Endangered Species

Captain John Mackinnon and his ship, the Matthew Flinders, are embarking on their last voyage. Both endangered species, they symbolize the irreversible, quiet decline of the British merchant fleet. But this journey to Hong Kong will prove to be anything but quiet, with unrest among the crew, a deadly typhoon, and a daring rescue of a boatload of Vietnamese refugees. Mackinnon faces an explosive chain of events that will lead to mutiny, confrontation with authorities, and the greatest challenge of his career.

Captain Richard Martin Woodman retired in 1997 from a 37-year nautical career. Woodman’s Nathaniel Drinkwater series is often compared to the work of the late Patrick O’Brian. Woodman is the author of some two dozen nautical novels, as well as several nonfiction books. Unlike many other modern naval historical novelists, such as C.S. Forester or O’Brian, he has served afloat. He went to sea at the age of sixteen as an indentured midshipman and spent eleven years in command. His experience ranges from cargo-liners to ocean weather ships and specialist support vessels to yachts, square-riggers, and trawlers. Said Lloyd’s List of his work: ＂As always, Richard Woodman’s story is closely based on actual historical events. All this we have come to expect--and he adds that special ambience of colourful credibility which makes his nautical novels such rattling good reads.＂