Eldridge Sea Saga

Review of The Pride of Pascagoula

2011-08-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

An excellent review of The Pride of Pascagoula was published in the July edition of All Force Military. USA

Les presents series to his UW fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi

2011-06-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

2011 Appearance Schedule

2011-06-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

June 15: Olympia Chapter, Military Officers Assoc. of America, “The Last Battle Fleets, the Battle of Leyte Gulf.”

June 25: Seattle Pioneer Association, “Confederates on the Northwest Coast.”

July 21: Secretary of State’s History Lunch, State Capitol, “Confederates on the Northwest Coast.”

Oct 2: South Sound Estuary Association Center cruise, 1-4 pm, narration on area explorations, including Wilkes, Vancouver, Puget, McMillan, and Bodega y Quadra.

Civil War Series Makes The Olympian Best Seller List

2010-12-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Fireside Bookstore listed all four novels of the American Civil War at sea by Les Eldridge on their list of best sellers for the week of October 31st after a well-attended author event at their store on Legion Way in Olympia. The series is in stock there as well as at several other independent bookstores in the Northwest and Hawaii and continues to be offered in perfect paper back as well as e-book through Amazon, Kindle and Nook. This is a first for these four novels to appear simultaneously on a bookseller's best seller list.

The Pride of Pascagoula:

2010-10-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

The fourth novel in the Civil War at sea saga was released this week. The Pride of Pascagoula is available through this site and on Also available as e-books on Nook, and
Amazon Kindle.

The Pride of Pascagoula:

2010-10-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

Leeward Coast Press has published Eldridge’s “The Pride of Pascagoula”. Tobias and Rory narrowly escape harm as their respective ships, USS Kearsarge and CSS Alabama, clash in a duel to the death in the waters off Cherbourg, France. Then, Confederate Navy Secretary Stephen Mallory sends Rory and a cadre of Confederate naval officers across the Isthmus of Panama and north to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, to arm a Rebel Raider there. Tobias and Master’s Mate Kekoa Kalama, with their experience in Pacific whaling waters, are in hot pursuit, determined to defend the Union whaling fleet against destruction in the Bering Sea.

Four Dunbrody/StJohn Novels Available

2010-10-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

All four of the Civil War at sea novels featuring Rory Dunbrody, CSN and Tobias St John, USN written by Les Eldridge are available here (the PayPal button on the top right column) through PayPal and on Amazon, Nook and Amazon Kindle.

For information about scheduling an author appearance or if you have difficulty obtaining the books through bookstores or the above referenced sites please contact:

Les Eldridge at: lmeldridge@earthlink.net
or or his publisher Leeward Coast Press at: leewardcoastpress@comcast.net

Please read the following posts for more information on each of the four novels.

American Civil War At Sea Novels

2010-08-15T14:57:00.001-07:00

Read on for information about the novels by author, Les Eldridge, about the maritime Civil War and meet his characters, Rory Dunbrody, CSN and Tobias St.John, USN.

About The Author

2010-07-21T12:13:00.001-07:00

Les Eldridge is the author of four novels in a series on the American Civil War at sea. He also co-authored The Wilkes Expediton, Puget Sound and the Oregon Country, a history. He is a US Army veteran who taught maritime history periodically for 30 years in Washington colleges, and chaired the maritime committee of the Washington State Centennial Committee as well as holding appointments from five Washington State governors and the chief justice of the State Supreme Court.

He began his series after retiring from careers in university administration, elected office, and administrative law. He lives on Puget Sound and the island of O'ahu.

Series: Rory Dunbrody and Tobias St. John

Year

Book

Comment

The Chesapeake Command

Dunbrody and St. John are thrust into armed confrontation with the British over possession of San Juan Island

Gray Raiders, Green Seas

Confrontation on Chesapeake Bay, the Carolina coasts and the high seas

The Wake of the Woonsocket

The Pride of Pascagoula

Tobias, aboard USS Woonsocket, must sort through the conflicting expectations of Mexican President Benito Juarez

The lads return to the Pacific Northwest. Rory commands a rebel raider with Tobias aboard a Union sloop of war in hot pursuit.

