Bøker av Alaric Bond

Set in Hastings, Sussex during the early part of 1803, The Guinea Boat tells the story of two young lads and the diverse paths they take to make a living on the water. Britain is still at an uneasy peace with France, but there is action and intrigue a plenty along the south-east coast. Private fights and family feuds abound; a hot press threatens the livelihoods of many, while the newly re-formed Sea Fencibles begin a careful watch on Bonaparte''s ever growing invasion fleet. And to top it all, free trading has grown to the extent that it is now a major industry, and one barely kept in check by the efforts of the preventive men.

Autumn 1941 and a fierce war rages amid the treacherous waters of the Dover Strait. It is fought by the gun and torpedo boats of Britain's Coastal Forces: fast, frail vessels that do battle against the best of Germany's Kriegsmarine. The crews are mainly volunteers; men plucked from civilian life and new to the maelstrom of brutal combat. Each take a different route to meet such a personal challenge and prove every bit as powerful, and vulnerable, as the craft in which they serve.The gripping naval action in Hellfire Corner is set against a backdrop of war-ravaged Dover, a town reeling from the terrors of nightly air raids and daily artillery bombardment.Authentic detail, tense personal dynamics and tales of individual heroism combine to give a rare and compelling insight into a fascinating aspect of World War Two history.

HMS Mistral has emerged from a major refit with one vital element missing - her captain. But Tom King is many miles away aboard a different warship and facing an apparently unbeatable enemy force. Will he survive to claim his rightful place, or is Mistral destined to sail under another''s command?With graphic naval action, danger from the elements and a major conflict of loyalties, Mistral''s sea trials quickly turn into a testing time for her crew as much as their vessel.

Summer, 1803: the uneasy peace with France is over, and Britain has once more been plunged into the turmoil of war. After a spell on the beach, Sir Richard Banks is appointed to HMS Prometheus, a seventy-four gun line-of-battleship which an eager Admiralty loses no time in ordering to sea. The ship is fresh from a major re-fit, but Banks has spent the last year with his wife and young family: will he prove himself worthy of such a powerful vessel, and can he rely on his officers to support him? With excitement both aboard ship and ashore, gripping sea battles, a daring rescue and intense personal intrigue, The Scent of Corruption is a non-stop nautical thriller in the best traditions of the genre. Number seven in the Fighting Sail series.

Autumn 1803, and Britain remains under the threat of invasion. HMS Prometheus is needed to reinforce Nelson''s squadron blockading the French off Toulon, but a major action has left her severely damaged and the British Fleet outnumbered. Prometheus must be brought back to fighting order without delay, and the work proves more than a simple refit.Barbary pirates, shore batteries and the powerful French Navy are conventional foes, although the men of Prometheus encounter equally dangerous enemies within their own ranks. A story that combines vivid action with sensitive character portrayal. Number eight in the Fighting Sail series.

The South Coast of England, and smuggling is rife...Autumn, 1801. Newly appointed to the local revenue cutter, Commander Griffin is determined to make his mark, and defeat a major gang of smugglers. But the country is still at war with France and it is an unequal struggle; can he depend on support from the local community, or are they yet another enemy for him to fight?With dramatic action on land and at sea, Turn a Blind Eye exposes the private war against the Treasury with gripping fact and fascinating detail.

The Fourth Book in Alaric Bond's Fighting Sail Series Disillusioned by the lack of opportunity in the Royal Navy, Lieutenant King opts for a spell with the Honourable East India Company. But, a trip in an Indiaman is anything but the easy option when his captain is revealed to be an old enemy. With the added perils of privateers, storms, and the might of the French Navy, he finds there is just as much excitement in the merchant service, and wonders why he ever chose to cut and run. "Alaric Bond has stepped into the first rank of writers of historic naval fiction." "Alaric Bond has laid the groundwork for a great series of Age of Fighting Sail novels and I can only hope that the next one comes soon."

How do you maintain discipline on a ship when someone murders your first lieutenant-and a part of you agrees with their action? December 1796. It was a time of unrest and discontent for Britain, made even worse by the war with Revolutionary France and the possibility of imminent invasion. Fresh from the dockyard, HMS Pandora, a 28-gun frigate, is about to set sail to join the Mediterranean Fleet. For Captain Banks the harsh winter weather and threat of a French invasion are not his only problems. He has an untried ship, a tyrant for a First Lieutenant, a crew that contains at least one murderer, and he is about to sail into one of the biggest naval battles in British history-the Battle of Cape St. Vincent. "Alaric Bond has stepped into the first rank of writers of historic naval fiction." The Second Book in the Fighting Sail Series