Welcome
Thank you for visiting my website; I’ll be happy to explain a little about my work.
Novels in the 'Fighting Sail' series are set at sea during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and have no central character as such. Instead, men from all stations are featured allowing a far more realistic view of life aboard a warship of the period. Such an approach also provides greater tension as some will fall while others survive (and often appear in future books). However, the novels are definitely in a series rather than a serial; an overall storyline does exist although each should also stand alone and so can be read in isolation.
In addition to the Fighting Sail books, I have written two novels set in the same era that concentrate on the private war between smugglers and the revenue men.
The ‘Coastal Forces’ series is a new departure for me; here I am centring on the light, fast but ultimately vulnerable gun and torpedo boats that saw extensive action during World War 2. Most were crewed by an eclectic mixture of regular, volunteer and enlisted men and, again, I have featured characters from every station, including some that are shore based as well as members of the Women’s Royal Naval Service. The first book, Hellfire Corner, focuses on a motor gunboat flotilla based at Dover during 1941.
My books are starting to appear in audio format; the first two being The Torrid Zone, narrated by my son, actor Timothy Bond, and The Scent of Corruption, narrated by Michael Troughton; both are available from Audible. Other titles will follow and I understand Fireship Press are considering the first five Fighting Sail books for audio distribution.
An excerpt from The Patriot's Fate :-
"King could hardly keep himself from smiling. He was dressed in seaman's duck trousers and a plain cotton shirt, doing work that could not by the widest stretch of credibility be called enjoyable; yet, once more, he was a lieutenant in His Majesty’s Navy. More than that, he had been appointed to one of the best frigates the old boy possessed and was serving with men he knew, liked and respected.
They had been hard at it since first light: seven hours with just a brief break for breakfast, and there was a wealth of tasks to finish before any of them slept. But still the feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment was all but overpowering. With every hoy or lighter that came alongside, another important commodity was taken on board, be it beef, spirit, powder or men; and, as the ship settled deeper into the water, a new life seemed to develop within her.
She was coming alive; more than that, due to the input in so many quarters, she was almost being born again. Whatever had been before would be forgotten, and a new HMS Scylla was appearing to start an unspoiled life under a fresh command. And King was part of that process – an important part. With every decision or order a piece of himself was being given to the ship and, in return, a portion of Scylla passed back for him to keep for always."
"Alaric Bond writes with a lively flair, weaving engaging, historically correct events into an entertaining tale cast with true-to-life characters – heroes and villains alike." Quarterdeck Magazine
