‘I am Determined to Live or Die on Board My Ship’ covers the action-packed naval career of John Inglis, starting as a midshipman in command of the guns of a frigate in action against the French, and ends as the severely wounded captain of a warship in a closely fought victory against the Dutch.

The life of John Inglis was so epic, it could have been a work of fiction. As an underage Lieutenant commanding a schooner hunting smugglers before the Boston Tea Party, he also dined with George Washington before the War of Independence. Having settled in Scotland and inheriting his uncle’s Edinburgh estate, he returned to the Navy.

Shipwrecked in Norway, he became embroiled in a secret service attempt to persuade Dutch naval commanders to desert. His vessel was involved in the Nore Mutiny and astoundingly, he was held prisoner on his own ship. The naval career of John Inglis is not just an incredible story but one that enables a close view of life in the eighteenth-century navy.

The book will be published in May 2019, which coincides with the 240th anniversary of John Inglis being commissioned Captain of HMS Delight (22nd May 1779.)

The Book is a Matador Publication and Priced at £19.99.

ISBN: 9781789017670

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See the Talks & Presentation Page for details of available talks

Review of the Book by

Prof. John B.Hattendorf

Published in US Naval War College Review June 2021

"... Tildesley’s study of Captain John Inglis is a notable addition to the literature. His work complements recent studies, such as Hilary Rubinstein’s Trafalgar Captain: Durham of the Defiance; The Man Who Refused to Miss Trafalgar (2005), Victor T. Sharman’s Nelson’s Hero: The Story of His “Sea-Daddy,” Captain William Locker (2005), and Bryan Elson’s Nelson’s Yankee Captain: The Life of Boston Loyalist Sir Benjamin Hallowell (2008). In his work, Tildesley breaks away from the Nelson-Trafalgar focus and gives a new, illuminating insight through this case study of a captain’s career.

To read the full review go to

https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8195&context=nwc-review

Sailors, Ships and Sea Fights: Proceedings of the 2022 ‘From Reason to Revolution 1721–1815’ Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail Conference, Ed. Nicholas James Kaizer

Three chapters address topics related to the social/cultural history of the Royal Navy:

Jim Tildesley examines the career of Consul John Mitchell and his contributions to manning the fleet and supplying intelligence. Andrew Lyter explores the careers of black pilots serving with HMS Poictiers, long forgotten by history, and how they leveraged their vital knowledge to carve out identities as free maritime professionals. Finally, Callum Easton examines the careers and demographics of the Greenwich pensioners, veterans of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and provides a fascinating picture of how society’s views and stereotypes of these Jack Tars changed in the decades following the long eighteenth century.

Publishers Hellion December 2023

Paperback - Size : 245mm x 170mm | ISBN : 9781804513446 | Helion Book Code : HEL1726