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SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

YARDE BOOK REVIEWS — 5 STARS
"A powerful and compelling tale, beautifully anchored in its period and unafraid to explore the darker currents of command and conscience—this is a story that deserves to be read, remembered and recommended..." Mary Anne Yarde

SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

YARDE BOOK REVIEWS — 5 STARS
"A powerful and compelling tale, beautifully anchored in its period and unafraid to explore the darker currents of command and conscience—this is a story that deserves to be read, remembered and recommended..." Mary Anne Yarde

SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

SHIPS OF WAR SERIESSHIPS OF WAR—1782—FALSE COLOURS

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST
"A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..."

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ABOUT THE SHIPS OF WAR SERIES

"Ships of War" commences in 1782 at the end of the American Revolutionary War. However, it is predominantly a naval adventure fiction series intended to span the length of the French Revolutionary Wars (1793-1815). This of course is the much loved genre which includes the thundering Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian and the popular "Master and Commander" blockbuster by Peter Weir. Owing to Bradley John's English heritage, no guesses are needed to determine which side the book's heroes will sail upon…

The Ships of War series centres around the adventures of Hayden Reginald Cooper, an officer in the Royal Navy. We firstly join Cooper in “Ships of War—1782—False Colours”, set in the West Indies within the turmoil of the American Revolutionary War. Dark times forebode, England’s sugar...

Reviews

YARDE BOOK REVIEWS

"Ships of War—1782—False Colours by Bradley John is a powerful and compelling tale, beautifully anchored in its period and unafraid to explore the darker currents of command and conscience—this is a story that deserves to be read, remembered, and recommended..." Mary Anne Yarde (5 Stars)

YARDE BOOK REVIEWS

"Bradley John’s command of atmosphere is exceptional; every line feels steeped in salt spray and expectation. The sea itself becomes a living, breathing presence—both companion and adversary—shaping the men who serve upon it. With deft prose and an unwavering eye for historical nuance, Bradley John invites readers into a world governed by wind, weather, and the uncompromising discipline of naval life. This is storytelling that honours the age of sail whilst delivering a narrative experience that feels breathtakingly real. ..." Mary Anne Yarde (5 Stars)

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS (Historical Fiction Company)

"So persuasive is Bradley John’s conjuring that the ordinary world, with its quiet comforts and landlocked certainties, falls away; one steps instead into that floating realm where men are tested against wind, against cannon, against the shadowed chambers of their own hearts..." (5 Stars and Semi-Finalist)

2025 HFC BOOK AWARDS (Historical Fiction Company)

"Bradley John has fashioned more than a tale of war at sea; he has given us a meditation on duty, courage, and the fragile rebellion of the soul when pressed too far. The book lingers long after its final page, like the aftertaste of salt on the lips or the memory of a lantern’s glow in the dark belly of a ship. A story to be read. A story to be felt. A story that returns, again and again, like the sea itself—unyielding, haunting, and magnificently alive..." (5 Stars and Semi-Finalist)