Richard Woodman Knihy

The Lighthouses of Trinity House - by Richard Woodman and Jane Wilson - is a wonderful celebration of the traditional lighthouses of England and Wales which are all administered by Trinity House. Fascinating personal reminiscences of some of Britain's last lighthouse keepers are included, together with individual portraits of all the Trinity House Lighthouses and light vessels in service today.

A young captain Nathaniel Drinkwater is given command of an old Ship, the Virago, to be sent to the Baltic as a bomb vessel. Drinkwater's ambition is to turn it back into a fighting ship, but his plans are thwarted. At the same time, Drinkwater's brother appeals for help in his desperate attempt to escape the gallows. As Sir Hyde Parker's fleet approaches the Danish coast, the Virago joins the battle. Amid gales and ice, Drinkwater strives to save his ship and his brother. It is 1801 and napoleon is reaching supreme power in France and has allied himself with Tsar Paul of Russia. Against this hazardous backdrop, Drinkwater's actions in the complex and bloody battle of Copenhagen are crucial.

Fact and fiction are combined to produce a fascinating recreation of a bygone world at war.*The second omnibus of a successful adventure series featuring Nathaniel Drinkwater. schovat popis

Set against the backdrop of the 1792 French Revolution, Nathaniel Drinkwater returns to the Royal Navy aboard the cutter Kestrel, under the enigmatic command of Madoc Griffiths. As tensions rise, Drinkwater engages in perilous missions along the French coast, including the rescue of émigrés and covert operations involving agents. The narrative explores themes of duty, bravery, and the complexities of loyalty during a time of upheaval.

It is the summer of 1964 during the Far Eastern war euphemistically called ‘Confrontation.’ A British Royal Marine patrol has orders to penetrate Indonesian Borneo to locate a river thought by Allied intelligence to be in use by the Indonesians to build up supplies before launching a major attack on Sarawak. Charged with this mission, Lieutenant Charles Kirton makes a most extraordinary discovery amid the dense mangrove swamps bordering a river in Borneo. What he finds not only enables Kirton to fulfil his mission, but also turns out to be intensely personal and macabre as the truth behind the strange event is revealed. From this highly charged opening sequence, the story flashes back a century to 1867, when young Henry Kirton, second officer of the auxiliary steamship River Tay, is dumped ashore in Singapore, badly injured by a fall from the rigging of his ship. Woodman’s compelling tale has echoes of Joseph Conrad.

The victory at Trafalgar marked the beginning of nine years of domination by the Royal Navy right across the globe and the policy of defending Britain's ever increasing trade, paid for the war effort and struck back at the dominant military power of France. This volume charts the events of those years, including the gradual take-over of the French Caribbean colonies, the elimination of Dutch power in the East Indies and the successful assault on Copenhagen in 1807. The book is one of a major series which describes the great maritime events of the pre-photographic era from contemporary paintings, prints, drawings, charts and plans, based on the incomparable collections of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich

The frozen splendor of the Arctic Ocean and the absorbing drama of a nineteenth century whale hunt unfold in The Corvette. Rewarded by promotion for his services at the Battle of Copenhagen, Commander Drinkwater is dispatched in haste to replace the captain of the MELUSINE, who has been shot in a duel. The ship sails as an escort to a whaling fleet on its annual expedition to the Greenland Sea in pursuit of right whales. During the whale hunt the loss of one of the vessels sets off a chain of misfortune. Disaster, death and treachery result. To repair his ship, Drinkwater seeks shelter off the Greenland coast and finds more hazards than the Arctic alone can produce. It is here that Drinkwater makes the most difficult decision of his career.

In the tradition of C.S. Forester, ex-sailor Richard Woodman brings history to life in a rousing tale of daring deeds and clashing cutlasses. it is the summer of 1804 and Napoleon is massing his vast army for the invasion of England. His powerful Combined Fleet is preparing to meet Admiral Nelson's British Fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar. In the annals of history this battle completely decimated the Combined Fleet, ranking second in destructiveness only to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater, newly appointed commander of the frigate Antigone, is preparing for battle off the French coast, as part of Admiral Nelson's highly effective blockade. As the fleets draw together, Drinkwater is unprepared for the irregular role destiny deals him when he becomes a prisoner of the French and takes the brunt of the British bombardment in the orlop of an enemy ship.

The 10th story in the life of Nathaniel Drinkwater. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, it takes the eponymous hero from the stews of London's dockland to the island of Heligoland on a daring mission to flout Napoleon's Continental System and drive a wedge between him and his ally the Tsar.

