Order of Book Series
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Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent Books in Order

Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent has written 69 books, published between 1958 and 2011. The first book is A Prayer for the Ship (1958) and the newest is In the King's Name (2011). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
69
Published
1958–2011
Pages on record
16,961 in 54 of 69 books
Reading time
283–424 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 16,961 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 54 of 69 titles with a page count on record.

See all 69 books in order Printable Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent checklist

Douglas Reeman wrote naval fiction under his own name and as Alexander Kent. Richard Bolitho heads one series and the Blackwood Family books form a second. The catalogue lists 69 titles published between 1958 and 2011, from A Prayer for the Ship (1958) to In the King's Name (2011). Sea stories, the Royal Navy, the Second World War and the Napoleonic wars run through the subjects. The books are long, at a median 320 pages, and output peaked in the 1970s.

How many Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books are there?

Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent has 69 books, released between 1958 and 2011. They include 2 series and 34 titles listed outside any series.

Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 69 Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of A Prayer for the Ship by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent (1958)
  2. Cover of High Water by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent (1959)
  3. Cover of Send a Gunboat by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent (1960)
  4. Cover of The Hostile Shore by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent (1962)
  5. Cover of The Last Raider by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent (1963)
  6. Cover of H.M.S Saracen by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent (1965)
  7. Cover of With Blood and Iron by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent (1965)
  8. Cover of Deep Silence by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent (1967)
  9. Cover of To Glory We Steer by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 1 of the Richard Bolitho series (1968)
  10. Cover of Form Line of Battle by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 2 of the Richard Bolitho series (1969)
  11. Cover of Enemy in Sight! by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 3 of the Richard Bolitho series (1969)
  12. Cover of The Flag Captain by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 4 of the Richard Bolitho series (1971)
  13. Cover of Sloop of War by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 5 of the Richard Bolitho series (1971)
  14. Cover of Command a King's Ship by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 6 of the Richard Bolitho series (1973)
  15. Cover of Signal-Close Action! by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 7 of the Richard Bolitho series (1973)
  16. Cover of Midshipman Bolitho by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 8 of the Richard Bolitho series (1975)
  17. Cover of Stand into Danger by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 10 of the Richard Bolitho series (1976)
  18. Cover of Passage to Mutiny by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 11 of the Richard Bolitho series (1976)
  19. Cover of In Gallant Company by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 12 of the Richard Bolitho series (1977)
  20. Cover of The Inshore Squadron by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 13 of the Richard Bolitho series (1978)
  21. Cover of A Tradition of Victory by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 14 of the Richard Bolitho series (1981)
  22. Cover of Badge of Glory by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 1 of the Blackwood Family series (1982)
  23. Cover of Success to the Brave by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 15 of the Richard Bolitho series (1983)
  24. Cover of The First to Land by Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent, book 2 of the Blackwood Family series (1984)
  1. 1
    A Prayer for the Ship1958 · 256 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1958256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    High Water1959 · 256 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1959256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Send a Gunboat1960 · 256 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1960256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Dive in the Sun1961 · confirmed 2/4
    1961–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The Hostile Shore1962 · 246 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1962246
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    The Last Raider1963 · confirmed 2/4
    1963–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    H.M.S Saracen1965 · 320 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1965320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    With Blood and Iron1965 · 287 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1965287
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Path of the Storm1966 · confirmed 2/4
    1966–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Deep Silence1967 · 313 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1967313
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    To Glory We SteerRichard Bolitho #11968 · 352 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1968352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    The Pride and the Anguish1968 · confirmed 2/4
    1968–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Form Line of BattleRichard Bolitho #21969 · 350 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1969350
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Enemy in Sight!Richard Bolitho #31969 · 366 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1969366
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    To Risks Unknown1969 · confirmed 2/4
    1969–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    The Greatest Enemy1970 · confirmed 2/4
    1970–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    The Flag CaptainRichard Bolitho #41971 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1971384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Sloop of WarRichard Bolitho #51971 · 352 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1971352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Rendezvous - South Atlantic1972 · confirmed 2/4
    1972–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    Command a King's ShipRichard Bolitho #61973 · 351 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1973351
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Signal-Close Action!Richard Bolitho #71973 · 366 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1973366
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    His Majestys U-boat / Go In and Sink!1973 · confirmed 2/4
    1973–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    The Destroyers1974 · confirmed 2/4
    1974–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Midshipman BolithoRichard Bolitho #81975 · 240 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1975240
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Winged Escort1975 · confirmed 2/4
    1975–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Midshipman Bolitho and the AvengerRichard Bolitho #91976 · 144 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1976144
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Stand into DangerRichard Bolitho #101976 · 288 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1976288
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Passage to MutinyRichard Bolitho #111976 · 350 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1976350
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Surface with Daring1976 · confirmed 2/4
    1976–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    In Gallant CompanyRichard Bolitho #121977 · 319 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1977319
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent series in order

The series linked below has its own reading-order page.

Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

Blackwood Family in order

5 books
  1. 1. Badge of Glory
  2. 2. The First to Land
  3. 3. The Horizon
  4. 4. Dust on the Sea
  5. 5. Knife Edge

Standalone books

34 books

34 Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books in order?

You only need to read Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books in order within each series: the books listed here span 2 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent

Start with To Glory We Steer (1968), the first Richard Bolitho book. The earliest catalogued title overall is A Prayer for the Ship (1958).

What is the newest Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent book?

In the King's Name (2011) is the newest Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent book released so far.

Is there a new Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent book coming?

No next Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent at a glance

No recent titles
The newest Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent title on record dates from 2011, 15 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
16,961 pages across the 54 of 69 books with a recorded length, a median of 320 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books, 18 of 69, were published in the 1970s.

What the Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books are about

67 of the 69 Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: historical fiction is tagged on 41 of 67. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.