Chamberlain's Navy:

The story begins in Norfolk, Virginia, the location of one of the largest Navy yards in the United States. Norfolk is also home to the fictional Chamberlain family.

Brothers John and Richard Chamberlain, both recent graduates of the Naval Academy, are torn apart by the war. One brother sides with his father, George, a retired Navy petty officer. The other brother sides with his pro-Confederate mother and her extended family.

While John Chamberlain remains in the Federal navy and joins the blockading fleet against the rebellious southern states, his younger brother, Richard, dashes off in the dark of night and eventually joins the crew of Capt. Raphael Semmes, one of the greatest sea captains of the age.

Chamberlain’s Navy is historical fiction geared towards the young adult reader with a keen eye towards the tale of adventure. The events surrounding John and Richard Chamberlain are directly related to the real people and real events of the war. Using naval records and memoirs, the author weaves narratives of two brothers forced to grapple with the challenges of the American civil war off shore.