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Close associates of Douglas Reeman, including his wife and literary partner, Kim, recently shared their recollections of his uncommon writing career. Their remarks follow.
Kimberley Reeman Wife and Literary Partner
Douglas’ passion for his work is absolute. This is not just a job, it's not nine to five, it’s 24 hours a day, and it's not something you just do. It’s what you are. It defines you, it’s the essence of yourself, and as a writer myself I understand that. It’s a privilege for me to be handed the raw manuscript, practically smoking from the typewriter, and to work my editorial magic on it. I edit, word process, proofread, and write blurbs, and he trusts me completely to do that; I am an extension of his brain. That's a great honor. And we don't just share our work and our lives. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. He IS my life. Caroline Dawnay Douglas Reeman’s Literary Agent Douglas Reeman is the greatest writer of seafaring novels alive. His prodigious output has never become stale, and he is writing in his eighties novels which continue to demonstrate not only an outstanding knowledge of all aspects of marine warfare – whether in the early nineteenth century with Richard Bolitho or in his novels of the second world war – but also a keen and humane understanding of the way human beings, in their pride and terror, their cruelty and compassion, their humour and their comradeship, diversely comport themselves in times of great danger and constrained circumstances. As an inexperienced agent in my twenties, I was amazed at my own temerity in daring write to him out of the blue, and dearly hoped that the fact that I came from a naval family would encourage him to look kindly on my approach. He did, and I shall always be grateful for his trust in my representation. Our first book together was an Alexander Kent title, A Tradition of Victory, and its publication was a very proud moment for me. Some years later, I went to Toronto as a guest at his wedding to Kim, which was an unforgettable occasion. We have weathered some storms together professionally, he and I, over nearly 30 years, and have always come up smiling. I love his integrity, his loyalty and kindness, and cherish his friendship. Oliver Johnson Douglas Reeman’s Editor, Random House UK
In short, In all this time Douglas has represented continuity, a still rock in the turbulent waters of the British publishing scene. It is interesting that the first novel was published in 1958 by Jarrolds, a company owned by Hutchinson, which is still an imprint of Random House. And even when Douglas left Random House for Heinemann for a decade or more, the wheel turned full circle with Random House’s acquisition of Reed General Books and Heinemann in 2001 and the entire backlist of over 50 books was once more brought back under one roof. It is an honor to be his editor as it is not often someone like myself, now 50, can say that you have a working relationship with a boyhood idol. I still remember the thrill of buying my first Alexander Kent when I was age nine or ten! It takes someone very special to have had the inspiration and stamina and love of their craft to have devoted 50 years to it, and Douglas is that man. Alex Skutt Publisher, McBooks Press When we acquired the rights to the Bolitho novels, I was already a fan of these wonderfully rich naval adventures, and I was astonished that not only were these mainstays of nautical fiction no longer published in the US, but that McBooks Press – a modestly sized independent publisher – was able to successfully secure the American rights to all the books in the large and growing series. Over the last ten years, the Bolitho novels, as well as Douglas's Royal Marine Saga (and several other books published under his real name) have constituted nearly half of our total sales volume. McBooks Press has sold many hundreds of thousands of Douglas's works. Douglas has been the most prolific of the four greatest (in my opinion) nautical fiction writers who have emerged after C.S. Forester wrote the Horatio Hornblower series: Douglas Reeman (aka Alexander Kent), Patrick O’Brian, Dudley Pope, and Julian Stockwin. Every nautical fiction fan has his favorite series, but Douglas's Bolitho books are certainly among the strongest in authenticity, emotion, thrilling battle sequences, and good old-fashioned story telling. It’s hard to believe that another author would have the stamina and the love of writing to duplicate the volume of Douglas’s output – especially the masterful Bolitho series. The whole McBooks Press staff respects and reveres Mr. Reeman, and we appreciate how important he is to our publishing company. We are always struck by the modesty and humility that Douglas always displays when he calls us from his home in England. When we answer the telephone, he inevitably says, “This is Douglas Reeman, one of your authors.” Brian Perman Former Publicist Douglas is the kind of author that publishers dream about. All his books have been bestsellers. I can't think of another writer who has created two genres and made them entirely his own with Douglas Reeman and Alexander Kent. I remember with a smile the first time I visited New Zealand with Douglas. In those distant days, nearly forty years ago, the country shut down on a Sunday. We were staying in a five-star hotel in Aukland but it was impossible to persuade anyone to serve us even a snack. In desperation, we asked the hall porter if he knew anywhere where we could buy a sandwich. There was one place in Aukland we were told, but we would have to see if we could persuade a taxi to take us there. With the address scrawled on slip of paper we tackled a cab driver who agreed to take us, with a slow and deliberate wink. We got into the cab and were quickly driven to Aukland docks where we stopped outside a battered door with red light swinging above it. Hunger made us throw caution to the winds and knock gently on the door. A flap opened and a pair of eyes regarded us suspiciously. “We've been told that we might be able to buy a sandwich here?” To roars of laughter the door opened. "Two gentleman here who want to buy sandwiches!.” We were ushered into a gloomy bar and promptly served our sandwiches. I can think of several famous literary names who would have been very upset by this turn of events, but not Douglas. Without hesitation he sat down and tucked into his sandwiches giving me a slow and deliberate wink. We have laughed about our Sunday in Aukland ever since. |
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