author
Charles Boardman Hawes
1889–1923
Remembered for vivid sea adventures and a life cut short at just 34, this American writer left behind tales of ships, danger, and moral courage that still feel brisk and alive. His best-known book, The Dark Frigate, went on to win the 1924 Newbery Medal after his death.
3 Audiobooks
The Great Quest A romance of 1826, wherein are recorded the experiences of Josiah Woods of Topham, and of those others with whom he sailed for Cuba and the Gulf of Guinea
by Charles Boardman Hawes
The Mutineers A Tale of Old Days at Sea and of Adventures in the Far East as Benjamin Lathrop Set It Down Some Sixty Years Ago
by Charles Boardman Hawes
The Dark Frigate
by Charles Boardman Hawes
About the author
Born on January 24, 1889, in Clifton Springs, New York, he grew up in Bangor, Maine, and later graduated from Bowdoin College in 1911. He studied at Harvard for a year and worked in publishing, including time on the staff of The Youth's Companion and later as an associate editor of The Open Road.
He became known for fiction and nonfiction centered on the sea, drawing readers in with historical adventure, strong storytelling, and a clear feel for life aboard ships. Although only a few of his books appeared during his lifetime, his work quickly earned lasting attention.
His novel The Dark Frigate, published in 1923, received the 1924 Newbery Medal, making it the book most closely associated with his name. He died in 1923, only a year before that honor was announced, and his reputation has endured through his classic seafaring stories.