Douglas Reeman

Reeman worked between 1924 and 2017 across writer, novelist and chronicler. The registers place that work in historical fiction and thriller. This article rests on 1 catalogued composition, 105 published texts and 16 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

Douglas Reeman studied at Surbiton County Grammar. The recorded working language is English. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are historical fiction and thriller. Works named in the authority record are Richard Bolitho, Midshipman, Band of Brothers and Midshipman Bolitho and the Avenger.

Reeman was born in Thames Ditton, Surrey, son of Charles "Percy" and Ada Reeman. At the beginning of the Second World War he joined the Royal Navy's boys' training establishment HMS Ganges. In 1940 Reeman was appointed Midshipman, at the age of 16. His initial service was in destroyers on convoy duty in the North Atlantic. During this time his ship was sunk and Reeman was injured by exploding depth charges. Later he transferred to Motor Torpedo Boats and was present subsequently at D-Day in a landing craft. It was then that he was injured badly when his landing craft was hit by shellfire. He finished the war in Kiel repairing damage to make the port usable again, with the rank of Lieutenant. After the war, Reeman joined the Metropolitan Police, serving as a beat officer and later in the Criminal investigation department. At the beginning of the Korean War he rejoined the Navy. At the end of the war he joined London County Council as a child welfare officer, but remained a Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve.

Reeman's debut novel, A Prayer for the Ship, was published in 1958. Reeman is most famous for his series of Napoleonic naval stories, the main character of which is Richard Bolitho, and, later, his nephew, Adam Bolitho. Reeman also wrote a series of novels about several generations of the fictional Blackwood family who served in the Royal Marines from the 1850s to the 1980s, and a non-fiction account of his own Second World War experiences, D-Day: A Personal Reminiscence (1984). He used the pseudonym Alexander Kent (the real name of a friend and naval officer who died during the Second World War) for his Bolitho novels and his real name for his other novels and non-fiction.

In addition to being an author, Reeman also taught navigation for yachting and served as a technical advisor for movies.

Reeman was married twice; first to Winifred Melville, and later, after he was widowed, to Canadian author Kimberley Jordan in 1985.

• Title — Original publication — Reference • A Prayer for the Ship — 1958 • Dive in the Sun — 1961 • The Hostile Shore — 1962 • With Blood and Iron — 1964 • HMS Saracen — 1965 • The Pride and the Anguish — 1968 • To Risks Unknown — 1969 • Rendezvous – South Atlantic — 1972 • His Majesty's U-Boat (also named Go in and Sink!) — 1973 — • The Destroyers — 1974 • Winged Escort — 1975 • Surface with Daring — 1976 • Strike from the Sea — 1978 • A Ship Must Die — 1979 • Torpedo Run — 1981 • The Volunteers — 1985 • The Iron Pirate — 1986 • In Danger's Hour — 1988 • The White Guns — 1989 • Killing Ground — 1991 • Sunset — 1994 • A Dawn Like Thunder — 1996 • Battlecruiser — 1997 • For Valour — 2000 • Twelve Seconds to Live — 2002 • The Glory Boys — 2008

aka The Royal Marines Saga • Badge of Glory (1982) (1st in plot sequence) • The First to Land (1984) (2nd) • The Horizon (1993) (3rd) • Dust on the Sea (1999) (4th) • Knife Edge (2004) (5th)

• High Water (1959) • Send a Gunboat (1960) • The Hostile Shore (1962) • The Last Raider (1963) • Path of the Storm (1966) • The Deep Silence (1967) • The Greatest Enemy (1970)

(using the name Alexander Kent) Novels of the series • Internal chronology — Title — Publication date • 01 — Richard Bolitho, Midshipman — (1975) • 02 — Midshipman Bolitho and the 'Avenger' — (1978) • 03 — Band of Brothers — (2005) • 04 — Stand into Danger — (1980) • 05 — In Gallant Company — (1977) • 06 — Sloop of War — (1972) • 07 — To Glory We Steer — (1968) • 08 — Command a King's Ship — (1973) • 09 — Passage To Mutiny — (1976) • 10 — With All Despatch — (1988) • 11 — Form Line of Battle! — (1969) • 12 — Enemy in Sight! — (1970) • 13 — Flag Captain — (1971) • 14 — Signal – Close Action! — (1974) • 15 — The Inshore Squadron — (1977) • 16 — A Tradition of Victory — (1981) • 17 — Success to the Brave — (1983) • 18 — Colours Aloft — (1986) • 19 — Honour This Day — (1987) • 20 — The Only Victor — (1990) • 21 — Beyond The Reef — (1992) • 22 — The Darkening Sea — (1993) • 23 — For My Country's Freedom — (1995) • 24 — Cross of St. George — (1996) • 25 — Sword of Honour — (1998)

n.b. these follow directly the Richard Bolitho novels • Second to None (1999) • Relentless Pursuit (2001) • Man of War (2003) • Heart of Oak (2007) • In the King's Name (2011)