The story behind the story
What would it be like to live aboard a historic arctic sailing ship? Freelance writer Bruce MacDonald wrote the book about the life and times of North Star of Herschel [...]
This is the summer for Jane Austen festivals; this, the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. I'd love to attend one of these celebratory functions where I imagine [...]
I became interested in the history of hospital ships and shipboard medicine while researching my historical novels, Barbados Bound and Surgeon’s Mate, that take place during Britain’s rise to naval power [...]
According to historian and author J. David Davies, the concept of a hospital ship was well established in 17th century Britain. During the Anglo-Dutch wars most casualties were taken ashore [...]
What happens when a character in your novel gets entangled with a character in someone else's novel -- or with a group of living history interpretors? I've been following the [...]
During the period of time Britain claims to have ruled the seas, women played a role that has been largely overlooked or dismissed by most historians and novelists (except for [...]
As I prepare to take part in the Ships Ahoy! The joys and challenges of writing Nautical Historical Fiction session at the Historical Novel Conference in London, less than three [...]
I get by with a little help from my friends. Thanks to Alaric Bond who sent me a list of sources (Annotated Bibliography ) from a colleague in the National Maritime Society [...]
Acclaimed author and webmaster Midori Snyder is putting together a great list of sources used by the authors of Fireship Press. Over the years I have collected a boat load [...]
...On the fifth day of June we were clear of the treacherous straits, the entire fleet having come through the passage without damage. It was an incredible feat of seamanship [...]