Maritime Book Series

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Douglas Wilson

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Blackthorn Winter (Maritime Series Book 1)

Times may change, and pirates may change their tack, but the Monroe boys always seem driven to the sea…

Look Inside the Book

Young Thomas Monroe was bred for the sea. At his first chance he sets off on a merchant’s ship, but Thomas gets more of an adventure than he’d expected when his ship is captured by the pirates whose treasure map he stole! He somehow must keep himself and his captain alive, and beat the pirates to their treasure. Meanwhile, hundreds of years in the future, Jim Monroe—Thomas’ descendant—is also in desperate need of that treasure, or he and his mother will lose the family land. Embark on this thrilling tale of piracy and derring-do, Douglas Wilson’s first foray into children’s fiction.

Douglas Wilson’s maritime series follows the adventures of the Monroe family from the eighteenth century through modern times. Times may change, and pirates may change their tack, but the Monroe boys always seem driven to the sea…

Canonball Books is the children's imprint of Canon Press. At Canonball, we believe stories are soul food, so you can expect excitement, danger, loyalty, virtue, and family in your Canonball books. Feed your kids the right books!

From the Book

If these were pirates—and they were—and this was a map—and it was—then there was likely a treasure to be had. But O’Conner didn’t seem to be sure that this was a treasure. Of course, that may just have been for show so that his two companions did not revolt. If they knew that a vast treasure was at stake, then they would no doubt panic at the prospect of crossing someone like John James. So there probably was a treasure, and then Thomas stopped walking for a moment in his excitement—he could take care of his mother. The only questions were how great the treasure was, and how to decipher the map. from the book

Susan Creek (Maritime Series Book 2)

Times may change, and pirates may change their tack, but the Monroe boys always seem driven to the sea…

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When John Monroe saves a mother and daughter from the clutches of a rogue English soldier, he is thrust into a world of intrigue and espionage. It’s the height of the French and Indian war. In possession of a letter that exposes British troop movements, John must race to deceive the French before the rogue soldier can catch up to him and provide the actual intelligence the French need.

Douglas Wilson’s maritime series follows the adventures of the Monroe family from the eighteenth century through modern times. Times may change, and pirates may change their tack, but the Monroe boys always seem driven to the sea…

Canonball Books is the children's imprint of Canon Press. At Canonball, we believe stories are soul food, so you can expect excitement, danger, loyalty, virtue, and family in your Canonball books. Feed your kids the right books!

From the book

When he had made his way about a mile toward the water, he began asking for directions to The Golden Sextant. The first three people he asked had no idea, and the fourth thought it was somewhere near the “old Presbyterian church.” Every block or so John would ask again, and finally he found someone who gave him some clear directions, somewhat confidently.
John caught a glimpse of a golden sextant hanging above the street before he could make out the words. As he walked up to the front door of the tavern—for it was a tavern—he naively thought that he would meet the women, receive their proper thanks, and then make his way back to the ship, his small adventure concluded. He had never been so completely wrong in his life. –from the book

Two Williams (Maritime Series Book 3)

America and her ships may change, but the Monroe boys are always drawn to the sea.

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Stephen Monroe is a young, zealous patriot, proud of his brother William, who is a distinguished captain in the Revolutionary War. The one thing Stephen can’t understand is how his brother can kill Redcoats but despise the fiery words of other revolutionaries like Thomas Paine. When Stephen meets Lieutenant William Morris, he thinks he has found someone even more patriotic than his brother. Caught between two Williams, Stephen must realize there are two wars going on, and he must choose between his brother’s or Lieutenant Morris’s. 

Two Williams is a thrilling tale of patriotism and rebellion, the third of best-selling author Douglas Wilson’s historical children’s stories. The four books of the Maritime Series follow the seafaring adventures of the Monroe family from the eighteenth century through modern times. America and her ships may change, but the Monroe boys are always drawn to the sea.

Canonball Books is the children's imprint of Canon Press. At Canonball, we believe stories are soul food, so you can expect excitement, danger, loyalty, virtue, and family in your Canonball books. Feed your kids the right books!