Dear Reader

2010-07-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

We are proud to present Les Eldridge's Dunbrody - St. John series, which include: The Chesapeake Command (Leeward Coast Press - 2nd Edition, 2006), Gray Raiders, Green Seas (Leeward Coast Press, 2007), The Wake of the Woonsocket (Leeward Coast Press, 2008) and The Pride of Pascagoula (Leeward Coast Press, 2010). This is a series of the American Civil War at sea.

The Chesapeake Command 2nd Edition Available!

2010-07-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Newly revised with maps, glossary and more!

The Chesapeake Command - 2nd Edition

2010-07-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Chesapeake Command finds shipwreck, Indian raids and the threat of war with Great Britain confronting two U.S. Navy officers, one Irish, one black, in the Pacific Northwest on the eve of the American Civil War. Rory Dunbrody and Tobias St. John, sea officers and best friends, are thrust into armed confrontation with the British over possession of remote San Juan Island. Only deft diplomacy averts a shooting war. Then, these two comrades from the lowest social orders of the day are separated by the advent of civil war. Rory, now a Confederate lieutenant, and Tobias, a Union sailing master, struggle to maintain their friendship as they battle the enemy, and one another, in New Orleans, Chesapeake Bay and on the Carolina coasts.

Gray Raiders, Green Seas Available Here, Now!

2010-07-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

The second book in the Dunbrody - St. John series!

Gray Raiders, Green Seas

2010-07-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

In Gray Raiders, Green Seas,we learn of Rory Dunbrody, Confederate Navy lieutenant born in the South but raised in Ireland; bold, irreverent, his cynicism tempered with humor, and meet his best friend Tobias St. John, a Union sailing master born into slavery in the Caribbean; courageous, contemplative and careful not to expect too much from life. Endure their struggle to keep a friendship intact despite their separation by the Civil War. See these friends from the lowest social orders of the day overcome the disdain and bias of a few fellow officers and build their reputations for courage and resourcefulness. Meet their new shipmate Kekoa Kalama, former whaler and star navigator. Experience a ride with Confederate cavalryman John S. Mosby, a desperate assault on coast fortifications, dangerous espionage, the brilliant capture of a Confederate blockade-runner, a daring rescue of an infantry unit surrounded behind enemy lines and the pivotal 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads. Watch these sea officers face the challenges of storm and the enemy afloat and ashore.

Buy the Dunbrody St.John Series Here!

2010-07-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's a secure PayPal shopping cart!

The Wake of the Woonsocket:

2010-07-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

In the Wake of the Woonsocket, Tobias St John undertakes yet another espionage mission masterminded by Lincoln and his Secret Service Chief, Allen Pinkerton and meets Mexican President Benito Juarez. Together, they confound confederate blockade runners. In the process, Tobias barely escapes death at the hand of his nemesis, blockade runner Bertram Ludlow, off the mouth of the Rio Bravo! Next, Rory Dunbrody and Tobias are thrown together during the greatest race riot in history, as New York Irish and free Blacks clash while the Draft takes effect. They must stage a mock murder to keep the men in their commands alive in the chaos. And speaking of New York, Raphael Semmes in the CSS Alabama opted not to attack its harbor for lack of fuel, and Taylor Wood of the CSS Rappahannock cancelled a raid on the Brooklyn Navy Yard for want of a pilot. Is there no Rebel Navy raider who will rise to the challenge? Rory Dunbrody, now there’s the lad! He assaults New York with explosive results!

Upcoming Appearances - Ashore and Afloat

2010-06-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

September 10, 11, 12, 2010 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.

