Richard Woodman's "Drinkwater" Series

Richard Woodman knows how to create strong characters: his hero, Nathaniel Drinkwater, is one without flaw (unlike Hornblower's nagging self-doubt or Jack Aubrey's pride and onshore bungling), a gentleman, a leader, and a man of courage in the darkest hour. And his villian is as evil a character in all of literature -- you'll want to keep reading the series just in hope that Drinkwater finishes him off at some point. Woodman is a member of the Society for Nautical Research so he can speak of early naval warfare, sailing ship seamanship, and the political and cultural background of his stories. Not only that but his stories are imaginative, suspensful and exciting.