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| About the Book |
Book Title: Ships of War — Murky Waters
Series: Ships of War
Author: Bradley John
Publication Date: 3rd September 2024
Publisher: Historium Press
Page Length: 460
Genre: Naval Adventure Fiction
1791 — England's cannon remain ever silent as her shipping is ruthlessly preyed upon, a detestable state of affairs, though soon to be remedied...
England is ill prepared, Europe is in turmoil and the French Revolution is readying to sweep across the continent. A tedious uneasy peace poises on a knife's edge. Brittana rules the waves, yet as more and more ships mysteriously vanish, it is rightly thought an act of war. However, England needs more time, or all could be lost.
With war looming, Lieutenant Hayden Reginald Cooper, Royal Navy, awaits in Portsmouth braving a bitter cold winter with half pay, beached in a constant state of penury. With little prospects, little "interest" and no chance of promotion or advancement, he is the perfect choice for the Admiralty: unknown, unimportant and wholly dispensable.
As so it begins, a turbulent action-packed naval adventure within the murky waters preceding war, the French piracy soon to discover the grit of a lowly Lieutenant, one who has very little to lose…
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Author Bio:
Bradley John Tatnell (aka "Bradley John") is an Australian novelist whose ancestry can be traced back to the Norman Conquest in England. His forbears lived mostly in Kent, Hertfordshire and the Isle of Thanet. Some were mariners and some were even of the aristocracy. His direct ancestors arrived in Australia soon after its colonisation in the late 1700's, most of which were proud country folk. James Squire, a notable character in history, who arrived on the first fleet in 1788, was his (sixth) great grandfather.
Bradley John graduated from the Church of England Grammar School at age 16 and the Queensland University of Technology at age 19. His early life was spent mainly in the arena of law.
Bradley John has a love of all things ancient and historical, including golf, to which he plays with ye old hickory shafted clubs including the original heads from pre-1935. He also studies the ancient art of Korean sword, having attained master level. His love of language, in all its forms, now extends to the pursuit of conquering Hangul, the language of the Korean people.
Bradley John has been privately writing novels since 2003. "Ships of War — Murky Waters", his first publication, births a series of naval adventure fiction intended to span the length of the French Revolutionary Wars. This of course is the much loved genre which includes the thundering Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian and the popular "Master and Commander" blockbuster by Peter Weir. Owing to Bradley John's English heritage, no guesses are needed to determine which side the book's heroes will sail upon…
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| Read An Excerpt |
Ships of War — Murky Waters (excerpt)
Bradley John ©
The entire weather deck scrambled, the eyes of each officer steadily fixed upon the looming presence. Indeed from the banks had the fog parted and a great darkened shape emerged. The captain expected the worst, a crazed bull charging from the woods and there they sat, limping, nowhere to go. He at once recognised her, a large brig moving quite briskly, but curiously it was not her bowsprit he first beheld. Rather had she turned, now safely running abreast, which is to say parallel with their heads equally advanced.
'Thank god!' the master's mate cried, an experienced hand who once before had suffered his ship to be rammed. Yet jubilation turned to horrid dread. The whites of his keen eyes widened and a paralysing consternation took hold. A row of cannon bore directly upon them, darkened sentinels protruding the gloom. Afore the ghostly ship one by one the long snouts came to bear, evil slits bulging within the vapour, emerging from the hatches as hounds curiously sniffing their prey. About each barrel the mist haplessly wafted, the heaving snorts of a great herd of wild beast, moreover a bevy of seething demons readying to spark. 'Captain, sir!' he gasped. 'She is a pirate!'
The report came in a rolling wave, one shot sent meticulously after the other. It was a moment in time hopelessly dragged, a deafening myriad of mayhem, a horror truly attesting the madness of men. Into the abyss all spoken word descended, consumed and strangled, forever muffled as man and ship despaired within the relentless fury of many an eight pound shot. The decks trembled, desperately shuddering as the iron passed easily through her timbers. Each fiery shot laid true its waste, eventually stifled within the bowels of her hull. She splintered from fore to aft, chips flying violently amidst the chaos. A terrible confusion reigned, holier than a winter's storm bearing wildly upon a festering sea. Indiscriminately did men fly, hideously plucked from their stations, some thrown directly into the sea whilst others soaked red their dye upon the decks. Amidst their scattered cries the storm all but gathered, fearing never to relent. The thunder ever growled, blazing sparks promoting the might of every thump. With every flash thereafter tallied a horrid boom, attesting to each murderous strike the fury within. Blow after blow continued, felt deep within the hull and the ship rocked forcibly, helpless to stay the undeniable might of each unwanted incursion.
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Thank you so much for hosting Bradley John today, with an intriguing extract from his new novel, Ships of War – Murky Waters.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club