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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Grand Harbour Valetta in Malta – photo c1863 I’m just back from a research trip to Malta for my next book. Grand Harbour's defences seems little changed, although cruise ships now take the place of the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet. #Ageofsail #RoyalNavy #Malta

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

New York City Docks - c1900s photo taken by Paul W Faust Most of the world’s great ports would have looked similar at the time, with forests of masts. #Ageofsail #NewYork #ships

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The Down Easter Henry B. Hyde, San Francisco Bay, by American artist Christopher Blossom. She looks to be passing the place where the Golden Gate will one day be built. #Ageofsail #Sea #ships

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The Rescue by 19th century Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky #Ageofsail #Sea #ships

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Príncipe Real arriving in Guanabara Bay in 1808 by Geoff Hunt She has just crossed the Atlantic to Brazil accompanied by a Royal Navy squadron. On board are the Portuguese royal family going into exile after their country had been occupied by Napoleon’s troops. #Ageofsail #Napoleon #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The whaleship Essex leaving Nantucket, August 12th, 1819, by New Zealand artist Anthony D Blake The following year she will be sunk in the Pacific by a sperm whale, providing the inspiration behind Herman Melville’s Moby Dick #Ageofsail #InTheHeartoftheSea #whaling

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Three-masted ship off the coast of Crete by German marine artist Michael Diemer Diemer, a Bavarian, was brought up far from the sea, but developed a strong interest in ships. He benefitted as a united Germany looked to the sea in the second half of the 19th century. #Ageofsail #sailing #sea

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

The Clipper Lightning by British marine artist Montague Dawson Dawson was a keen yachtsman who served in the Royal Navy. This gives his work a real-world authenticity. #Ageofsail #sailing #sea

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Released Worldwide today – the audio book of Clay and the Sublime Porte. “Twelve titles into the series, Alexander Clay rates with the greatest heroes in historical naval fiction.” Review in Quarterdeck Magazine #AmReading #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy

amazon.com

Clay and the Sublime Porte: The Alexander Clay Series, Book 12

Amazon.com: Clay and the Sublime Porte: The Alexander Clay Series, Book 12 (Audible Audio Edition): Philip K. Allan, symon james sweet, Philip Allan: Books

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

This year’s heatwave and drought in Europe has caused historically low water levels on the River Danube, exposing over 200 German wrecks scuttled in 1944 by the retreating Germans, including this warship. #GermanNavy #Diving #WW2

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Droits De L'Homme by Steven Dews In 1797, during a gale off Britany, two British frigates (Edward Pellew’s Indefatigable and the Amazon) outmanoeuvred and drove onto the rocks the much bigger French 74 Droits de l'Homme. The Amazon (in the background) was wrecked as well. #FrenchNavy #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

On this day in 1945 - Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Sussex was struck by a kamikaze near the Dutch East Indies. It failed to penetrate the ship's belt armour, leaving only an imprint on the hull. Posted by the US Naval Institute #RoyalNavy #WW2 #JapaneseNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

San Francisco in 1849 An early photo showing the harbour choked with ships unable to leave because their crews have abandoned them to join the gold rush. The remains of these ships often turn up during building work in areas of the city reclaimed from the bay. #California #LostShips #Ageofsail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

The Swedish ship Vasa. She sank shortly after launch in 1628, but thanks to the conditions in the Baltic, which is tide free and has brackish water, her hull was almost perfectly preserved when raised in 1961. #SwedishNavy #Stockholm #Ageofsail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

The Medusa sailing from the Downs by US artist Mark Myers In the age of sail the Downs was a busy anchorage off the Kent coast where shipping would wait for a favourable tide/wind to take them up the Thames into London or down the Channel to the Atlantic #RoyalNavy #Navigation #Ageofsail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

HMS Sandwich laying her mooring at sunset by English artist Jack Spurling She was a 90-gun second rate launched in 1759 at Chatham and designed by Thomas Slade, the naval architect behind HMS Victory. #RoyalNavy #Shipoftheline #Ageofsail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

The wreck of the cruise ship MS World Discoverer, slowly being taken over by nature. She struck an uncharted reef in the Solomon Islands in 2000 and has remained there ever since. #Cruiseships #Shipwrecks #Pacific

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

The latest Quarterdeck magazine is available, including a nice review of Clay and the Sublime Porte. “Twelve titles into the series, Alexander Clay rates with the greatest heroes in historical naval fiction.” #AmReading #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy

dhjhkxawhe8q4.cloudfront.net

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Under Fire Off Manhattan by British marine artist Geoff Hunt One of his series showing a scene from the War of 1812 #Warof1812 #USNavy #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

USS Iowa (BB61) entering Portsmouth harbour in 1989, following her return to service under President Reagan. HMS Victory visible behind her. #Dreadnought #USNavy #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Moonlight Barque by the early 20th century English artist Charles Pears It reminds me of John Masefield’s poem Sea-fever. #sea #tallships #maritimehistory

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

I have just returned from a stint as guest lecturer onboard the #SwanHellenic ship Diana, along with the brilliant Jared Diamond. Great trips ashore, wonderful staff and splendid hospitality. I can’t recommend them highly enough. #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy #seewhatsotherdont

