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I really enjoy reading Dudley Pope's novels, so after searching the net for any sites and finding none, only one choice remained and that was to do it myself. Please feel free to contact me at Jim Stein if you have any suggestions, new pointers, or any information you would like to see here First Issue 9 April 1996 Last Update 22-Jul-2002 Dudley Pope is acknowledged as one of the world's finest sea writers. He is the creator of three well loved fictional seamen, Nicholas Ramage and two Ned Yorkes' one a W.W.II naval officer and the other his forbear set 300 years earlier. He has written naval histories running from Sir Henry Morgan to World War II He has been cruising the Caribbean with his wife on board the 53 Ft. Ramage. The last report I had of him was at the Bitter End Yacht Club a couple of years ago. And more recently of his death, the only information I have is that he died on April 25th 1996. If any more up-to-date information is available please contact me at jim@jimstein.net |
| Having trouble finding Dudley Pope Books? |
| A Nautical dictionary is available. |
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I am putting together a Dudley Pope Companion |
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NAVAL FICTION |
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Books in the Ramage series |
Books in the Yorke series |
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(The Triton Brig US release) |
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Naval History |
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73 North: The Defeat of Hitler's Navy 73 North: The Battle of The Barents Sea |
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At 12 Hr Mr. Byng was Shot |
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The Devil Himself: The mutiny of 1880 |
Buccaneer King |
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Graf Spee: The Life and Death of a Raider /Battle of the River Plate |
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If you would like to submit a review of any of Dudley Pope's books please send them to Jim Stein. I may edit the review but you may retain the copywrite.
Ramage (1965) Third Lieutenant Ramage aboard the frigate "SIBELLA" which is sunk on a mission to rescue refugees from Tuscany. On discovering the Admiralty orders he decides to continue the mission.
'All the verve and expertise of Forester' - Observer
'A rip-roaring naval tale ... Naval historian Dudley Pope has created a red-blooded
fictional hero' - Daily Express
'A grand tale written with panache, glitter and awesome authority' - New York
Times
'A good adventure in the Hornblower tradition ... I thoroughly enjoyed it'
- Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
'If you want sea air don't buy a cruise ticket, buy Ramage' - Yorkshire Post
'A story that has not a single dull moment' - Liverpool Daily Post
Ramage and the Drumbeat
(1968) (Originally published as Drumbeat) Ramage now has command of
the cutter "KATHLEEN". Take part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent with
Captain Nelson. Raiding Party ...
The special orders come direct from Nelson himself, and contains news of a
mission close to young Lieutenant Ramage's heart. In a daring foray, under
the very nose of the French Mediterranean fleet, he is to sail his tiny cutter
close in to the Italian shore - there to rescue a party of stranded aristocrats,
among them the beautiful Marchesa di Volterra, from Napoleon's fast-advancing
army ...
'A stirring tale of adventure' - Evening News
'Dudley Pope knows all about the sea and can get the surge of it into his
writing' - Daily Mirror
First line: "The heat and humidity of a Mediterranean summer made the watermark
in the paper stand out like a fading scar, and traces
of mildew left a tarnished gilt outline round the edges."
Ramage
and the Freebooters (1969) ( Published as The Triton Brig in USA)
Ramage has command of the brig "TRITON" and is involved in the Spithead
Mutiny before sailing to the Caribbean. LIEUTENANT LORD RAMAGE is summoned
to the Admiralty, where the First Lord gives him command of the Triton brig
and three sealed despatches addressed to the admirals off Brest and Cadiz
and in the Caribbean. But the Triton's crew has mutinied; and Ramage sympathises
with some of the mutineer's complaints. But he also knows that failure to
deliver the despatches means he will be a convenient scapegoat for the Admiralty
...
This, the third novel in the 'Ramage' series, is an exciting story which captures
all the mystery and adventure of the Caribbean in Nelson's day.
First line: "As Ramage's carriage rattled along Whitehall he was surprised
to see the long and wide street was almost deserted."
Governor
Ramage RN (1973) Ramage is still in command of the "TRITON".
Dudley Pope's suave and exciting blend of James Bond and Horatio Hornblower
finds himself in a dramatic, swashbuckling adventure, set in the West Indies
against the background of the war with revolutionary France. Lieutenant Lord
Ramage, in command of the Triton brig, is under orders to escort a convoy
across the Caribbean. This is a routine, tedious task - usually. But not for
Ramage, who has to tangle with hurricanes and disguised French privateers
after a very special cargo. He handles these situations creditably, of course,
and in addition he captures an island from the Spanish, discovers buried treasure
and falls in love. But he returns to discover that the evil, obsessed Rear-Admiral
Goddard is having him court-martialled - for cowardice ... 