1780: Westward to the Carolinas...For a young midshipman on the Cyclops, 1780 would be a journey into the heart of darkness -- into a war being fought by new rules and a wild new world where a new kind of man, a fighter like Nathaniel Drinkwater himself, could prove his mettle, and leave his past behind.

In Paris Bonaparte shakes the world, moving his forces like pieces on a board game. For Lt. Nathaniel Drinkwater, the Frenchman's cunning means leaving the English Channel and sailing to the Red Sea for a duel with France's most notorious secret agent -- and Drinkwater's arch enemy -- Edouard Santhonax....From the fire of ships' cannons to the raging sea at the Cape of Good Hope, the saga of Nathaniel Drinkwater is a tale of combat, courage, and duty played out on the world's great sailing ships.

In the seventh tale of the highly acclaimed Drinkwater series, Captain Drinkwater's frigate, HMS ANTIGONE, is ordered to the Baltic Sea in the Spring of 1807 as Napoleon's grip has begun to reach across Europe to the borders of Holy Russia. As country after country falls under the weight of French domination, Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater is faced with the challenges brought about by military disaster and diplomatic intrigue.On board the ANTIGONE, Drinkwater is threatened by the seething discontent of his crew and the instability of his drunken first lieutenant. Drinkwater's task is to cooperate with his country's allies and intelligence agents. When a coded message is intercepted, his mission suddenly becomes one of extreme personal danger. As the fate of Europe is being decided, Drinkwater must carry out his mission in the face of his old enemy. This final confrontation brings him to the brink of death.

Amid the internationally acrimonious atmosphere of 1811, Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater stumbles upon a bold conspiracy by which the U.S. could defeat the Royal Navy, collapse the British government and utterly destroy the British cause.

The year 1813. As the Grand Army of Napoleon faces defeat on the battlefields of Germany, Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater succeeds Lord Dungarth as head of the Royal Navy's Secret Department. Before long he is caught up in a vast intrigue which leads him into the most desperate mission of his career among the forbidding fjords of Norway. In a compelling narrative the author links the fate of one of Napoleon's most charismatic mashals with American privateers, escaped prisoners, the Danish navy and a violent confrontation set beneath the aurora.

Fact and fiction are combined to produce a fascinating recreation of a bygone world at war.

In this installment of the Drinkwater series, Capt. Nathaniel Drinkwater faces intense challenges, including formidable adversaries and the threat of mutiny. Amidst the turmoil, he encounters a captivating and enigmatic ally who adds complexity to his journey. The narrative promises a blend of action, intrigue, and romance as Drinkwater navigates treacherous waters both literally and figuratively.

During the last four years of the Second World War, the Western Allies secured Russian defenses against Germany by supplying vital food and arms. The plight of those in Murmansk and Archangel who benefited is now well known, but few are aware of the courage, determination and sacrifice of Allied merchant ships, which withstood unremitting U-boat attacks and aerial bombardment to maintain the lifeline to Russia. In the storms, fog and numbing cold of the Arctic, where the sinking of a 10,000 ton freighter was equal to a land battle in terms of destruction, the losses sustained were huge. Told from the perspective of their crews, this is the inspiring story of the long-suffering merchant ships without which Russia would almost certainly have fallen to Nazi Germany.

Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater brings his frigate to the China Coast. A trade war between the East India company, the moguls of Canton and the independent traders rages, and Drinkwater's task becomes complicated. He is forced to take enormous risks with his ship, his crew and his life.

Set in 1814, the narrative unfolds after Napoleon's abdication, marking a pivotal moment in European history. King Louis XVIII returns from exile, escorted by an Allied squadron led by the Duke of Clarence. As the continent emerges from the turmoil of the Great War, it braces for the restoration of legitimate monarchy and the political shifts that accompany this significant transition. The story captures the tensions and hopes of a society on the brink of renewal.

Set in 1811 amid Napoleon's dominance in Europe, Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater is tasked by the Royal Navy to mend relations with the United States. While in the Chesapeake Bay, he uncovers a plot that could lead to the downfall of the British government. Commanding a squadron in the South Atlantic, Drinkwater faces the daunting challenge of confronting American forces, risking his reputation and grappling with the devastating realities of prolonged warfare.

Set against the backdrop of the 1964 Far Eastern conflict, British Royal Marine Lieutenant Charles Kirton uncovers a remarkable secret hidden within the mangrove swamps of Borneo. The narrative unfolds through a series of flashbacks, revealing the complexities of war, the impact of personal choices, and the intertwining of duty and morality. As Kirton navigates the challenges of both the battlefield and his own conscience, the story explores themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the search for truth amidst chaos.

Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater undertakes a daring mission for the Admiralty's Secret Department by advertising a cargo of Russian military supplies. This bold scheme aims to undermine Napoleon's Continental System and provoke tensions with Czar Alexander, who has recently allied with the French Emperor. The narrative promises intrigue and high-stakes diplomacy in a historical context filled with conflict and strategic maneuvering.

The narrative follows Captain John Mackinnon and his ship, the Matthew Flinders, as they embark on a final voyage to Hong Kong, symbolizing the decline of the British merchant fleet. As they navigate through turbulent waters, both literally and metaphorically, the journey is marked by unexpected unrest, highlighting themes of change and the fragility of tradition in a rapidly evolving world.

Set in 1843, the story follows Captain Nathaniel Sir Drinkwater as he embarks on a journey aboard the paddle-steamer Vestal to inspect lighthouses along England's west coast. Recently pulled from retirement, the seasoned officer faces unexpected tragedy that forces him to confront his past, reflecting on his sins, triumphs, and disasters. This introspective journey intertwines personal reckoning with the responsibilities of duty.

From the clash of mighty battleships at Jutland in 1916 to the cold splendor of the present-day Arctic, 'The Darkening Sea' traces the fortunes of the Martin family throughout nearly seventy years of British maritime history. James and John Martin see varied action from service on battle-cruisers in the North Sea during the Great War to cargo-passenger ships on the exploited coast of 1930s China; from the war of corvette vs. U-boats in the North Atlantic to the long slog of Pacific Fleet protection in a WWII destroyer. Along the way, they find love, disillusion and fulfillment. The women in their lives --- sisters, wives and lovers --- also have their own ambitions in an ever-changing world.

From lightning-fast engagements and bloody, smoke-clouded naval battles to survival on the storm-lashed seas, the ongoing saga of Nathaniel Drinkwater is an action-packed journey through the glorious age of the woodhulled sailing warships, when courageous young men fought the balttles that chaged the world.

Wrenched from her peaceful home in Victorian London, Hannah Kemball must accompany her father to China, where her father is about to compete in a long and dangerous sailing race. Hannah discovers that her father has made an extravagant bet about the race's outcome, involving her own future.

Zum Leutnant befördert wird Nat Drinkwater auf dem englischen Kriegskutter Kestrel, einem kleinen Schiff von nur zwölf Kanonen, aber mit gefährlichem Auftrag. Heimlich retten Drinkwater und seine Kutterkorsaren prominente Franzosen über den Kanal, die vor der Revolution fliehen. Und in der Gegenrichtung werden englische Agenten eingeschleust. Höhepunkt des Romans ist die Schlacht bei Kampenduin am 10. Oktober 1797, bei der Kestrel unter Drinkwater eine wichtige Rolle spielt.

1803 kämpfen Kapitän Drinkwater und die Mannschaft der zum Geleitschutz abkommandierten Korvette äMelusineä im eisigen Nordmeer gegen Naturgewalten, aufsässige Walfänger-Kapitäne und französische Kriegsschiffe

William Kites Träume, es als Schiffsherr im Handelsgeschäft mit der amerikanischen Ostküste zu bescheidenem Wohlstand zu bringen, finden ein abruptes Ende. Tyrell, sein Partner vor Ort, wird ein Opfer der Gewaltexzesse in Newport, und die Aufständischen bemächtigen sich ihres Kauffahrers Wentworth. Kite schwört Rache und bricht mit seinem Schoner Spitfire von Liverpool aus auf, um Rebellenführer Rathburne die Wentworth wieder abzujagen ...

Im Auftrag des britischen Marinegeheimdienstes soll Kapitän Drinkwater im Herbst 1809 eine Ladung Waffen über die Ostsee nach Russland schmuggeln.

Kapitän Drinkwater erlebt die blutige Schlacht von Trafalgar im Oktober 1805 als Gefangener an Bord des französischen Flaggschiffs äBucentaureä mit.

Naismith, Kapitän des Versorgungstenders Active, soll nach einer Kollision zweier Frachter die Unglückstelle sichern. Ein U-Boot und ein englisches Kriegsschiff wollen Naismith daran hindern, die seltsame Ladung näher zu untersuchen. Als er gemeinsam mit Susan, seinem zweiten Offizier, entdeckt, daß es sich um deutsches Nervengas handelt, das gegen Aufständische im faschistischen Costa Mayo eingesetzt werden sollte, alarmiert er unter Lebensgefahr die Öffentlichkeit... Ein spannender Thriller, der durch seine Sachkenntnis besticht.

1807 soll Kapitän Drinkwater mit seiner Fregatte im Pazifik den spanischen Handel vor der amerikanischen Westküste sötren und das Vordringen der Russen von Alaska verhindern.