From the book

The gun ports of both ships were fully opened, and the crews of both ships were at their battle stations. But at that moment the flag on the Constant unfurled clearly, and Captain Monroe put down his eyeglass with relief. He turned to his mate and said, “Americans.” Word traveled fast, and the crew of the Susquehanna all stood back in relief, relaxing.
Turning back to the gunwale, Captain Monroe leaned on the rail and prepared to shout out greetings as they passed. As their bows came even with each other, the ships were very close—only about fifty yards apart. Captain Monroe waited for a moment and then cupped his hands to shout out a greeting. Just then a figure, oddly familiar, stepped out onto the deck of the other ship, and Captain Monroe stopped and pulled his glass back up again. Morris!
Just at that moment a roar came from the other ship, and billows of smoke blew out from her port side. from the book

Barbary Jihad (Maritime Series Book 4)

 America and her ships may change, but the Monroe boys are always drawn to the sea.

Look Inside the Book

Once captured and enslaved in Tripoli, Thomas Watson has escaped at last and vowed never to return. Susannah Wilcox secretly longs for adventure, and is thrilled when she is sent to Naples to finish her education. Jules Monroe is freeborn, but longs to prove to himself and the wider world that he is a man, out on the sea with his cousin Samuel. Their stories all meet in 1803 aboard the Philadelphia, a 36-gun frigate. Unfortunately, the ship has fallen into the hand of Barbery pirates, and such a powerful weapon will allow them to decimate the United States’ fledgling navy.

Barbary Jihad is a thrilling tale of naval warfare on the high seas, the fourth of best-selling author Douglas Wilson’s historical children’s stories. The four books of the Maritime Series follow the seafaring adventures of the Monroe family from the eighteenth century through modern times. America and her ships may change, but the Monroe boys are always drawn to the sea.

Canonball Books is the children's imprint of Canon Press. At Canonball, we believe stories are soul food, so you can expect excitement, danger, loyalty, virtue, and family in your Canonball books. Feed your kids the right books!

From the book

A Barbary guard was standing in front of a cabin door. The guard had been listening to the fighting topside and was anxious to be anywhere else but where he was. When Thomas took a step toward him, saber uplifted, he bolted in the opposite direction. He needed no second invitation. As he went, Thomas saw the ring of keys on his belt, and in deep anger threw his saber after him. As he told the story afterward, he acknowledged that sabers were not made for throwing, and that he could not do the same thing again in a thousand tries, but the fact remains that the saber struck the guard in the small of the back, point first. He lurched forward into a ladder that went topside, climbed two rungs of it, and then fell backward, dead. Thomas ran forward, rolled the guard over, pulled his saber out, and slashed the keys from his belt. from the book

Douglas Wilson is a pastor in Moscow, Idaho, a father of three, and grandfather of seventeen. He is the author of numerous books, including Beowulf: A New Verse RenderingWhy Children Matter, and What I Learned in Narnia.

BOOK 1:
AUTHOR: Douglas Wilson

PAGE COUNT: 130 pages

SIZE: 5.5x8.5

ISBN 10: 1954887426

ISBN-13: 9781954887428

PUB. DATE: April 4, 2023 (edition: 2nd)


BOOK 2:
AUTHOR: Douglas Wilson

PAGE COUNT: 110 pages

SIZE: 5.5x8.5"

ISBN 10: 1954887434

ISBN-13: 9781954887435

PUB. DATE: April 4, 2023 (edition: 2nd)

 

BOOK 3:
AUTHOR: Douglas Wilson

PAGE COUNT: 130 pages

SIZE: 5.5x8.5

ISBN 10: 1957905301

ISBN-13: 9781957905303

PUB. DATE: April 4, 2023 (edition: 2nd)

 

BOOK 4: 
AUTHOR: Douglas Wilson

PAGE COUNT: 128 pages

SIZE: 5.5x8.5"

ISBN 10: 1957905298

ISBN-13: 9781957905297

PUB. DATE: April 4, 2023 (edition: 2nd)

Customer Reviews

Based on 11 reviews
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Ryan C.
Stories for young Men!