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Martha's Vineyard - the Mattapoisett at Osborn's Wharf, Edgartown, in 1886 by British marine artist John Stobart. The late John Stobart specialised in producing meticulously researched harbour scenes, mostly of American ports. #Sea #Tallships #Ageofsail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Something for Hornblower fans - how camels work. Two water-filled boxes are lashed tightly to each side of a ship. When they are pumped out, they lift it, reducing its draft. Invented by the Dutch to get large warships out of shallow harbours. #DutchNavy #Tallships #Ageofsail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

The latest Mariner's Mirror podcast features an interview with me. Available from the link below, or from wherever you get your podcasts - Spotify in my case. #AmReading #AlexanderClay #MarinersMirror

shows.acast.com

The Naval Fiction Interviews: Philip K. Allan and Alexander Clay | The Mariner's Mirror Podcast

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

USS Constitution by Anton Fischer Her long career almost ended a month into the war of 1812, when she fell in with a Royal Navy squadron. She used her boats and ditched all her water to escape the British in a chase lasting two days and nights. #USNavy #RoyalNavy #AgeofSail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

The frigate Højenhald by Christian Mølsted Seen after an attack on Copenhagen in 1659. The ship resisted repeated attacks made by Swedish troops across the ice. #DanishFleet #SwedishArmy #AgeofSail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

USS United States by Geoff Hunt. She was one of the US Navy’s six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. #USNavy #Tallships #AgeofSail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

American carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) in dry dock, giving some idea of her size. Her full complement is four and half thousand men. #USNavy #NavalAviation #IranWar

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

HMS Leopard pursued by the Dutch warship Waakzaamheid in the Roaring Forties by British artist Geoff Hunt. Readers of Patrick O’Brian may recognise it as the cover art for Desolation Island #RoyalNavy #Ageofsail #Navalfiction

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Vessels in a swell at sunset by 19th century Ukrainian artist Ivan Aivazovsky A bit of calm in a stormy world #Tallships #Ageofsail #MarineArt

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Fog Peril by American artist Thomas Hoyne The Grand Banks off Newfoundland was an area traditionally known for its abundance of cod and for its thick fogs. Add transatlantic liners to the mix, and what could possibly go wrong? #Canada #Liners #Fishing

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

On the Deck of the Frigate Svetlana by 19th century Russian artist Alexander Beggrov The raised platform running between the sides was known as a bridge, and was becoming the main command centre of a warship in this period. #Steam #RussianNavy #Ironclad

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

HMS Victory, newly restored by British artist William Lionel Wyllie Due to be scrapped, she was saved by a public outcry. She was restored by donations organised by the Society for Nautical Research. In 1928 she opened as a museum ship. #Nelson #Trafalgar #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Published Worldwide Today - Clay and the Sublime Porte Book 12 in the Alexander Clay series Available on Amazon as a paperback or ebook #AmReading #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

French ship of the line Foudroyant by Auguste Mayer. Early 18th century ships may have been cumbersome, un-weatherly and struggled to operate in winter, but they did look magnificent. #FrenchNavy #LouisXIV #Ageofsail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

HMS Warrior by David Bell She was an Alfred-class 74-gun ship of the line, launched in 1781 at Portsmouth #RoyalNavy #NapoleonicWars #Ageofsail

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

‘A huge stone cannon ball, sir,’ reported Taylor returning from the bow. ‘It hit one of the anchors and shattered. The forecastle looks like Deal beach, and poor Mr Hutchinson is quite covered in dust.’ Clay and the Sublime Porte – coming soon #AmReading #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

The Ij by 20th century Dutch painter Peter J. Sterkenburg The Ij is the name of the bay that once served as an anchorage for Amsterdam. #DutchNavy #DutchEastIndiaCompany #Tallships

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Fight of the Wagram by Auguste Mayer Wagram was a French first rate built in 1810. The picture shows a clash between French ships and the British Mediterranean Fleet in 1813 during which she helped her out-numbered squadron escape destruction. #FrenchNavy #NapoleonicWar #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Colin Baxter has produced another superb picture for the cover of my latest Clay novel. It shows a scene from the book when two 74s attack a Turkish shore battery. Clay and the Sublime Porte – coming soon #AmReading #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Summer morning by British marine artist Montague Dawson #Sea #Ships #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

USS Philadelphia on fire in the port of Tripoli, by Edward Moran She was a 36-gun frigate that was captured during the First Barbary War in 1803 after she ran aground. A few months later she was destroyed in a daring US Navy raid. #BarbaryPirates #FirstFrigates #USNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

‘The wind is shifting, Sir John,’ said Clay. ‘And we are here on the shores of the Aegean, where history was born. The ancients would take it as an omen that the Gods favour us. I say we force our way through to Constantinople.’ Clay and the Sublime Porte – coming soon #AmReading #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Just in Time by 19th century British artist Thomas Rose Miles #Rescue #Sea #Lifeboat

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Another Clay… …is on its way I’ve just sent the completed manuscript for book 12 in the Alexander Clay series, Clay and the Sublime Porte, to my editor. #AmReading #AlexanderClay #RoyalNavy

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Philip K. Allan - Author @philipkallan.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Thank you to all my readers and followers for their support in 2025. Hope you have a lovely Christmas with those who mean most to you. #Xmas #tallships #Amreading

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