Charles Hayden is the central character in S. Thomas Russell’s series of historical naval novels set during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. A lieutenant in the Royal Navy, Hayden is a skilled and courageous officer whose career is complicated by his mixed English and French heritage. In a service where connections and patronage matter as much as talent, his background makes him suspect to some superiors despite his proven abilities.
Across four novels, Hayden rises through the ranks and faces enemies both at sea and within the naval establishment. Russell portrays him as a thoughtful commander who cares about his crew and grapples with the moral costs of warfare, while still delivering the ship-to-ship action that fans of Age of Sail fiction expect.
Reading Order
See the complete Adventures of Charles Hayden reading order for all books in the series.