Ramage's
Prize (1974)
Mail packets are not arriving from England Ramage sets out from Jamaica to find out what's happening before the Navy falls into chaos.
Ramage
and the Guillotine (1975)
France 1801 ...
As Napoleon masses his armies for the Great Invasion, the hard-pressed British
Navy needs to know how many men threaten Britain's shores.
Lieutenant Lord Ramage is chosen to find out, and embarks on a spying mission
which will require all his nerve and resourcefulness, and in which the penalty
for discovery is the guillotine ...
'Ramage is a blazing, individual character in his own right ... his latest
adventure is one of the best.' - Evening News
'Ramage is as buccaneering as ever.' - Sunday Express
First line: "Ramage reached across the breakfast table for the silver bell,
shook it and waited."
Ramage's
Diamond (1976) Captain Ramage in the frigate "JUNO". Blockade
...
Lord Ramage, the navy's youngest and most junior captain, is ordered to set
sail for Diamond Rock, off the West Indian island of Martinique. It is a routine
mission - to blockade the French in Fort Royal - but the Juno, his new command,
is not a routine navy ship. With a crew grown slack and mutinous under its
alcoholic ex-captain, the Juno is in no state when she arrives to take on
the pride of the French fleet. Then a sudden and daring attack by ruthless
French privateers in West Indian waters stretches the new captain and his
untried crew to within an inch of their lives ...
'Expert knowledge of naval history' - Guardian
'An author who really knows the ropes of Nelson's navy' - Observer
First line: "There was a faint smell of oil, turpentine and beeswax in the
shop, and while an assistant scurried off to fetch the owner Ramage glanced
at the sporting guns in the racks round the walls and then at the pairs of
pistols nestling in their mahogany cases which almost covered one end of the
counter."
Ramage's
Mutiny (1977) Captain Ramage now in command of the frigate "CALYPSO".
Mutiny on the Spanish Main
English Harbour, Antigue, is buzzing with the news - of bloody mutiny and
desertion on board one of His Majesty's frigates. Now she is held by the Dons
at Santa Cruz, the notoriously impregnable harbour on the Spanish Main. And
the Admiral considers young Captain Ramage expendable enough to be sent to
rescue her.
To get in past the Spanish guns - and out again - Ramage uses all the sea
cunning that is in his blood. Even when it comes to encouraging his own crew
to 'mutiny' ...
'The excitement never slackens.' - Sunday Times
'Dramatic.' - Daily Telegraph
First line: "The little dockyard at English Harbour was already bustling,
although the sun was only just lifting over the rounded hills to the east."
Ramage
and the Rebels (1978) Captain Ramage still aboard the "CALYPSO"
in the West Indies. Pirates on the Spanish main ... 
Ramage's
Signal (1980) Ramage in command of the "CALYPSO" cruises
the Mediterranean.Sink, burn and destroy ... Napoleon's boast that the Mediterranean
was a French lake seemed true when he blasted the British out and pinned them
down elsewhere. So when the Admiralty send Captain Ramage and the Calypso
on a lone foray into his domain, Napoleon gets a shock. For once there Ramage
quickly spots the Frenchman's jugular - and sets out to cut it.
First line: "On the starboard beam the shoreline just three miles away was
a gleaming band of sand shimmering in the heat."
Ramage
and the Renegades (1981) Ramage and the "CALYPSO" in the
Caribbean. The dangers of peace...
With the Treaty of Amiens signed, Nelson's navy relaxes its
guard. But Captain Ramage, on leave at home, suspects
Napoleon of trickery. Secret Admiralty orders are to survey a small island
off the coast of Brazil, so Ramage sails the Calypso into the island's
only anchorage - and into more danger than the war has ever flung across his
bow...
'An author who really knows Nelson's navy' - Observer
First line: "Ramage lowered the copy of the Morning Post and listened."
Ramage's
Devil (1982)'DERRING-DO AND NAVAL LORE NEATLY BLENDED' - Daily
Mail
Perfidy...
With the Treaty of Amiens signed, and the Calypso about to be paid off, Ramage
and his new bride can at last honeymoon in France as guests of the Count of
Rennes. But then Napoleon - his armies restocked - has all foreigners and
French royalists arrested and sent to Devil's Island, the French prison colony.
Ramage escapes capture, but the danger is enormous as Ramage collects useful
information for the Admiralty and plans a daring rescue...
