Pointers for newbies?

[higgins]

Hi all!

For the past year or so, I've become a fan of the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell. I loved the TV series before as well, but now that I've read most of the novels, I've become fascinated in both historical novels in general (as opposed to fantasy, what I used to read) and also on the Napoleonic era period as well. So, the next logical steps seem for me:

- Aubrey/Maturin
- Horatio Hornblower
- Richard/Adam Bolitho

However, my sailing knowledge is squat, which I especially felt during the Sharpe's Trafalgar. So, before plunging in, I decided to do some research and I've bough both The Story of Sail: Illustrated With 1000 Scale Drawings and Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men and Organization, 1793-1815 with Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-Of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources being on its way.

Aubrey/Maturin seems to be the most likely to go first as I also own A Sea of Words, Third Edition: A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian.

Am I missing something essential here? Should I cover some other vital areas before plunging in? Any advice in which order to take on those series? Any other historical novel recommendations? Or book recommendations in general?

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Also, the truth be told, before becoming a fan of Sharpe I was about to plunge into the naval subject under the golden age of piracy angle, and doing so, was about to buy some books by David Cordingly, namely Life Among the Pirates: The Romance and the Reality. I mean, both piracy era and the napoleonic era fight by broadsides, so, it can't be THAT different, can it?

I found a thread here that greatly criticised Cordingly and his works. So, what's so bad about him? Maybe he's too generic and repeats other sources for the greatest scholars, but for a newbie like me?

And while we're on Cordingly, what's the difference between his books Seafaring Women: Adventures of Pirate Queens, Female Stowaways, and Sailors' Wives and Heroines and Harlots: Women at Sea in the Great Age of Sail? In truth, googling that difference is how I actually found this site.

Also, can any of you offer opinions of The Sea Rover's Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 1630-1730 and The Buccaneer's Realm: Pirate Life on the Spanish Main, 1674-1688 by Benerson Little?

P.S.
May I suggest that in the "How to register" thread, there should be a suggestion that you email address should end with .com? I tried numerous times with no avail to register with my native .ee email(s) and the forum engine claimed that my email addresses were banned. Luckily, I gave a final shot at registering with my only .com email address, which thankfully worked.

[PMarione]

[higgins]

[PMarione]

The books you mention are certainly a good start specially the Brian Lavery's one.

I recommend NAM Rodger's Wooden World and Atkins' Jack Tar.

If you are interested in "women and the sea", Joan Druett's She Captains is the place to start.

On pirates and buccaneers, the only source available is Exmelin. All the books on pirates are based on it.

For Cordingly you have it right : too generic and repeats other sources.

@+P

[higgins]

Thanks for the recommendations. Especially for Exquemelin, which I'd no heard.

[PMarione]

Exquemelin is in fact the only original source by an actor on the subject. All the other books are a remix.

Joan (besides being a friend) has an historian approach of the subject, original research, quoting sources etc. The subject is the "woman at sea", so the pirate aspect is only a small part of her book. Cordingly is far more superficial.

I haven't read the Little's books.