"Frank Wade was born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada in October 1921. He was sent to England to train for the navy in the schoolship HMS Conway in Liverpool and the Dartmouth (Devon) Royal Navy College from 1936 to December 1940. Then in May 1941 he was appointed to the staff of the Commander-in Chief of the Mediterranean fleet, Admiral A.B. Cunningham, doing most secret cipher messages. At this time the navy had evacuated the British army from Greece and Crete with great losses from German bombers- we had no air coverage. Two cruisers were lost with a 1.000 men drowned or killed. Another cruiser was severely damaged with 250 killed. Other smaller ships were also lost. Our desert army had been driven back to the Egyptian border but Tobruk had not been taken. It was under siege for 9 months from April to December 1941 putting more strain on our fleet. Wade was in battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth when the battleship HMS Barham was sunk by U331 on 25 November 1941 with 862 men lost and 495 saved. A strange attack was made on Alexandria Harbour on the night of 15 December 1941 by Italian frog men; severely damaging two battleships. These two ships were given light repairs and sent to the USA for long refits. The cruiser HMS Neptune leading a squadron from Malta to attack an enemy convoy ran into an unknown mine field and was sunk with only one survivor out of 750. The island of Malta located in the middle of the Mediterranean was never taken by the enemy and it played a vital part in winning the naval war. It was under siege for nearly three years from June 1940 to May 1943. Thirty convoys were sent from Gibraltar and Alexandria. These convoys were hard-fought with many of our merchant ships and warships being sunk. One fully loaded merchant ship was needed by the island every month to prevent starvation. Malta was the most bombed place anywhere. The islanders were awarded the George Cross and a special citation awarded by the US president to Buz Buerling, the Canadian air ace who shot down 26 enemy planes over Malta. The Canadian motor torpedo and gun boats fought many sea battles and were awarded bravery medals. The turning point of the Middle East war came when a renewed 8th Army under General Montgomery achieved a stunning land victory at El Alamein 60 miles west of Alexandria on 4th November 1942. Tunis was taken in May 1943 and landings in Sicily took place on the night of 9/10 July 1943 and Messina fell on 14 August.

For the thousands of students who apply every year for one of the four military academies, slogging through the numbing concatenation of decisions preceding a nomination, there is no greater intimidation than the statistically likely event that they will try and fail. Thats an examination into the pithiness of moral fiber important to the USNA, and eulogized by James Stockdale, USNA 46 and Medal of Honor Winner: "The test of character is not 'hanging in there' when you expect a light at the end of the tunnel, but performance of duty and persistence of example when you know that no light is coming. This is the true story of how one All-American kidlike those many that applydid it. She had no idea she could aim so high and succeed so succinctly. Her research into the typical Midshipman uncovered a profile alarmingly like herself. If she dreamt of attending a college where she fit in and attracted kindred souls, this qualified. When you first meet Meaghan, you may wonder, why does she think an Ivy League school will accept her? She doesnt earn straight As or play quarterback on the football teamor center on the volleyball squad. I describe in detail her background, her academic interests, her focus, as well as her struggle to put together a winning admissions package. Along the way, you gain insight into the moral fiber that grounds everything she does and allows her to fight the good fight. The support from family and friends, and decisions she must make that superficially appear impossible for an adolescent, but are in fact achievable for thousands of like-minded teens.

William Joseph Cosens Lancaster was the son of a Royal Navy captain and educated at the Naval College, Greenwhich. Even though he had been at sea since the age of 15, he had to abandon a career in the Royal Navy because of severe myopia which kept him from clearly seeing anything more than a few hundred yards away. Undaunted, he became a marine engineer specializing in harbor design. He also became one of the most prolific writers of nautical fiction of his day. Between 1886 and 1913 he wrote 23 nautically-related novels under the pseudonym of "Harry Collingwood"-a name he derived from his hero Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, Nelson's second in command at Trafalgar. His most commercially successful book was The Pirate Island written in 1884; but Under the Meteor Flag, written the previous year, might be his most action-packed. It is the story of a young midshipman who, like many of Marryat's characters, is trying to make his way in the new and often incomprehensible world of the 18th Century Royal Navy. It is the story of the midshipman that Lancaster never was, but it is written by a man who literally spent his whole life dealing with the sea.

First in the military science fiction series that does “an excellent job of transferring Hornblower to interstellar space. A thoroughly enjoyable read” (David Drake). In the year 2194, seventeen-year-old Nicholas Seafort is assigned to the Hibernia as a lowly midshipman. Destination: the thriving colony of Hope Nation. But when a rescue attempt goes devastatingly wrong, Seafort is thrust into a leadership role he never anticipated. The other officers resent him, but Seafort must handle more dangerous problems, from a corrupted navigation computer to a deadly epidemic. Even Hope Nation has a nasty surprise in store. Seafort might be the crew’s only hope . . . This page-turning science fiction in the vein of Robert Heinlein and Orson Scott Card—with a dash of Horatio Hornblower—marks the captivating debut adventure in Feintuch’s hugely popular Seafort Saga.

A historical novel that tells the story of Septimus Quinn as he becomes a midshipman in the British Navy at age 15, and describes his involvement in the Napoleonic War.

This manual collates authentic period sources including design notes and information for sailors to provide a unique guide to this famous warship. Launched in 1797, USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She is renowned for her actions during the War of 1812 against the Britain, when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships. The battle with HMS Guerriere earned her the nickname 'Old Ironsides' and a longstanding public adoration that has repeatedly saved her from scrapping. She continued to serve as flagship in the Mediterranean and African squadrons, and circled the world in the 1840s. Retired from active service in 1881, Constitution served as a receiving ship until designated a museum ship in 1907. Comprising a series of documents and illustrations that give information on the building of the ship, her wartime service history and life on board ship during the years of her service, this fascinating book tells the story of Old Ironsides

In 'Under the Meteor Flag: Log of a Midshipman during the French Revolutionary War' by Harry Collingwood, readers are taken on a thrilling adventure through the eyes of a young midshipman during the turbulent times of the French Revolutionary War. Collingwood's writing style is vivid and immersive, transporting readers to the high seas and battles of the era. The book is rich in historical detail and naval terminology, making it a valuable read for those interested in naval history and adventure literature of the 19th century. The narrative is filled with action, camaraderie, and the challenges faced by young sailors during wartime. Harry Collingwood's descriptive prose brings the naval battles to life, making the reader feel as if they are on deck alongside the protagonist. Through this engaging tale, Collingwood sheds light on the bravery and sacrifices of those who served in the Royal Navy during this tumultuous period of history. 'Under the Meteor Flag' is a must-read for history enthusiasts and fans of nautical fiction.