackwood and the Royal Marines (Badge of Glory)
2. 1984 - The Navy's Fist: Captain Blackwood in the Boxer Rebellion (The First to Land)
3. 1993 - In the forefront: OTL Blackwood and the Royal Marines in Flanders (The Horizon)
4. 1999 - Fog over the Sea: Captain Blackwood and Company Lucifer (Dust on the Sea)
5. 2004 - Knife Edge

More naval war novels

In addition to his two book series, Douglas Reeman brought out a separate naval war novel almost every year. (Years correspond to the year of publication in the original, English version)

• 1958 - Schnellbootpatrouille (original title: A Prayer for the Ship ), Roman (= Ullstein-Taschenbuch Nr. 20798: Maritim ), translated by Hans and Hanne Meckel, Ullstein, Berlin 1987 (German first edition), ISBN 3-548-20798-7 .
• 1959 - High Water
• 1960 - Finale with Grenades (Send a Gunboat)
• 1961 - The Net in the Sea (Dive in the Sun)
• 1962 The Hostile Shore
• 1963 - enemy bearing is available! (The Last Raider)
• 1964 - Atlantikwölfe (With Blood and Iron)
• 1965 - HMS Saracen (HMS Saracen)
• 1966 - Island in the Typhoon (Path of the Storm)
• 1967 - The Deep Silence
• 1968 - Gunboat (The Pride and the Anguish)
• 1969 - Mediterranean Partisans (To Risks Unknown)
• 1970 - wreck ahead! (The Greatest Enemy)
• 1972 - Rendezvous - South Atlantic
• 1973 - An emergency in the depths (His Majesty's U-Boat or Go In and Sink!)
• 1974 - The Destroyers
• 1975 - Under the wing of steel (Winged Escort)
• 1976 - We come from the depths (Surface with Daring)
• 1978 - Strike from the Sea
• 1979 - A Ship Must Die
• 1981 - Torpedo is running! (Torpedo Run)
• 1985 - volunteers before! (The Volunteers)
• 1986 - The Iron Pirate (The Iron Pirate)
• 1988 In Danger's Hour
• 1989 - The White Guns
• 1992 - The Submarine Hunters (Killing Ground)
• 1994 - Hong Kong course (Sunset)
• 1996 - Operation Monsun (A Dawn Like Thunder)
• 1997 - Return from the Dead (Battlecruiser)
• 2000 - The Greyhounds of the Fleet (For Valor)
• 2002 - Twelve Seconds to Live
• 2008 - Company "Vigorous" (The Glory Boys)

Web links

• Literature by and about Douglas Reeman in the catalog of the German National Library
• Website of Douglas Reeman (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ebb Tide . ( Memento of the original from January 25, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Kim Reeman's obituary notice on Douglas Reeman's website, accessed January 25, 2017.