Douglas Reeman needs our help. If you have ever read any of the thirty volumes of the nautical adventures of Richard Bolitho, you probably know the author by his pen name, Alexander Kent. In total, Reeman has written close to 60 books and has made an indelible mark on the literature of the sea. Now, at 92 and in failing health, we have the opportunity to, in some small measure, make his path easier. A message from his wife Kim:

EBBTIDE: Care for Douglas Reeman

Dear friends and fans of Douglas Reeman, the master story-teller of the sea,

Many of you who have written to my husband Douglas over the past several months know that 2016 has been a terrible year for us. At the end of February he fell ill with what have become recurrent bouts of urinary infection and pneumonia, and in late spring he suffered a stroke. He now has pneumonia again, as well as shingles, and he has just been diagnosed with leukemia. His doctors have told me he has only a few months to live. His express wish is to die peacefully at home, surrounded by love.

Palliative care 24 hours a day is prohibitively expensive. But Douglas is the most beautiful gift life has ever given me, and I have vowed to “see him over the side”, as he puts it, with composure, grace and dignity.

His books have touched so many people all over the world, in every walk of life, for more than fifty years, and his heroes, notably Richard Bolitho, embody the values of their creator: honour, compassion, duty, courage and sensitivity. My own “dearest of men”, my Douglas.

If you have ever wanted to thank Douglas Reeman or his alter ego Alexander Kent for his great gift of storytelling, if his books have moved, inspired, comforted and entertained you, perhaps you would care to help us through this darkest hour, as the tide ebbs.

May God bless you all for your warmth, friendship and support for his books throughout the years.

Kim Reeman

If you value Douglas Reeman’s work and can spare anything to help him in his last days, click here to here to donate.