Called "the best historical novels ever written" by the New York Times, the books have sold millions of copies. This first full-color illustrated companion to the Aubrey-Maturin series, timed to coincide with the release of the blockbuster Twentieth-Century Fox film adaptation starring Russell Crowe, explains the fascinating physical details of Jack Aubrey's fictional world. An in-depth historical reference, it brings to life the political, cultural, and physical setting of O'Brian's novels. Annotated drawings, paintings, and diagrams reveal the complex parts of a ship and its rigging, weaponry, crew quarters and duties, below-deck conditions, and fighting tactics, while maps illustrate the location featured in each novel.

    But with the very first song they discover their voices are magic and Nessa falls hard when she find’s Andre’s touch is too. There’s only one problem - he’s not human. Andre knew Nessa was his true mate the first night they met. Reintroduced to the human world after years in the wild his communication skills are rusty, fortunately, his music is not. When Nessa helps him write the song of their hearts, they must decide if their love is more than beautiful music. Adrian - Ginny thinks playing keyboards in a garage band is just for fun. But when a talent scout offers her a recording deal, the prospect of fame is too good to resist. There’s only one problem — Ginny just became a werebear and mated to Adrian. Signing the contract means playing on human terms, and that risks exposing what they really are. Adrian can’t believe his good fortune. Moving to Maine led him to his true mate and a music opportunity of his dreams. But Ginny is a new werebear, and the stress of a rock star career is testing her control. He has to decide if the chance of a lifetime is worth endangering an entire kingdom. Aleck - Noel loves her job as talent scout’s assistant. Traveling and searching for the next big star with her boyfriend is the perfect mix of business and pleasure - until they land in Brunswick, Maine. Sent to scope out an underground sensation, Noel meets a Nordic god of a man that rocks her world beyond her wildest dreams, and all she ever wanted is no longer good enough. Aleck lives life behind the scenes. As a talented composer and lyricist, it’s not often he has to deal with more than a few people at a time. But when his brother is thrown into the limelight, fame shines on Aleck too. He’d turn it down in a heartbeat if the deal didn’t include time with the sexy brunette who happens to be his true mate. Now he’ll do anything to convince Noel she’s the one. Aaron - Olivia might have a little problem with control. She maintains a perfect GPA, has a flawless wardrobe and can bend people around her to fit her needs - until she meets the guy that throws her off beat with one glance. When the sexy drummer flashes his crooked smile her way, she comes undone at the seams and struggles to regain order. Fate has other ideas, making Olivia question everything she ever knew. Aaron was drawn to the fiery redhead, Olivia the first time he laid eyes on her. Her good girl appearance didn’t fool him for a minute. One touch of her hand was all it took to make sparks fly between them. But as his polar opposite, she refuses to let her animal out. Jared - Courtney has had a crush on Jared Vachon since they first met. She may have painted a few images of him too; so when she sees him jogging she takes a moment to notice his - ahem - artistic lines. The flash of a gun interrupts her muse and makes her take action to save his life, using a side of herself she didn’t know existed. Once Courtney discovers what lurks within, she’s not so sure she wants it to break free. Jared is in love with Courtney the human and Courtney the bear. But his true mate fears her animal side will ruin everything, except that’s not the real danger…. Jax - Sasha is an assassin with one thing on her mind -- eradicate werebear at all costs. When she's captured and held as a prisoner, she's rescued by Jax Vachon. Her savior wants her for something, and the truth she finds out might be worse than death.

    Special features within the book include: graphic and dramatic battle catalogs relating the stories of the men, ships, and organizations behind history's greatest naval conflicts; spectacular 3D digital artworks following the crucial stages of key battles, step by step; profiles of naval crew - the captain, officers, gunners, quartermaster, surgeon, cooks, and boatswains - exploring their changing roles throughout history; eyewitness accounts recreating the experience of the opposing forces in key battles, whether preparing for conflict, in the heat of battle, or dealing with the aftermath of an engagement; photographic tours revealing the intricate details of surviving or reconstructed warships-from an Ancient Greek trireme to a nuclear-powered submarine; features on weapons and technology highlighting developments in naval warfare, from boarding equipment to sonar, cannons to missiles, and propulsion through steam to nuclear power.