'Ramage victorious at every turn' - The Times
First line: "They were both lying, propped up by an elbow, on the bristling
carpet of short, coarse grass which was fighting for its life on
top of the cliff, the roots clinging desperately to the thin layer of earth
and finding cracks in the rock beneath."
Ramage's
Trial (1984)Leaving Devil's Island, Ramage puts into Barbados for
food and water. He is dismayed to find a fleet of merchant ships waiting for
a frigate to escort them back to England. He is prepared for the unending,
annoying delays and frustrations of a group of ill-equipped and badly manned
ships. He is prepared for their inability or unwillingness to keep up with
the main body of the convoy. He is not prepared for an incident so bizarre
that he is sent before a full Naval Court Martial when he finally reaches
England.
'An author who really knows Nelson's Navy' - Observer
First line: "Southwick walked slowly across the quarterdeck to where Ramage
stood trying to find some shade from a small awning which, having done so
much service in the Tropics, now comprised more patches than original cloth
and in places was so threadbare from the sun and wind that it provided only
a little more shade than a piece of muslin."
Ramage's
Challenge (1985)The Admiralty have ordered Ramage's return to the
Mediterranean. This time his task is not to pursue the French fleet, but to
rescue a group of influential British prisoners being held hostage by Napoleon.
Admiralty spies think they have discovered where the prisoners are being held
- but Ramage is forced to doubt the accuracy of their information.
And off the unknown, enemy coast of Tuscany, Ramage and the men of the Calypso
face their most hazardous adventure.
First line: "The Atlantic entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar always reminded
Ramage of a gigantic funnel lying on its side, its spout pointing towards
the Mediterranean and forever replenishing the warm inland sea from the cold
ocean."
Ramage
at Trafalgar (1986) Ramage and the "CALYPSO" take part in
the battle of Trafalgar.' Trafalgar revisited, courtesy of Captain Ramage
- Dudley Pope gives the reader a frigate's view of the battle, exact in detail
and a very good read.' - Hammond Innes
Captain Ramage is personally summoned by Admiral Nelson and sent to join Nelson's
fleet off Cadiz where the British are blockading the French and Spanish navies.
At home in Kent, Ramage's young wife Sarah is distraught when the news reaches
her that one of the biggest naval battles the world has ever known - the battle
of Trafalgar - is about to take place. Sarah hopes that Ramage will manage
to avoid the front line of battle. But her hopes are in vain. Fighting for
his country, Ramage soon finds himself struggling to save his own life, as
well as that of his fearless little frigate, Calypso...
'Moves at a fast pace and matches the best of Dudley Pope's extensive writing.'
- Lloyd's List
First line: "The lawyer took out the parchment from his worn leather case,
carefully smoothed it out flat on the table and perched a pair of spectacles
on his bulbous nose."
Ramage
and the Saracens (1988) Ramage and the "CALYPSO" are again
in the Mediterranean off Sicily attacking Barbary pirates
.'All the verve and expertise of Forester' - Observer
When Captain Ramage is ordered to Naples, neither he nor the crew of the frigate
Calypso expect to meet hostile ships in the Mediterranean so soon after the
battle of Trafalgar. Yet hardly have they cleared the Straits of Gibraltar
than they sight two French battleships of the Line.
Arriving eventually in Naples, Ramage reports to Admiral Rudd, expecting to
be given the tedious task of escorting merchantmen. Nothing could be further
from the truth. The mission he is given is one far better suited to his reputation:
he is to sail to Sicily where the Barbary Coast pirates - the Saraceni have
been terrorizing the fishing ports.
'The first and still favourite rival to Hornblower' - Daily Mirror
'Expert knowledge of naval history' - Guardian
First line: "Southwick counted the pieces of salt beef as the cook's mate
lifted them out of the cask, banging each piece before he removed it to shake
off the encrusted salt."
Ramage
and the Dido (1989) Ramage now has command of the 74 "DIDO"
and is again sent to the West Indies. Their Lordships of the Admiralty have
seen fit to make Lord Nicholas Ramage the youngest captain of a ship of the
line since Nelson himself. His new vessel is the most formidable war machine
in the British Navy, carrying enough weight of metal to sink a frigate with
a single broadside, and arms capable of cutting down enemy seamen like a scythe
through
grass.
Accompanied by his faithful old crew, Captain Ramage sets out for the West
Indies. But before he reaches the Caribbean he runs into a storm of trouble.
The Dido is a powerful weapon: if he is to survive his first mission as captain,
he must learn to use her destructive capabilities to the full.
'Ramage and victorious at every turn' - The Times
First line: "Ramage folded the Morning Post and sat back comfortably."
