Douglas Reeman: Shipping

Douglas Reeman was British author. Explore interesting quotes on shipping.

Douglas Reeman: 80 quotes0 likes

“Routine and discipline. It held the ship together no less securely than copper and tar.”

A Tradition of Victory, Cap 11 "So Little Time"

“No wonder the lookout was amazed. There were deozens of them, some moored in pairs, others, possibly gun-brigs or bombs, anchored separately, a veritable armada of small ships […. ] and there they were, like a phalanx of Roman soldiers on the march, six lines of small vessels under sail. In the bright glare even the pendants and ensigns looked stiff, like lances.”

A Tradition of Victory, Cap 7 "The Secret"

“…on this September morning in 1812, while the Indomitable held her same course under reduced canvas, the ship's small drummers and fifers marched and countermarched up and down the crowded gundeck, the familiar tune Portsmouth Lass lively enough to set a man's foot tapping, or purse his lips in a silent whistle.”

For My Country's Freedom, Cap 17 "And For What?"

“Seven years. It seemed impossible. So much had happened since that time. Friends killed: fine ships lost or battered into hulks in every corner of the world and across the ocean.”

For My Country's Freedom, Cap 9 "The Mark of Satan"

“Always the same picture, the narrow waters of Carrick Roads in Falmouth, the murky hump of Pendennis Castle lying across the starboard bow of the ship flying an admiral's flag: his flag — the knowledge of that had been quite definite, as it so often was in dreams. The squadron had been all around him, ready to weigh, or still shortening their cables. About to leave Falmouth, as he had done so many times.”

For My Country's Freedom, Cap 8 "Dreams"

“How they must hate us, he thought. The dogged, storm-dashed ships which were always there at the break of every day. Waiting to dash in and seize a prize under the enemy's nose, or scurry to rouse the main fleet …”

A Tradition of Victory, Cap 3 "Return of a Veteran"

“‘ Men, Mr Blythe. Ordinary, everyday men — you'd never notice any of them in a street or working in the fields in England right? […] But they are your answer. They are the strength of a ship. So let them not die to no good purpose.’”

For My Country's Freedom, Cap 16 "The Strength of a Ship"

“You wait and you wait, you try to see things through the eyes of the enemy, and when it eventually happens it is all suddenly different. Many people at home believe their sailors fight for Kings and country, to protect their loved ones, and so they do. But when the guns begin to thunder, and the enemy is right there alongside rising above the smoke like the devil's fury, it is John who calls for Bill, one messmate seeking another, as the bonds of sailormen are stronger than symbols beyond their ship.”

A Tradition of Victory, Cap 11 "So Little Time"