    The North Atlantic. Convoys of supply ships are making their way from America to England, protected by a rapidly assembled fleet of modernised war ships. The Carmerthen, one of the destroyers, is home to seaman Donald Cameron, a nineteen-year old Commission and Warrant candidate at the bottom of the barrel for the taunting sailors. The outmoded warship tests his resolve as he is faced with the tense task of keeping watch for enemy attacks. But in the hubbub of lower deck life it is easy to forget they are sailing in dangerous waters… The ship has been at sea for barely a few weeks when it is severely damaged in a surprise daylight attack. The biting cold, exhaustion and knowledge that the attackers will be back combine to put the men on board in a blood thirsty mood… Despite constant bombardment from prowling Focke-Wulfs and U-boats, the last handful of men manage to remain afloat, restlessly watching and waiting… As they struggle against the freezing conditions, Cameron picks out an U-boat periscope sliding fast towards the waterlogged destroyer. And it is homing in on what appears to be a certain victory… 'In The Line of Fire' is s tense, action-packed thriller that combines authenticity with brilliant story-telling. 'A gripping page-turner.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade-Off.' Philip McCutchan grew up in the naval atmosphere of Portsmouth Dockyard and developed a lifetime's interest in the sea. Military history was an early interest of his, resulting in several fiction books about the British Army and its campaigns, especially in the last 150 years. He served throughout WW II in a variety of ships, including the cruiser Vindictive, the ocean boarding vessel Largs, and the escort carrier Ravager, ending the war as a lieutenant, RNVR. He is also the author of ‘Drums Along the Khyber’. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

    S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey are pale imitations of the deeds of Admiral Lord Thomas Cochrane, one of the most daring and successful real-life heroes the naval world has ever seen. In this fascinating account of his life, Donald Thomas fills in the details of Cochrane's winning exploits against the French navy, actions that earned him the title of "Sea Wolf" from Napoleon. Thomas's meticulous scholarship makes this biography a useful reference, and his vivid narrative, particularly the description of the battle of the Basque Roads in 1809 when Cochrane nearly achieved a victory like Napoleon's at the Nile, gives readers a memorable picture of the valiant sea warrior. The author describes with equal attention to detail Cochrane's political battles, including his vigorous campaign against corruption in the Admiralty and the sensational stock exchange fraud case mounted by his enemies that landed him in prison. But Cochrane fought back with his usual intensity, restoring his reputation and returning to sea in 1818 as a mercenary bound for South America. Once again, with nearly total disregard of danger, the admiral helped liberate Brazil and Chile from colonial rule. He died in 1860, just weeks before his eighty-fifth birthday. Thomas, a prizewinning poet and novelist as well as a noted biographer and University of Wales professor, eloquently demonstrates the rationale of Cochrane's burial as a hero in Westminster Abbey.

    One hundred and fifty British ships, manned by sixty thousand sailors, stand ready for battle in the icy waters…Nicholas Everard, a sub-lieutenant on a destroyer, is going into combat. Little does he know what is in store for himself and his shipmates. How it feels to be in a small ship, racing to launch torpedoes into a line of dreadnoughts’ blazing guns; how it feels to be inside a battleship’s fifteen-inch turrets; or on the bridge of a cruiser under pulverising bombardment.This is battle at sea. How can Everard survive the onslaught? Dramatic, action-packed and meticulously researched, The Blooding of the Guns launches the epic career of Nicholas Everard in this unforgettable series, sure to enthral readers of Douglas Reeman and Philip McCutchan . The Nicholas Everard Naval Thrillers The Blooding of the Guns Sixty Minutes for St. George Patrol to the Golden Horn Storm Force to Narvik Last Lift from Crete All the Drowning Seas A Share of Honour The Torchbearers The Gatecrashers

    Kaiser Wilhelm is said to have “devoured” this book, and it was avidly read by presidents (including both Roosevelts), kings, prime ministers, admirals, and chancellors.Demonstrating through historical examples that the rise and fall of seapower (and of nations) has always been linked with commercial and military command of the seas, Mahan describes successful naval strategies employed in the past—from Greek and Roman times through the Napoleonic wars. Focusing primarily on England’s rise as a sea power in the eighteenth century, the book provides not only an overview of naval tactics, but a lucid exposition of geographical, economic, and social factors governing the maintenance of sea power.Although ships, weapons, and the global balance of power have altered greatly since 1890, the lessons taught here so vividly and compellingly are still applicable today.