James L. Nelson

James L. Nelson writes maritime historical fiction from practical experience aboard sailing vessels, serving as seaman, rigger, boatswain, and officer. Glory in the Name follows naval officer Samuel Bowater as divided loyalties draw him into the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. The novel ranges from Hampton Roads and Roanoke Island to the river approaches below New Orleans, using ships and command decisions to carry its historical scope. William Morrow published the work, and later Transworld editions opened Nelson’s Civil War at Sea sequence with it. The story continues in Thieves of Mercy. Nelson also wrote the Revolution at Sea Saga, the Brethren of the Coast trilogy, and maritime nonfiction such as Reign of Iron. Glory in the Name received the American Library Association's W. Y. Boyd Award for Excellence in Military Fiction, linking its naval detail to a recognized achievement within Nelson's broader career as a writer of seafaring history and adventure.