James L. Nelson (born 1962) is an American historical nautical novelist.

James L. Nelson
Nelson's author photo, used in the Norsemen Saga books
Nelson's author photo, used in the Norsemen Saga books
Born1962 (age 61–62)
Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
OccupationWriter, historian
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical fiction,
nautical fiction,
modern thriller[1]
Years active1997–present
Notable awardsW.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction
SpouseLisa Nelson
ChildrenElizabeth, Nathaniel, Jonathan, Abigail
Website
www.jameslnelson.com

Early life

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Nelson was born in Lewiston, Maine in 1962. He expressed an interest in boats from a young age, building a skipjack in ninth grade and a canoe in eleventh. In 1980, Nelson graduated from Lewiston High School. He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts for two years, and then transferred to UCLA, with the ambition of becoming a film director. After living in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, Nelson found work aboard the Golden Hinde, where he met his future wife Lisa Page.[2] In 1992, Nelson completed his first novel, By Force of Arms.[3] He and Lisa were married the next year. Nelson currently lives in Harpswell, Maine, with Lisa and their four children, Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Jonathan, and Abigail.[4] Nelson continues to write full-time, and has published over twenty-five books, both fiction and nonfiction.

Awards

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Nelson received the W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction from the American Library Association in 2004 for his novel, Glory In The Name: A Novel of the Confederate Navy.[5]

He won the 2009 Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature for George Washington's Secret Navy.[6][7]

Bibliography

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Novels

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  1. By Force of Arms (1997), ISBN 978-0-671-51924-7
  2. The Maddest Idea (1997), ISBN 978-0-671-51925-4
  3. The Continental Risque (1998), ISBN 978-0-671-01381-3
  4. Lords of the Ocean (1999), ISBN 978-0-671-03490-0
  5. All the Brave Fellows (2001), ISBN 978-0-671-03846-5
  1. The Guardship (2000), ISBN 0-380-80452-2.[8] Spanish edition published by Ediciones B as "El vigía" in 2004.
  2. The Blackbirder (2001), ISBN 0-06-000779-6.[9] Spanish edition published by Ediciones B as "El negrero" in 2005.
  3. The Pirate Round (2002), ISBN 0-06-053926-7.[10] Spanish edition published by Ediciones B as "La ronda del pirata" in 2007.
  1. Glory in the Name (2004), ISBN 0-06-095905-3[11]
  2. Thieves of Mercy (2005), ISBN 0-06-019970-9[12][13]
  1. Fin Gall (2013) ISBN 1-481-02869-3
  2. Dubh-Linn (2014) ISBN 1484878930
  3. The Lord of Vik-lo (2015) ISBN 1508699445
  4. Glendalough Fair (2015) ISBN 9780692585450
  5. Night Wolf (2016) ISBN 1534879684
  6. Raider's Wake (2017) ISBN 9780692880265
  7. Loch Garman (2017) ISBN 9780692976708
  8. A Vengeful Wind (2018)[14] ISBN 978-0692169216
  9. Kings and Pawns (2019) ISBN 978-0578515106
  10. The Midgard Serpent (2020) ISBN 978-0578696423

Non-fiction

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  • Reign of Iron: The Story of the First Battling Ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack (2004) OCLC 60410100
  • Benedict Arnold's Navy: the Ragtag Fleet that Lost the Battle of Lake Champlain But Won the American Revolution (2006), ISBN 0-07-146806-4 OCLC 64510314
  • George Washington's Secret Navy: How the American Revolution Went to Sea (2008), ISBN 0-07-149389-1 OCLC 212627064
  • George Washington's Great Gamble: And the Sea Battle That Won the American Revolution (2010), ISBN 0-07-162679-4
  • With Fire and Sword: The Battle of Bunker Hill and the Beginning of the Revolution (2011) ISBN 978-0-312-57644-8[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ "Full Fathom Five".
  2. ^ "James L. Nelson biography". Archived from the original on 2018-09-23. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  3. ^ . ISBN 978-0671519247. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ "James L. Nelson".
  5. ^ http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/2/all_years Boyd Award Recipients List
  6. ^ "Latest NOUS Awards". Naval Order of the United States. Archived from the original on 2017-06-03. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  7. ^ "Previous Morison Book Awards". Naval Order of the United States, New York Commandery. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  8. ^ "NELSON'S HISTORICAL NOVEL WILL LEAVE READERS SHIPSHAPE". Chicago Tribune. 2000-02-04. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  9. ^ "Fiction Review: The Blackbirder by James L. Nelson. Publishers Weekly". Publishersweekly.com. 2001-03-01. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
  10. ^ "THE PIRATE ROUND by James L. Nelson". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  11. ^ "GLORY IN THE NAME by James L. Nelson". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  12. ^ THIEVES OF MERCY | Kirkus Reviews.
  13. ^ "THIEVES OF MERCY by James L. Nelson". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  14. ^ A Vengeful Wind: A Novel of Viking Age Ireland. Fore Topsail Press. 6 August 2018.
  15. ^ WITH FIRE AND SWORD | Kirkus Reviews.
  16. ^ "With Fire and Sword: The Battle of Bunker Hill and the Beginning of the American Revolution by James L. Nelson". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
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