Someone Write a Biography of Richard Bolitho!

C. Northcoat Parkinson wrote a biography of Horatio Hornblower, which I found in Earl Brydges Public Library in Niagara Falls, NY. some years ago. A very good book, read it, if you can find it!
So. A book I'd love to see, is a biography of Richard Bolitho. A book that would not only take in the facts of his life, but go into his ancestry that he sometimes hints at, such as the ancestor who was a pirate "when it was respectable," how his mother, a Scot, ended up marrying a Cornish naval officer, what was her ancestry, whether Bolitho or Pascoe ever alluded to Hugh's real story, in letters or told the story to friends, the REAL reason why Bolitho and Belinda's marriage broke up, the politics of Britain during Bolitho's lifetime and where he stood, how was Bolitho seen, by politicians, the Admiralty, the aristocracy, the Prince Regent, and by the common people outside of Cornwall. When did Bolitho grudgingly accept that Lewis Roxby was a bit more than a Hooray Henry, interested in more than hunting and country life? What happened to Elizabeth? Did she inherit the house, or did Adam? Did she marry and have a family herself? What did she think of her absentee father?
Yup, all this, and more, I'd love to see! There's a lot Alexander Kent didn't even touch on, in his books. They were all Bolitho centric-if it didn't affect him, it didn't get covered, it seems.
Bolitho may have tried to stay out of politics, and he hated London, but as a flag officer, at least knowing where his superiors stood politically, and which politics they supported, would have been in his interest to know. I don't think he could have advanced, if he didn't have a good knowledge of who was doing what to whom, politically, that is.
And, there's his personal life. A history of falling for the wrong woman (married, or already taken), and not listening to the advice of friends when it comes to his love life. OK, I get it, you're at sea with a ship full of horny men, for months, and the first woman you see, is The One. But, when you ship out again, let it go! Don't show up at her house in London! Talk about the best way to start gossip, let alone, practically forcing her husband to call you out!
By the way, I've always wondered if Bolitho was near sighted. Allday says Bolitho is not a good shot, that he's better with a sword. Maybe Bolitho simply can't see his target very well?
I wonder how Cheney would have reacted, if she'd survived, and Bolitho had had an affair with Kate Pareja. Would she have left him? Or, more likely, from what little we saw of her personality, would she have kicked him out? Probably the latter. And, made him do a lot of groveling, to get back! I got the impression, Cheney didn't take no disrespect!
BTW, does anyone know what the name Cheney means? The closest I've been able to find, is Chenette, which in French means, Little
Oak. If Cheney is a diminutive of this name, its apt.
Kate is Emma Hamilton with a brain. She's savvy, she always has a come back when someone tries to put her down. I don't get the impression that she would have ended up broke and an alcoholic. She is self sufficient. Today, she'd be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Belinda is smart, too. Smart enough to know, she doesn't want to end up begging, and living in a slum, should she loose her companion job. She knows, that if it wasn't for her job as a companion, she just may have had to become the mistress of a wealthy man, and she really takes a chance with Bolitho. He proposes marriage, but she barely knows him. I don't doubt, she found a way to find out, he's got land, money, and as his wife, she'd be taken care of for life, but what if he takes back his proposal, and she finds herself set up in some pretty little house somewhere, with a few servants, waiting for his visits that become fewer and fewer, until he cuts her off? Belinda is taking a risk, running to Gibralter, and sleeping with Bolitho. I really liked her, for throwing caution to the winds, but I had a feeling, it was not going to end well, given her resemblance to Cheney. I did hope, the two of them would come to an understanding, that Belinda would accept that it was her resemblance to her dead cousin that kept her husband attracted to her. That Bolitho would come to love Belinda for herself, and not a replacement for Cheney. Oh well.
As for Elizabeth, the one time that she sees her father, that we know of, after she's an infant, she seems afraid of him. Yes, she fell off a horse, and was in pain, and suddenly, here's this strange guy hovering over her, but how did she feel about him, when older? Did she not really care about her father, since she didn't know him? Did she find out, later in life, of the times Bolitho was in England, yet made no attempt to see her? Did she feel abandoned? How was her relationship with her mother? Did Belinda want to see her married off to someone who was going to be financially secure for life? Or, did Bolitho see his daughter every time he was in London, did Elizabeth visit the house her father lived in with his mistress? If so, did she like Kate? Elizabeth as a teen, seems to be pretty much her own person, a strong personality. Is this genetics, or because her mother saw her as a tie to keep Bolitho footing the bills, and otherwise ignored her? Because her father ignored her? Lord, I don't want to think of Bolitho as an absentee father! He doesn't ignore his men, why would he ignore his only child?
I really wanted to see Bolitho living out his life, in Falmouth, with Kate, visiting Allday, probably pretty much blind, but maybe riding a horse who knows the way to Allday's pub, and back home again. I thought he'd live to see Victoria come to the throne, to see Adam and Elizabeth have their own families, to become an early advocate for the rights of the disabled, although he'd be thinking of sailors and soldiers disabled by war. He'd call for training for sailors, so they could make the Navy a profession, a career. And die, in his bed, and old man.

You have the basis of an excellent book there; why not try chaptering this outline and see how it progresses?

You might wish to discuss this project with Douglas Reeman's widow, an established writer herself:

https://www.douglasreeman.com/kim-reeman/

Alaric Bond wrote:You have the basis of an excellent book there; why not try chaptering this outline and see how it progresses?

I think it would have to remain fan fiction. But, something to occupy me this winter, maybe.

Again, I would stress that contact with Reeman's widow would be wise to discuss possible 'legal implications associated with copywrite' or other aspects of using his storylines as a basis for a proposed publication.