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Portsmouth Point—or “Spice Island,” as it was informally called—has always been associated with British naval history. In this classic work, the Point serves as the backdrop for British naval historian and author C. Northcote Parkinson's chronicle of life in His Majesty's Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) and the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815). The captivating stories, while semi-fictitious, use excerpts from the writings of men who personally served in the British Navy during these periods, and each entry covers a distinct aspect of everyday life aboard England's “wooden walls,” from the daily lives of Jack Tars and ships'officers to the complexities of rigging to the barbarity of naval warfare. Originally published in 1949, Parkinson's collection is an illuminating companion perfect for those who enjoy naval history and fiction, including Patrick O'Brian, Alexander Kent, and Parkinson's own Richard Delancey novels.

Documents ten case studies that expertly explore aspects of business organization ranging from staff accumulation to cocktail party behavior. Includes plenty of humor. A classic of its kind.

Many know of Horatio Hornblower's exploits during the Napoleonic Wars through the novels of C.S. Forester, but how many know the true Hornblower – the man who rose from midshipman to admiral of the British Fleet? Using Hornblower family papers discovered in the 1970s, C. Northcote Parkinson has set the record straight in this authoritative biography. Drawn from the Hornblower series as well as from Parkinson's knowledge of the Royal Navy, this account of the popular fictional hero is as entertaining as the C.S. Forester novels themselves.

First Published in 1966.This volume adds to maritime history with information on trade in the Eastern Seas from 1793 to 1813. It is a description of conditions not a narrative of events.

In this final book in the Richard Delancey series, Captain Richard Delancey heads for the East Indies on the 32-gun frigate Laura to take part in the capture of the Cape of Good Hope. His ingenious tactics gain the attention of his superiors, who recruit him for a high-stakes mission: to seek out and destroy the French privateer Subtile.

With his Royal Navy commission in hand, Richard Delancey is posted to Gibraltar to command the sloop Merlin for convoy protection in the Mediterranean. Overcoming problems with his crew, Delancey quickly proves his mettle during the siege of Valletta and during the battle at Cadiz.

Richard Delancey is soon called into action once more, as Britain prepares for the threat of a new French assault. Disturbing rumors are circulating about Napoleon's new weapons of war: vessels driven by steam-engines, new explosive devices, and, most troubling of all, a French secret weapon named Nautilus, which can travel underwater and attach explosive devices below the waterline. It will take all of Delancey's skill and courage to confront the threats.

Having obtained a position on the Glatton, Richard Delancey is soon to see action in the Battle of Camperdown. But the Nore and Spithead mutinies intervene to upset the course of his career. He devises an original legal defense in the court martial of a fellow officer accused of murder, and acquits himself well, but falls afoul of the naval establishment and is passed over in the general promotion of all in his rank.

Richard Delancey, inadvertently embroiled in Liverpool labor riots, sidesteps punishment by'volunteering'for the Navy. Ranked as a midshipman, he is no sooner aboard than his ship sails for the port of New York. But when the events of the American Revolution and the ongoing hostilities between England and France send him back across the sea, Delancey finds himself instrumental in defending the Isle of Jersey and, later, the Rock of Gibraltar.

Ranked as a lieutenant despite his undistinguished naval career, Richard Delancey lands a special secret mission, thanks to his command of French. To his chagrin, the mission goes awry. But casting about for fresh opportunity, Delancey becomes involved in customs collection on the Isle of Wight and thwarting the high-stakes activities of smugglers.