Author's Tent, plus three talks:

The Secret Voyage, Drake in the Puget Sound and the Inside Passage

Companionable Explorers: Vancouver and Quadra chart the Salish Sea

Wilkes in Puget Sound, The Pig War, and their Civil War Legacies

October 12, 2010 South Sound Sailing Society, Olympia, WA

The Sailor Who Sank Himself - Charles Wilkes

November 5 through 20, 2010 aboard Island Princess, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Punta Arenas, Costa Rica, Panama City, Cartagena, Colombia, Aruba, Ft. Lauderdale. Seven talks from the Oceans of History series, Seldom Told Tales of the Seven Seas:

Panama, Rebel Raiders, and California Gold

From San Blas to the Unknown Sea, Spanish Exploration of the Pacific Coast

The Big Stick: The US Navy, Teddy Roosevelt's Ocean Diplomacy and the Great White Fleet

Japan's Air Strike on the Panama Canal

The Isthmian Route and the Elizabethan Corsair - Drake's raid on Cartagena, and his discovery

of the Panama Isthmus

Death in Nicaragua - The Other Isthmus Crossing

Caribbean Commander, the Young Nelson

Tues Nov 30,7:00 AM, North Thurston Kiwanis. Topic: Confederates in the NW

Tues Nov 30, 9:00 AM, Panorama “JET” Breakfast. Topic: Confederates in the NW

Sat Dec 11, 6:00 PM, Navy League Banquet @ Panorama. Topic: Confederates in the NW

Wed Dec. 8, evening, Whatcom Maritime Assoc. 2 Squalicum Yacht Club. Topic: Charles Wilkes

Mon Dec 13, Noon, Olympia Kiwanis. Topic: Confederates in the NW

2011

Monday, Jan 3, Noon Olympia Rotary at Indian Summer Restaurant, Confederates on the Northwest Coast.

Thur Jan 6, 2:30 - 4:00 PM, Panorama "Learning in Retirement," Topic: Charles Wilkes

Tues May 17, 7:30 PM, Olympia Sail and Power Squadron, @ Olympia Yacht Club. Topic: tbd

Sat May 21, 2:00 pm, Puget Sound Navy Museum, Bremerton, WA. Topic: tbd

June 25, Saturday, Seattle Pioneer Association, topic tbd

Please call Les at 360-754-3711 or 360-701-3213 to schedule an appearance or for more information about the above listed appearances.

All of Les books will be available for sale at these events including: The Chesapeake Command, Gray Raiders, Green Seas, The Wake of the Woonsocket, and The Pride of Pascagoula, and, except for Oct 23 and 30, The Wilkes Expedition, Charles Wilkes and the Oregon Country, a history.

Recent and Notable Appearances:

2010-06-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

South Sound Sailing Society, Topic: Wilkes, Oct 12, 2010

Don & Carol Law’s Home, Author Appearance and Booksigning, Oct 19

Navy Undersea Museum, Topic: Japanese Subs, Oct 23, 2010

Fireside Bookstore, Book Signing, Oct 30, 2010

USS Arizona Memorial: “From the Great White Fleet to Battleship Row, Battleships under Two Roosevelts,” April 2010. (Picture)

USS Bowfin Museum for the Hawaii Civil War Roundtable: “The CSS Shenandoah,” April 2010., Sixty-fifth Commissioning Anniversary, USS Bowfin, “The First Submarine Service and the Defense of Charleston,” 2008.

Wai’anae Branch, Hawaii State Library, “Hawaiian Naval Encounters of the Kamehameha Dynasty,” May 2010.

Main Branch, Hawaii State Library, “The Battle of Leyte Gulf,” for Memorial Day 2010, “Black Jacks, African-American Sailors in Mr. Lincoln’s Navy,” March 29, 2009, as part of the Abraham Lincoln Exhibition, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Other notable appearances:

African-American Civil War Museum, Washington, D.C., 2007

Mariner’s Museum, Newport News, VA, 2007

Navy Undersea Museum, Keyport, WA, 2008

Bicentennial of the US Coast Survey, 2007, Washington State Capital Museum and the Timberland Library and Sequim, WA Museum.

Recent Cruise Lectures:

Dawn Princess, 2009, Sydney to Hawaii (picture – Les as cruise lecturer). Topics: “Australia’s Magnificent Voyagers,” “Faster then a Frigate! Polynesian and Micronesian voyaging canoes,” “The Gentleman German Raiders of WW I,” “The Maori Wars, “The Royal Australian Navy,” “Japan’s Reluctant Admirals, “Drake and the Galleons of Spain.”