Convoy
(1979) World War II naval action with Lieutenant Yorke. The Admiralty
is trying to discover how German U-Boats evade the Royal Navy escorts to attack
and sink merchant ships from inside convoys. Yorke gets the job of finding
out how they do this. I'll not reveal the mystery so as not to spoil the story.
Decoy,
1983 Yorke rides again to capture a German U-Boat for the new Enigma
coding/decoding machine that the Germans are deploying.
Buccaneer
(1981) Royalist Ned Yorke flees his plantation on Barbados from the Parliamentarian
forces and becomes a buccaneer.
Admiral
(1982)Yorke returns to Jamaica following the death of Oliver Cromwell,
becomes elected as Admiral of the Brethren of the Coast in Tortuga, leads
the ships to Jamaica, and in an effort to forestall a Spanish invasion of
Jamaica, leads highly successful raids on Provencia and Portobello.
The King is back! - and news of his dramatic restoration hits Jamaica like
a hurricane. While the Governor appointed by Cromwell anxiously waits to learn
his fate, he depends for the island's defence on Ned Yorke's buccaneers supplying
him with captured Spanish guns.
And what will be the future of Yorke himself, a Royalist planter turned buccaneer
- and his second-in-command, boisterous Sir Thomas Whetstone?
However, Charles II's return from exile brings no immediate peace to the Spanish
Main, and Yorke and Whetstone find scores more joining them for profitable
raids on the enemy - the most desperate forays yet.
Galleon The restoration of Charles II has restored peace but the West Indies is still a powder keg. Ned Yorke leader of the Buccaneers clashes with the new Governor of Jamaica.
Corsair
(1987) Yorke uncovers evidence of Spanish plans to invade Jamaica,
but cannot convince Governor Luce of the threat until it is at hand. In the
rare instances where the governor seeks assistance of the buccaneers, York
leads reprisal raids against Cuba and the Spanish Main.
The
Black Ship (1988) One of the most brutal episodes in Royal Naval
History, the mutiny aboard the frigate HMS HERMOINE in 1797.
BATTLE
OF THE RIVER PLATE/GRAF SPEE: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A RAIDER, by Dudley
Pope, 1957. Details the naval campaigns and destruction of the German battleship
"Graf Spee" during WWII.
Flag
4 Still looking for a copy of this book.
73
North On New Year's Eve, 1942, four British destroyers fought off
a massive German attack on their convoy in Arctic waters by the pocket battleship
Lutzow, the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and six destroyers. Not one merchant
ship was lost. This is Dudley Pope's account of this heroic action, in which
Captain Sherbrooke of HMS Onslow won the Victoria Cross.
Guns T he development of the gun through sixm centuries. The rich variety of pictorial material in this large-format coffee table volume emphasizes the guns of land, air and sea.
HARRY
MORGAN'S WAY - THE BIOGRAPHY OF SIR HENRY MORGAN 1635-1684 Dudley
Pope reveals the real Henry Morgan, brilliantly capturing the political and
historical events of the seventeenth-century Caribbean, and shows how, without
Morgan's involvement, the course of Jamaica's history would have been very
different. Pope brings together all the thrill of pirate life at sea with
the true story of a remarkable soldier and buccaneer.
England
Expects/Decision at Trafalgar This
is an account of Britain's most significant naval engagement, the battle of
Trafalgar. . It is told through the eyes of the contending British, French,
and Spanish admirals, captains and ratings, often using their own words. As
well as a description of the battle, the book presents a picture of life and
events in Britain and France in the years up to 1805.
The
Great Gamble: Nelson at Copenhagen
An account of Admiral Nelson's victory at Trafalgar offers
details of the epic sea battle.
Life in Nelson's Navy This book provides an invaluable resource for readers of any 18th century naval series. It clearly explains Naval life from the aspects of all involved. The book is well illustrated with concise, and useful diagrams, and is filled with sketches of artefacts from the period it describes. A detailed Bibliography and index make this book a rival to Patrick O'Brian's similar book. For an account of what life was like in Nelson's Navy, your money is as well spent on this book as any other currently available.
Writing from St. Maartens, in the Dutch West Indies, Kay and Dudley Pope tell about a new shell in their collection. Twelve years ago, in Grenada, the Popes found four orange-and-white cones which, "rather dubiously," they called Conus juliae Clench. Now, thanks to Danker Vink's article in Hawaiian Shell News December 1980, they have identified them as C. beddomei Sowerby.
Mark Winthrop
http://winthrop.webjump.com/dpope.html
Jim Steinjim@jimstein.net
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