Audio - Books
Available now on Google AudioBooks.
For King or Country
War had been raging between the American Patriots and the British Army since the opening battles of Lexington and Concord on 19 April 1775. The 13 colonies in North America were at war with Great Britain. The Americans (Rebels) demanded independence and the release from the severe restrictions imposed by the British government and the high taxes imposed on the colonies. Major Philip Van Cortlandt and his immediate family are the focus of our story. He came from a wealthy and educated background, with ancestors who were the founding fathers of New York. We examine the pressure and challenging decisions they faced during these turbulent times. Driven by his conscience and circumstances, Philip joined the New Jersey Volunteers who were part of the Loyalists’ Provincial Corps, which fought for the King. Like many other citizens, he fought against his fellow countrymen and cousins. Because of his actions, he lost his home and lands in New Jersey and New York and the right to live in America. Many loyalists of the Crown found their families had become divided, with some never reconciling with their loved ones. Philip, with his wife and many children, had to find a new life in a foreign land. This is his story. ​
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References
Pacific Mystery
Available to purchase at Apple AudioBooks.
A tale of rumour, missing gold and pirates.
This new book sheds light on the unsolved last journey of the Asiatic Prince.
It tells the story of the ship and its journeys and reports on the many rumours that spread worldwide about her disappearance. Was there mutiny on board, or did pirates attack her? What happened to her crew and the bullion she was carrying? There were suggestions of the ship being hit by meteorites and even Aliens taking her.
Author Stephen LeVine said, “I hope the book sheds light on what happened that fateful day in March 1928 and squashes the ridiculous rumours that spread around the world.”
My thanks to all the people who helped me and the various newspaper archives where I found valuable information that helped me with my research.”
A retired marine engineer and relative of one of the engineers on board kindly wrote the book’s foreword.
Available now on Google AudioBooks.
This book relates the nautical history and stories of ships in the 19th and 20th centuries whose only connection is that they all shared the name Eastbourne, a seaside town in Sussex in the south of England. Their stories reveal incidents covering many ports, cities and oceans worldwide, encompassing 1878 through to 1984. Without a port of harbour until the building of a modern marina in 1993, for over 150 years, the town had had the honour of six ships bearing its name, both Royal Navy and merchant navy. The book tells these vessels’ everyday comings and goings across the oceans. We discovered fire, collisions, running aground, and one ship having her propellers removed but staying in service for many more years. These were very diverse vessels, including a fishing trawler, general cargo ships and Royal Navy warships. We follow them carrying on trade in peacetime, WW1 and WW2, with details about D-Day Normandy Landings preparations and shipping convoys, opening a historical window onto the broader events of the time. The book also covers a Royal Navy frigate’s involvement in the fishing dispute with Iceland, known as the Cod Wars of 1958-1973. Over the years, the town was proud these ships carried its name as they crossed the high seas, protecting us in wartime and bringing food and essential goods in often dangerous weather conditions.