Donald Barr Chidsey Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Donald Barr Chidsey
Donald Barr Chidsey was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on May 14, 1902. He was an American biographer, writer, historian, novelist, and wrote adventure fiction.

Donald worked at the Elizabeth Daily Journal, and traveled extensively during his youth. For a number of years, he lived in Lyme, Connecticut.

In 1935, he married Shirley Chidsey and went with her off to Tahiti, where she sailed in his boat and helped him manage a coconut plantation. As they made friends with numerous writers, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Shirley separated from him in February of 1940. Shirley went off to join the Office of Strategic Service, and in 1943 she worked in the Belgian Congo in order to keep the unique uranium mine in Katanga province Shinkolobwe out of the Axis powers’ hands. The uranium was used later on in the creation of the bombs which got dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Along with W. Langdon Kihn (an artist) Donald was a Democratic candidate for the Connecticut House of Representatives from the town of Lyme, in the election held on November 2, 1948.

Donald started his writing career as a contributor to the pulp magazines, particularly Adventure and Argosy, and wrote several historical novels in the “swashbuckler” style of Rafael Sabatini. He wrote crime fiction for Dime Detective and Black Mask magazines.

He died at the age of 78 in New London, Connecticut in Lawrence Memorial Hospital on March 17, 1981.

“The Island of Run Away” is a short story that was released in 1940. In this South Seas island adventure novelette, Fraser Chase hears some drinking sailors mention this island that one could hide out on safely if they were wanted for murder. So Chase heads to the island, which he learns is centered on this dormant volcano and is inhabited by this small population of natives and three separate secretive and mysterious westerner, an Australian, a Dane, and Frenchman.

“Stronghold” is a stand alone novel that was released in 1948. A story about friendship, one which stands up against the strain of betrayal, of desertion, of awareness of littleness, and even at the close, once murder has been done, something is able to survive.

A tale about two youths against the times, the scene is Stonington, Connecticut, during the embargo and the War of 1812, about adventure sought in secret piloting of the ships that run the blockade, about the temptation to seek some wider horizons being pitted against the loyalty and affection for the man that held them as sons, even though they were his bondsmen.

Then there’s Deliverance, bought up as their sister all of a sudden found herself being beloved one, betrayed by the other. Impressment, the slave trade-life on a British man of war, views of the Indies. There are many facets in the seaboard life of this young nation, as the older nations warred, here’s a good regional material with faster paced action than characterized in “Panama Passage”.

“The Pipes Are Calling” is a stand alone novel that was released in 1959. All through the Highlands, stout Scots’ hopes and hearts were high at the news that at long last the royal Stuart, their Bonnie Prince Charlie, had come back to win back the throne of Scotland and England. And none were more elated about the skirling of the bagpipes than the young Glenallan, who was eager to test his mettle against the hated English and their German born king.

Even though this meant tearing himself away from the side of the beautiful Lady Helen of the English court, his love, there could be no holding Glenallan and the other clansmen back. Because despite the fact they were able to rally but eight hundred kilted warriors against the whole soldiery of George II, surely plain mountaineer courage and justice would prevail.

“The Naked Sword” is a stand alone novel that was released in 1959. Chivalry had fled, in John’s England. The King scourged the land, confiscated properties, invented new tortures, and ravaged the women.

Sir Robert Locksley had retreated with his followers to a sanctuary in Sherwood Forest, and the baron of Whittington was forced to flee across the channel. The baron was an idol at the royal court, duty and England both called him, in spite of all the favors and attention from French courtesans he received.

There was no way to maintain his honor, but to go back to his country, to his beautiful Amy, and to his sacred duty as the protector of his vassals and his lands.

“The Flaming Island” is a stand alone novel that was released in 1959. Right from the very moment that George Heritage entered into Cuban waters he was in trouble. First the Spanish coast guard shelled his vessel, then learned that his shipmates had deceived him, and he finally found himself standing against this stone wall waiting for the firing squad.

After this fiery rebel senorita had snatched him away from the jaws of death, this American engineer realized that he could not just return to peaceful civilization. Having a price on his head placed on him by both sides, he had to quit being merely George Heritage, and instead take on the daredevil identity of Captain Ratonero, the Dynamite Man. Filled with sputtering excitement, peril, and authentic color, this is one of the most engrossing novels ever written by that master of historical adventure.

“Captain Crossbones” is a stand alone novel that was released in 2017. George Rounsivel’s pirate band captured the niece of the Governor of the Bahamas, this young American buccaneer was in a jam. For he already shared his cabin with this jealous pirate wench that would slip a dagger right into him the moment he even looked at some other woman.

But he could not throw this blue-blooded prisoner to the lustful arms of his crew. Rounsivel, as a sea-wolf, was sailing under false colors, and a single word of this from the governor’s niece would lead him right to the end of a shaky plank.

“Captain Crossbones” is Donald Barr Chidsey at his adventurous best.