Reviews

FICTION

Gentlemen Captain (the first of ‘The Journals of Matthew Quinton’, published in August 2009 in the UK by Old Street Publishing and by Rowohlt in Germany)

- 'A sprightly fictionalized account of the fatal cleft in loyalties among seamen following Charles II’s restoration in 1660...Davies, steeped in the language of the era, proceeds to depict the drama with confidence and verve, and he fashions a convincing crew of personalities and types...Along the way, Davies takes every opportunity to feed the reader some British dynastic history, but the writing is natural and well worth the instruction. A delightful tale.' - Kirkus Reviews

- 'The author does a creditable job of dramatizing life in Samuel Pepys's navy, and by the explosive climax, Quinton has developed into a hero worth rooting for and meeting again in further exploits.' - Publishers Weekly

- 'Gentleman Captain is a beautifully written and masterfully told story full of wicked intrigue, gripping suspense, stirring action, deft plot twists, and incredibly rich and compelling characters. It so effortlessly transports the reader to another place and time, you won’t want to put it down until you have reached its thrilling conclusion. J D Davies promises this is just the first volume in the journals of Matthew Quinton. It is a brilliant beginning to what is destined to be a classic series of nautical adventure.' - Eric Jay Dolin, author of Leviathan: A History of Whaling in America

- 'A splendid addition to nautical adventure, and a grand story, to boot!'—Dewey Lambdin, author of the Alan Lewrie series of novels

- 'J D Davies’s depiction of Restoration England and the British navy is impeccable, his characters truly live and breathe, and the plot kept me in suspense. Gentleman Captain is one of the rare books that I have read with a smile on my face from cover to cover. I could not recommend it more.' —Edward Chupack, author of Silver: My Own Tale as Written by Me with a Goodly Amount of Murder

-'A wealth of new historic knowledge was communicated from within a storyline that was a real page turner. The underlying element of mystery made the book’s conclusion unpredictable and each chapter left you eager to know what would happen next... I certainly recommend this one.' - Five star review on Astrodene's historic naval fiction website.

NON-FICTION

Pepys’s Navy: Ships, Men and Warfare, 1649-89 (Seaforth Publishing, 2008; ISBN 1-86176-302-6)

- ‘You will want to give this book to your favourite armchair seadog’ – James Srodes in The Washington Times

- ‘This superb book...not only an impressive technical publication to satisfy the dedicated researcher, it is also a jolly good read for the enthusiast’ – The Nautical Magazine

- ‘[A] magnificent and superbly illustrated volume’ – Professor Eric Grove in Navy News

- 'Outstanding analysis' - The Oxford Times

- 'This great vade mecum...the research embodied in this work is excellent...no student of the late seventeenth century navy can afford to be without this admirable compilation' - Professor David Loades in The Mariner's Mirror

- ‘A book which should be in the bookcase of every student of Royal Naval history...the author deserves huge congratulations for the expertise and knowledge so well recorded in this superb book’ – David Clement in South West Soundings

- ‘Fantastically detailed and comprehensive...an absolute must for anyone with an interest in the sailing navy’ – Janet Dempsey in Who Do You Think You Are? magazine

- ‘Ausgezeichnet... Ein buch, das bei niemanden in Bucherregal fehlen sollte, der sich mit den Schiffen...des 17 Jahrhunderts beschäftigt’ – Thomas Feige in Das Logbuch

Gentlemen and Tarpaulins: The Officers and Men of the Restoration Navy (Oxford University Press, 1991; ISBN 0-19-820263-6)

‘[An] excellent study...a work of real scope and originality...it should be absorbed by anyone who takes an interest in seventeenth century England’ – Professor N A M Rodger in The Times Literary Supplement

 ‘A well written book based on wide research...Davies’ book does much to rehabilitate the Restoration navy’ – Professor Bernard Capp in The Mariner’s Mirror

‘History as it should be written, full of colour, replete with verified evidence, and bringing to vivid life the world of which it treats’ – Lloyd’s List