FREE 2009 Historical Fiction Catalog PDF

McBooks Press Historical Fiction & Nonfiction Catalog

Our 2009 PDF Catalog is ready for you to download! It contains the best historical fiction books — nautical and military — that we sell to individuals. These include all McBooks Press publications in these categories, as well as hard-to-find and imported books from other publishers. Browse through expanded choices including exciting westerns, spine-tingling 20th-century spy novels, historical mysteries, and riveting naval nonfiction. To give you faster shipping and less chance of back-orders, McBooks has developed a new shipping procedure employing four satellite warehouses. More frequently, your order may arrive at your home in two or more boxes, but it will often arrive quicker—and with the same low shipping charges as always. Right now the dollar is stronger against the British pound, that means we’re cutting our prices on many books from our extensive collection of U.K. imports and passing the savings on to you!

Publishers Weekly Review War of Knives

Publishers Weekly Review: The War of Knives by Broos Campbell
"In this entertaining sequel to No Quarter, the debut installment of Campbell's Matty Graves series of historical novels, the intrepid nautical hero, newly promoted to acting lieutenant aboard the navy schooner Rattle-Snake, finds himself out of his depth on terra firma . . . Campbell constructs an elaborate swashbuckling tale that will appeal especially to fans of high historical adventure." Will be available April 20th. read the review

Alexander Kent: new novel Heart of Oak

Onward - by Kim Reeman
An interview with Heart of Oak author Alexander Kent (pseudonym of Douglas Reeman).

Q: Douglas, you went back to the distant past to write Band of Brothers. Was it difficult to leap forward from that time back into Adam Bolitho’s life for Heart of Oak?

A: No, because I was reminded a lot of the big part the midshipmen play as I was writing Heart of Oak. So much of the action takes place on the ship, and you get to know the people so well. We have Adam’s midshipman, Napier, whom he’s sponsored, and his friends. It seemed a natural transition. read the interview | buy this book

Radio: Letters from author John Biggins

Found: The Real John Biggins!

As broadcast on Tony Miksak's Words on Books, KZYX radio: "Who could forget these great historical novels by John Biggins and his amusingly intelligent hero Otto Prohaska, Future Hero of the Habsburg Empire? . . . How COULD a contemporary author, writing a series of spectacularly well-reviewed historical novels published in two countries to great acclaim, disappear so completely that not even Google can find him?" see article | books by John Biggins

Julian Stockwin Video Tenacious

Julian Stockwin discusses his new nautical fiction book Tenacious, the sixth book in The Kydd Series about the Royal British Navy. This adventure novel is set in the great age of fighting sail during the eighteenth century. It is a rousing tale of courage and fighting skill, as Thomas Kydd joins the forces of Admiral Horatio Nelson. see details | buy this book

Kydd Sea Adventures Newsletter

The Bosun’s Chronicle brings the latest news and views about Thomas Kydd and his creator - Julian Stockwin. This free e-mail newsletter contains contests, book reviews, information on the great age of fighting sail and tales from other Shipmates about their own adventures. Each month there is a special Lucky Draw - one new subscriber will win a signed paperback of the first book in the series, Kydd.

The Kydd series follows the adventures of Thomas Paine Kydd, former wig-maker, pressed into the Royal Navy as a seaman in 1793. There he learns the ways of the sea and meets the philosophical Renzi, an upper-class scion with his own reasons for serving in the lower-deck of a man-o-war. Together, Kydd and Renzi sail the world, facing mutinies, shipwrecks and the uncertainties of a sailor's life—and their bravery and resourcefulness bring them unexpected rewards. Free newsletter | Kydd books

Bernard Cornwell Receives Award

United Kingdom: Her Majesty The Queen has awarded Bernard Cornwell, noted author, an OBE (Officer, Order of the British Empire) in recognition of his contributions to literature and the furtherance of British culture abroad. Mr. Cornwell is an internationally renowned author of historical novels. His Sharpe series of books have been entertaining readers since 1980 when the first installment, Sharpe’s Eagle, was published. Ever since, the series has showcased British exploits in the Napoleonic Wars to audiences around the world through the lens of Cornwell’s hero. The series was televised and, in the US, the series also ran on Masterpiece Theatre.

Britain’s Consul General to Boston, John Rankin, said, “I was delighted to hear that Her Majesty The Queen had given the award to Mr. Cornwell in her Birthday Honours List. Bernard Cornwell’s words have not only entertained millions of readers but have also brought key aspects of British history to modern-day audiences”.

Bernard Cornwell was born in London in 1944. He was raised in Essex, graduated from London University in 1966. Mr. Cornwell will travel to London later this year to receive the honour from Her Majesty The Queen at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. see books by Bernard Cornwell

Review: No Quarter By Broos Campbell

Christine Sanderson, Voice of Youth Advocates magazine: In 1799, seventeen-year-old Matty Graves, a midshipman in the United States Navy, began service aboard the Rattle-Snake, a schooner under the command of Lieutenant William Trimble, Matty's cousin Billy. During this time, U.S. ships were engaged in unofficial battles with France, a former ally, for control of the Caribbean. When the Rattle-Snake encounters barges of "picaroons," or French pirates, Billy wants to surrender the ship rather than fight. "We cannot fight. . . . If we do, they will kill us all." Lieutenant Peter Wickett, second in command, takes control, successfully fighting the battle. Realizing that Billy, impaired by heavy drinking, is not a fit captain, Matty is forced to choose between family and his ship. "Billy had steered his own course, but by God I wish he hadn't enlisted me for his crew." He aligns himself with Wickett, advancing his career while sealing his cousin's fate. Campbell's novel, the first in a series of Matty Graves novels, is a work of nautical fiction, offering a detailed account of life on a ship during the Navy's infancy. Descriptions of the ships, the living conditions, and the battles make the setting come alive. Historically accurate, this adventure story could be read in an American history class. Perhaps its biggest drawback is that students unfamiliar with nautical terms will have difficulty understanding some of the language. The plot is engaging, and with a little help, most students, particularly boys in junior and senior high school, would enjoy it. see details | buy this book

History Channel: True Caribbean Pirates

Profiles female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, with commentary by James L. Nelson, author of The Only Life That Mattered.

Pirates, before Hollywood came calling. Men with names such as Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Black Bart pillaged and plundered ships and seaport towns, offering violent retribution to those who resisted and seizing fortunes at will. Viewers get to know the real characters, fight the battles they fought, watch nations rise up to stop them, and separate fact from fiction.

Sunday, July 9th, 2006 at 8pm/7c
Click Below For Video Preview:

Review: The Only Life That Mattered by James L Nelson

Reviewed by Cindy Vallar
...Nelson’s knowledge of pirates combined with his experience as a sailor provide a credible and enthralling glimpse into pirate life during the Golden Age of Piracy. Although readers know the outcome before they open the book, Nelson’s masterful storytelling compels them to read until the last page to find the nuances and surprises that make this an unforgettable and alluring tale of piracy and women who choose to follow a path different than the one society contrives... read the review | buy this book