Captain Bill Pinkney To Be Honored as “Hero of the Game” by White Sox

In July of last year, we posted about Captain Bill Pinkney‘s induction into the National Sailing Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award as an “Enthusiastic Trend Setter.” Captain Pinkney was the first African American to solo-circumnavigate the world via Cape … Continue reading

For the Holidays or the New Year, the Latest Books from Old Salt Press Authors

Whether as a holiday gift or just great reading for the New Year, check out the latest nautical fiction from Old Salt Press authors Alaric Bond, Joan Druett, Antione Vanner, and Seymour Hamilton. The Seeds of War,  (The Fighting Sail … Continue reading

New From Old Salt Press — Angel’s Share: A Story from the World of The Astreya Trilogy

The second of two wonderful books recently released by Old Salt Press. Today we are spotlighting Angel’s Share: A Story from the World of The Astreya Trilogy by Seymour Hamilton. About the book: Angel, a very old man who once … Continue reading

New From Old Salt Press — Lone Escort by Alaric Bond (The Fighting Sail Series Book 13)

There are two wonderful new books from Old Salt Press. Today we spotlight Lone Escort by Alaric Bond, the thirteenth book of his “Fighting Sail” series.  About the book: The North Atlantic in spring is a perilous place and, with … Continue reading

Quarterdeck, Maritime Literature & Art Review

The Winter 2020 edition of Quarterdeck, hosted by McBooks, is out. If you like nautical fiction, the quarterly e-journal edited by George Jepson is a treasure. The Winter 2020 edition features an interview with Alaric Bond and a review of … Continue reading

Introducing “Britannia’s Mission” by Antione Vanner

A short video introduction by Antione Vanner to his latest historical naval adventure novel, Britannia’s Mission, set in 1883. Vanner’s “Dawlish Chronicles” series of naval adventures are set in the late Victorian era when technological progress was more rapid than at … Continue reading

Eric Jay Dolin’s Black Flags, Blue Waters, the Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates – A Review

What is it about the pirates of the so-called “Golden Age” that holds our attention over the centuries? The period has been romanticized and fictionalized in books, British musicals, Hollywood movies, and cable TV shows. Where do the legend and lore … Continue reading

Archipelago New York — a Modern Day Exploration, Book Talk, June 18th

In 1614, Dutch sailor Adriaen Block explored the over 70 islands of the archipelago between the mouth of the Hudson and Fisher’s Island. Four hundred years later, photographer, videographer, and writer Thomas Halaczinsky, set off on his 30-foot sailboat, on a … Continue reading

Reviews for Evening Gray Morning Red on Pirates and Privateers Blog

My latest novel, Evening Gray Morning Red, has received not one, but two, wonderful reviews on the Pirates and Privateers blog, by Cindy Vallar and Irwin Bryan, respectively.  Excerpts from Cindy Vallar’s review: “Gripping nautical and historical fiction at its best… Spilman deftly brings … Continue reading

The History Behind “Evening Gray Morning Red” — Shiplore NYC January 22nd, Melville Library

If you are in the area next Monday night, January 22nd at 7:30 PM, be sure to stop by the South Street Seaport Museum’s Melville Gallery at 213 Water Street, in lower Manhattan.  I will be presenting “From John Hancock’s … Continue reading

Quarterdeck Review of Evening Grey Morning Red by George Jepson

A review of Evening Gray Morning Red by George Jepson in the Winter 2018 issue of Quarterdeck: Cracking open Evening Gray Morning Red, Rick Spilman’s new novel, I was hooked by the first paragraph, which took me back four decades to … Continue reading

Evening Gray Morning Red on gCaptain’s Best Nautical Books Of 2017 List

I am very pleased and grateful that my new novel, Evening Gray Morning Red, has been selected to be on gCaptain‘s list of the Best Nautical Books Of 2017.   About the novel: In Evening Gray Morning Red a young American … Continue reading

Review: Eric Jay Dolin’s Brilliant Beacons — A History of the American Lighthouse

My review of Eric Jay Dolin’s Brilliant Beacons : A History of the American Lighthouse, originally published in gCaptain. Reposted with permission. Next only perhaps to an anchor, lighthouses are symbols of security and safety. Even with modern electronic navigation, there … Continue reading

Seventeen Fathoms Deep: The Saga of the Submarine S-4 Disaster by Joseph A. Williams — a Review

On the afternoon of December 17th, 1927, the US Navy submarine S-4 was surfacing near Provincetown, MA, when it was run down by US Coast Guard destroyer Pauling, sending the submarine to the bottom. Joseph William’s latest book, “Seventeen Fathoms … Continue reading

Linda Collison’s Water Ghosts — Foreword Reviews’ 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Finalist

Congratulations to Linda Collison! Her novel Water Ghosts is a Foreword Reviews’ 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Finalist.  In our review from last May we wrote: In Linda Collison’s new novel, Water Ghosts, seven troubled teenagers embark on a vintage … Continue reading