About the Author
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Bradley John Tatnell (aka "Bradley John") is an Australian novelist whose ancestry can be traced back to the Norman Conquest in England. His forbears lived mostly in Kent, Hertfordshire and the Isle of Thanet. Some were mariners and some were even of the aristocracy. His direct ancestors arrived in Australia soon after its colonisation in the late 1700's, most of which were proud country folk. James Squire, a notable character in history, who arrived on the first fleet in 1788, was his (sixth) great-grandfather.
Bradley John graduated from the Church of England Grammar School at age 16 and the Queensland University of Technology at age 19. His early life was spent mainly in the arena of law.
Bradley John has a love of all things ancient and historical, including golf, to which he plays with ye old hickory shafted clubs including the original heads from pre-1935. He also studies the ancient art of Korean sword, having attained master level. His love of language, in all its forms, now extends to the pursuit of conquering Hangul, the language of the Korean people.
Bradley John has been privately writing novels since 2003. “Ships of War”, his first publication, births a series of naval adventure fiction intended to span the length of the French Revolutionary Wars. 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…
Historium Press
Publisher of "Ships of War"
"Ships of War" — a Naval Adventure Fiction Series
1782— The American Revolutionary War rages in the Caribbean. With designs upon the island of Jamaica, the French plan their invasion. England’s lucrative trade is at risk, her lifeblood, the entire war hanging in the balance…
Admiral de Grasse readies the French fleet upon Martinique, soon to depart with over sixty ships and forty thousand troops. To the south the British fleet hovers, Admiral Rodney eagerly waiting upon news from his lookout squadrons.
His Britannic Majesty’s Ship Hinchinbrook, twenty-eight gun, is hurriedly recalled from the repair docks to join the scouting efforts. Their duty to spy the French fleet is clear, to be prosecuted at all costs. Headed about Martinique, the seas of the Windward Islands swarm with enemy shipping, shipping which is hunting day and night. Tensions are high.
A young up-and-coming officer, Midshipman Hayden Reginald Cooper, eagerly awaits news of his examination for lieutenant. The spoils of promotion, prizes and glory await, all amidst the threat of hurricane, destruction and worst of all, abject failure. Should the French slip away unnoticed, Jamaica would be lost, the sugar trade would be lost, the Leeward Islands would be lost and the war would be lost. Hinchinbrook may only be one ship and yet upon her decks the fate of the entire West Indies is poised. Much is at stake and never have so many relied upon those so few…
“False Colours” marks the beginning of Hayden Reginald Cooper’s journey and his adventures in the Royal Navy…
1791 — England's cannon remain ever silent as her shipping is ruthlessly preyed upon, a detestable state of affairs, though soon to be remedied...
England is ill prepared, Europe is in turmoil and the French Revolution is readying to sweep across the continent. A tedious uneasy peace poises on a knife's edge. Brittana rules the waves, yet as more and more ships mysteriously vanish, it is rightly thought an act of war. However, England needs more time, or all could be lost.
With war looming, Lieutenant Hayden Reginald Cooper, Royal Navy, awaits in Portsmouth braving a bitter cold winter with half pay, beached in a constant state of penury. With little prospects, little "interest" and no chance of promotion or advancement, he is the perfect choice for the Admiralty: unknown, unimportant and wholly dispensable.
As so it begins, a turbulent action-packed naval adventure within the murky waters preceding war, the French piracy soon to discover the grit of a lowly lieutenant, one who has very little to lose…
reviewS
THE HISTORICAL FICTION COMPANY
"For fans of Patrick O'Brian's books "Master and Commander", historical readers will love the rich vibrant details of this stellar novel...
Bradley John is a rising star in the historical adventure genre."
HFC Reviews (Historical Fiction Company)
Heavily spiced with action… an unbridled and no-holds-barred adventure story that is very much in the illustrious rip-roaring style of the 'Hornblower' books of the great C.S. Forester…
HFC Reviews (Historical Fiction Company)
This is a finely paced story displaying admirable craftsmanship and a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any fan of the period and subject.
1792 — England is on the precipice of war. Louis XVI has been deposed. The continent is in chaos and terror reigns in the streets of France…
Under the resilient watch of Sir Hayden Reginald Cooper, the waters about England are finally emptied of pirates. A lion upon the sea, the Royal Navy's newest captain triumphantly returns from France, though an uneasy harmony barely persists.
England hurriedly prepares for war. Yet the Whigs bicker and squabble, ruinously contriving to seize power. Cooper must crowd all sail upon "Menelaus", or risk being caught in the oncoming squall. Yet within the swelling tempest he shockingly learns of the arrest of his particular friend, Captain Poulain, earmarked for execution. The defection of the Brittany fleet now perilously hangs in the balance.
Matters become dire as Louis XVI is sentenced to be guillotined. France is divided. Cooper calls upon the imprisoned Chevalier Lafayette to join the fray with England — his only way into France and to Poulain. In quest of duty, honour and hopefully victory, not to mention prizes and fortune, Cooper readies his squadron for Toulon.
And so the second instalment of Ships of War weighs anchor! Hold fast for a turbulent action-packed and somewhat cheeky naval adventure, fearlessly thundering within the precarious shadow of war — the Jacobins of France soon to behold the ingenuity, determination and utmost loyalty of their newest foe…
reviewS
HFC Reviews (Historical Fiction Company)
“A written work of art, a novel that celebrates the sea, the history of the British Navy and the derring-do of its men. The battle scenes will be devoured as the pages turn. Bradley John’s writing style is so evocative that the reader will hear the snap of the sails and the bite of salt as Cooper sails forth in defence of King and Country…”
THE HISTORICAL FICTION COMPANY
"Bradley John's undoubted strength lies in the evocative use of language to describe the sea and maritime life, and also characterization – Cooper’s personality leaps from the page, together with a range of secondary characters. The battle scenes are similarly gripping. His approach in weaving the characters’ personal observations together with a description of the action kept this reviewer turning the pages almost compulsively, eager to follow each manoeuvre..."
HFC Reviews (Historical Fiction Company)