Splendour of the Seas, 2009, Eastern Mediterranean. Topics: “Venice’s Marriage to the Adriatic,” “Navarino and the Celebrities’ Revolution for Greek Independence,” “The Great White Fleet.”

Grand Princess, 2009, Eastern Mediterranean. Topics: “Nelson’s Italian Mistresses,” How Napoleon Sank at the Nile,” “Ironclads and Dreadnoughts in Turkish Waters.”

2010-06-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Les as cruise lecturer!

Les at the Arizona Memorial

2010-06-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Newspapers in photo show the headlines on the day after the Pearl Harbor attacks and the end of World War II. The topic of the talk at the Arizona was: From the Great White Fleet to Battleship Row, Battleships Under Two Roosevelts

2010-06-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Books Available in Several Locations

2010-06-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Chesapeake Command, Gray Raiders, Green Seas, and The Wake of the Woonsocket and The Pride of Pascagoula are available at any of this selected list of booksellers , as well as on Amazon:

Kindle (via Amazon)
The Mariners Museum, Newport News, VA
Banksquare Books, Mystic, CN
The African-American Civil War Museum, Washington, D.C.
Fireside Books, Olympia, WA
State Capital Musem, Olympia, WA
Sage Books, Shelton, WA
Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society Gift Shop, Seattle, WA
CuttySark Nautical Antiques, Seattle, WA
Captain's Nautical, SEattle, WA
SeaOcean Book Berth, Seattle, WA,
Santoro's Books, Seattle, WA
Watermark Books, Anacortes, WA
Moonraker Books, Langley, WA
The Evergreen State College Bookstore, Olympia, WA
Port Book and News, Port Angeles, WA

Mostly Books, Gig Harbor, WA

State Capital Museum Gift Shop, Olympia, WA
Bookends of Kailua, Oahu, HI
Hawaii Maritime Center, Honolulu, HI
USS Bowfin Museum Gift Shop, Pearl Harbor, HI
Old Lahaina Book Emporium, Lahaina, Maui, HI

Historical Vignettes along the west coast

2009-01-16T16:47:00.000-08:00

Author and naval historian Les Eldridge offers five historical vignettes in Central American waters with strong connection to life in Puget Sound - a presentation titled “Along the Spanish Main, the Northwest Connections.”

2008-12-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

WA State Historical Society Exec. Dir. David Nicandri interviews Les Eldridge, author of a series of novels on the American Civil War at sea: The Chesapeake Command, Gray Raiders, Green Seas, & The Wake of the Woonsocket, in Tacoma.

Author Reads from "Chesapeake Command"

2008-01-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

Les Eldridge reads from "Chesapeake" readings at the Washington State Capital Museum in Olympia.

Promotional DVD for Dunbrody - St. John Series completed!

2007-09-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Watch this 7 minute video!

More about the Author

2007-05-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Les Eldridge is retired from careers as a college administrator, corporate executive, county commissioner, mediator, and administrative law hearings officer. He has held appointments from five Washington State governors, and from the chief justice of the state supreme court.

Since 1974, he has taught maritime history periodically at The Evergreen State College and South Puget Sound Community College. Eldridge is co-author of The Wilkes Expedition, Puget Sound and the Oregon Country, Washington State Capital Museum, 1987, which Nathaniel Philbrick, in Sea of Glory, called an excellent discussion. Eldridge chaired the maritime committee of the Washington State Centennial Commission. He is a graduate in history of the University of Washington, and an alumnus of Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management. He holds two certificates from the National Judicial College, in administrative law and dispute resolution.

Eldridge holds the National Association of Counties Distinguished Service Award and served for five years on its board of directors. He coached five gold-medal winning boats in the National Women’s Rowing Association championships during the 1960s. He is still active in rowing and tennis.

The Chesapeake Command Broadsides Press, November, 2005, was his first novel, and Gray Raiders, Green Seas continues the Dunbrody - St. John series.

Les Eldridge reads from "Chesapeake" readings at the Washington State Capital Museum in Olympia.

2006-01-18T11:08:00.000-08:00