I like the Dewey Lambdin books with Alan Lewrie as the rakish main character. I have also read two of Sean Thomas Russels books about his hero Charles Hayden which I liked a lot. Both authors cover real historical events in great detail in their books maiking them especially interesting. And of course I do like Patrick O'Brien but sometimes they drag and don't contain enough real historical events. They do give a real flavor of the times though. Forrester was just a little too pulpy for my taste, though I read them all.