Jet Pack Demonstration in New York Harbor From Royal Navy Flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth

During her recent visit to New York to host a two-day Anglo-American defense conference, the Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth was used in a training demonstration in the harbor using jet packs. The BBC reports that the Sussex-based jet … 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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: Alaric Bond’s HMS Prometheus — the Fine Line Between Valor and Recklessness

Originally posted in gCaptain by Rick Spilman. Reposted with permission. In Alaric Bond‘s most recent novel, HMS Prometheus, the eighth of his Fighting Sail series, the Mediterranean is a dangerous place for the Royal Navy. In the autumn of 1803, the … Continue reading

Podcast: “Captain Blackwell’s Prize” by V.E. Ulett

The Fictional Café is publishing three audio excerpts from V.E. Ulett’s Captain Blackwell’s Prize as a podcast.  The first went up last Friday and the will continue for the next two Fridays, followed by an interview with the author on the fourth and … Continue reading

On the Anniversary of the Sinking — A Review of John Broadwater’s USS Monitor

As this is Thursday, which is to say “Throwback Thursday“, as well as the anniversary of the sinking of the USS Monitor, which sank off Cape Hatteras 153 years ago tonight, it seems a good time to repost our review … Continue reading

The Shantyman — Kindle Countdown, Starting at 99 Cents!

To celebrate The Shantyman being chosen as one of the Best Indie Books of 2105 by Kirkus Reviews, we are having an impromptu promotion. Here is how it works — today and tomorrow, The Shantyman will be available in Kindle … Continue reading

The Shantyman – One of Kirkus’ Best Indie Books of the Year 2015

I am extremely pleased to announce that my novel “The Shantyman” has been selected as one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books for 2015.  From the review: With eloquent accuracy, Spilman’s novel captures the life of a 19th-century sailor…. Spilman’s colorful, … Continue reading

Maidentrip — A Documentary of Laura Dekker’s Epic Voyage

I recently watched Maidentrip, a wonderful, award winning documentary by Jillian Schlesinger about 14 year old Laura Dekker‘s almost two year solo circumnavigation on her Jeaneau Gin Fizz ketch, Guppy.  It is a fascinating tale about young sailor’s coming of age … Continue reading

The Shantyman, Quarterdeck Editor’s Choice, Reviewed by George Jepson

Yesterday we posted an interview by George Jepson from the May/June issue of the McBooks Press newsletter “Quarterdeck.”  Here is Jepson’s review of my latest novel “The Shantyman” from the same issue. The Shantyman by Rick Spilman   George Anderson, retired from a … Continue reading