My kids absolutely love this series! Pirates, manliness, treasure, strength, courage, and much more rolled into a series of great stories. My boys need good Godly stories to demonstrate virtue and why it's good to be a man in this day and age and these stories definitely do that for them.

I would recommend this series right along with some of the classic works. Doug Wilson has shown again that he has a knack for writing great stories and weaving in good Biblical ideas into them. Boys today need stories like these more than ever to help them build courage and strength in a world where so many boys are taught to be wimpy.

J
James L.
GREAT STORIES & BIBLICAL VALUES

These are fun and action-packed stories full of biblical values such as honesty, courage, and how to act wisely. The kids love them and I do too! Would highly recommend.

K
Kate D.
Buy These Books!

My boys are so particular about books and usually reject every one I bring home. They lapped this series up and are asking for more.
I appreciate Canon Press so much.

H
Harris G.
Excellent Series!

Outstanding series filled with adventure, history, biblical principles, noble families, brave young men, battles, and culture building. I highly recommend them!

P
Peter K.
Very Good Adventure Series, Some Typographical Errors and Anachronisms

This is a very good adventure series! It's chock-full of action and adventure, perfect for young boys (and girls too, if you want them to appreciate adventurous boys and men!). My wife and I had great fun reading them to our son. Beyond the action, each book has numerous lessons about the Christian life and Biblical masculinity. Any child who reads them will come away from it entertained, and also educated in the proper way to be a Christian man. I especially appreciated the lesson of the third book (Two Williams) on how to be a Christian and a revolutionary. The demonstrations of a proper fight versus an improper fight are also very important, and seamlessly done. With action, adventure, and a picture of Godly manhood, I cannot recommend this series enough!

It's clear that Wilson is a Navy man; his writing on the love of the sea, sailing, and the call of adventure inherent in it are clearly written from experience. A large part of why I got the series was to help impart that love (which I share) to my kids, and I was very glad to see those sentiments brought through. Don't be surprised if your boys only want to play sailor after reading this, or start asking for a sailboat!

With that said, I have some small criticisms. The second book (Susan's Creek) was absolutely full of typographical errors. This might have been just the printing I happened to get, but there were many, many instances of missing punctuation and spaces. Canon should examine their printing to correct this if it's a widespread issue.

Secondly, the “present-day” framing device used in Blackthorn Winter is not continued. It was somewhat jarring to have it dropped when reading the books in quick succession (which you can't help but do), and it left off with some loose threads. It doesn't change the overall excellence of the stories in the rest of the books, but it is mildly disappointing to see it go.

Another very nitpicky criticism is the frequent use anachronistic terms, especially the modern rudder commands (it should be “Hard to starboard,” not “Right full rudder”) and referring to the quarterdeck as the “bridge.” But as I said, these are very nitpicky, and bear no relevance to the quality of the story.

Hi Peter! We will be looking into the typos in Susan's Creek and the anachronistic terms to see what can be fixed. Thank you for your feedback!

B
Bill S.
Maritime book series.

Bought the books for my grand kids. I read them all in short order and enjoyed each one. I want my grand kids to get them read so I can interact with them. As a country and as a family we have so much blessing from those who have gone before us. The great commission command to teach them to observe "all" that I have commanded was present in our forefathers as was "faith and a good consciece". May we rebuild these in the coming generations. Thanks Doug for fun and beneficial stories.

Bill Stupfell

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Will M.
Treasure Island Has Company

These books are fantastic. I read them all WAY faster than I should have. If you love adventure and the display of virtue in hard circumstances these books are for you.

S
Sheri L.
Loved ones loved it!

[****]

J
Joshua S.
A great read for fathers and sons

I ordered these for my eldest son who is really into pirates at the moment. I listened to the audiobooks while he was working his way through reading the hard copies. This provided many opportunities for us to have fruitful discussions on a variety of topics that fathers must have with their sons. I wholeheartedly recommend this series.

M
Michael G.
Douglas Wilson is a marvelous storyteller

I never cease to be impressed with Douglas Wilson's narrative power, whether he's writing stories for adults or children, or whether he's preaching the Gospel. The Maritime Book Series is a marvelous achievement.