A world built on water with Philip K. Allan

From an early age, Philip K. Allan found himself captivated by the sea – its characters, its histories and the worlds it has carried across the centuries. What began with sailing on the Atlantic coast of France and discovering the novelists C. S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian gradually became something deeper – a fascination with the sea as both a setting and a character, and a world he would go on to explore through fiction, research and storytelling.

There is a distinct calm and clarity in the way Philip talks about the sea. It threads through his work, shaping the historical worlds he recreates and the lives he brings to the page. From his early influences to the much-loved Alexander Clay series, his writing carries readers across centuries of naval history, revealing not just the drama of great events but the human stories that unfolded on deck and below.

Today Philip blends meticulous research with an instinctive understanding of life at sea, giving his novels and lectures a warmth and authenticity that resonate long after they’re finished. Here he reflects on the experiences that led him toward a life shaped by maritime history.

“Because we live on land, we often don’t appreciate how vast and important the sea is.”

Hi Philip! What first inspired your interest in naval history and storytelling?

Philip: My passion for ships and the sea was first awakened through the works of C. S. Forester and later Patrick O’Brian that I read as a teenager. At the time I used to sail during family summer holidays on the Atlantic coast of France, which was where my love for the sea came from. Having started by reading fiction, I moved on to reading about naval history more generally. Later I studied the 18th century Royal Navy as part of my history degree at London University.

When did you realize your passion for ships and the sea could become both your career and your creative calling?

Philip: That came much later in life. After leaving university I had a successful career in the motor industry, with my interest in naval history becoming more of a hobby. Years later, when moving between two car manufacturers, I took a career break to travel with my wife and family. I also took the opportunity to finish an autobiographical novel I had been working on in my spare time.

What convinced you to pursue writing as a full-time career?

Philip: When I returned to work, I wondered what I should do with my book. I thought it was pretty good, as did friends I showed it to, but I was conscious that most people who believe they can write a commercially successful book are usually wrong. So I sent it to a number of literary agents, fully expecting it to be rejected, after which I could go back to my previous career. But things didn’t quite work out that way. My book was rejected as uncommercial, but several of the agents told me that I had a good style for fiction, and that if I wanted to try my hand at that, they would represent me. They say authors should write about what they care about – which for me meant historical naval fiction. I sat down with my family to discuss a crazy idea – giving up the lucrative career that funded our rather nice lifestyle to try writing full time. They gave me nothing but cheerful encouragement and unconditional support, despite the belt tightening my new career choice entailed. Fortunately, it worked out fine.

How did your studies in 18th century naval history at London University shape the way you write and speak today?

Philip: I had excellent tutors who gave me a good grasp of the period. I was also introduced to the Society for Nautical Research, which I have been an active member of ever since. In terms of my presentation style, it is influenced partly by my time at university. But the main skill you need as a writer is to be a good storyteller, which also helps when delivering an engaging talk.

What inspired you to create the Alexander Clay series, and did you expect it to grow into 11 books?

Philip: I was partly inspired by the love for naval literature I had as a child, but also the desire to do it differently from previous generations of writers. They focused very much on the lives of the officers, leaving only bit parts for the sailors. The life of a ship is more like that of a stately home, with the sailors like the servants below stairs, living parallel and very different lives. I was delighted when one critic described my first Alexander Clay novel, The Captain’s Nephew, as like a ‘Downton Abbey at sea’.

Your novels bring to life both officers and sailors in equal measure. Why was it important for you to highlight the voices of ordinary seafarers?

Philip: They are often ignored, and yet 18th century sailors were a fascinating breed apart from those living on land. Most ship’s crews had a broad mixture of nationalities and motivations. Sailors dressed differently, spoke differently and, through travel, had a much broader outlook on life.

Do you see a connection between your historical fiction and the subjects you speak about today?

Philip: Absolutely. Good historical fiction requires a lot of research, which turns up large amounts of fascinating detail. It is this that I use in my talks. Your talk The Wooden World offers a vivid window into the age of sail.

What aspects of that world do you most enjoy sharing?

Philip: You could pass a seafarer today in the street without realizing what he did for a living, but that would be impossible in the age of sail. Sailors dressed, spoke and lived a life that was quite different. My talk will take the audience into this strange world.

One of your talks explores the navy’s crucial role in the Peninsular War. What drew you to this particular story?

Philip: Almost every account of the Peninsular War – the longest and most significant campaign in the Napoleonic Wars – mentions the crucial role of the Royal Navy in it, but none of them go on to explain why. My talk is based on a feature I wrote in Naval History Magazine that puts this right.

The Battle of the Atlantic tells another gripping story at sea. What fascinates you most about this campaign and its legacy?

Philip: War is often described in sweeping terms – battles and strategies, the doings of generals and admirals, campaigns by armies and fleets across vast distances. But the Battle of the Atlantic was fought at a much more human scale. The U-boats and the escorts that opposed them were little ships, with tiny crews, often operating in dreadful conditions far from land. Yet the campaign they were engaged in was vital for deciding who won, and who lost the Second World War.

As you travel through waters where the Battle of the Atlantic was fought, how do you hope people will connect with that history?

Philip: The most obvious connection will probably come when we visit Bordeaux. Most of the main French Atlantic ports still have the U-boat pens built by the German Navy during the Second World War. The one at Bordeaux is a particularly fine example.

One of your talks charts the evolution of navigation. Which invention or discovery had the greatest impact on life at sea?

Philip: Lots of options here, but I would probably go for the fascinating story of John Harrison and his long battle to design a marine chronometer to calculate longitude at sea. In doing so he invented numerous technologies we still use today, including wrist watches, thermostats and ball bearings, and showed the world that mechanical devices could be used to solve problems, ushering in the modern world around us.

As both a historian and a sailor, how does being out on the ocean influence your perspective on the stories you tell?

Philip: I love the sea. I enjoy sailing on it, being by it, I scuba dive in it as well as earning a living writing about it. In my books the ocean is almost one of the characters. Its color, look and mood is always changing. Sometimes it is peaceful, at other times it’s dangerous. I don’t think I’m unique in my fascination with it – most humans are drawn to the sea – just look where most people choose to spend their holidays.

What do you hope audiences take away – a deeper understanding of naval history, or a sense of wonder for the sea itself?

Philip: Both! Because we live on land we don’t appreciate how vast and important the sea is. It covers almost 70% of the earth’s surface, supplies all our weather and over 90% of world trade is carried across it. That is why wars have been fought for control of it across the centuries. The role of all history is to provide lessons from the past to help us tackle the problems of our own time, and naval history is no different.