Note from the Editor: I'm sorry Despatches vaguely ceased without warning! I would like to get back to updating this newsletter regularly. The Reader will only let me go back so far, so if I've missed anything, please comment below with links and I'll add it in! It would be super helpful if you could include a rating of some description with your link/original post.

Fanfic:

Son et Lumière:
Fanvid: In The Army Now (Sharpe; PG)

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:
sharpiefan posts Community recs for newcomers

Communities and challenges:
perfect_duet: The Advent Challenge
friendsofenglishmagic is a brand new Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell community
historium is a new community for historical fandoms

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor:

Fanfic:
Ties That Bind by barefoot_bard; Show the Colours; K+; Paol Kerjean, Mathilde Benveniste, Montreuil, Dominic Charcot, Jérémie Blanchard; Comrades are reunited after an eventful separation. Talavera, August 1809.
Safe by barefoot_bard; Show the Colours; M; Paol Kerjean, Jérémie Blanchard; After being wounded in the midst of the fighting at Talavera, a French soldier tries to get back to his lines. Talavera, July 1809.
No Glad Tidings by barefoot_bard; Show the Colours; K+; Cross Johnson; A Marine receives only bad news when his ship calls at Gibraltar for stores and liberty runs. Gibraltar, August 1809.

Son et Lumière:

Of historical interest:
anything_aos: ozfille: The Voyages of Rose de Freycinet

Miscellany and meta:

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read are reading Chapter Four of The Thirteen=Gun Salute this weekend

Rec of the Week:
Ex Libris by latin_cat; Sharpe; G; Harris, Wellington, Dan Hagman; Harris’ search for literature gets him into trouble.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor:

Fanfic:

Son et Lumière:
Photos: hmsacasta_feed: While in town 4

Of historical interest:
hmsacasta_feed: Meet Mr. Crabb
vanilla_elf: Nelson's Teapot
oldcuddy_feed: Illustrated talk: Collingwood's Ships - Design and Construction
oldcuddy_feed: Admiral Collingwood: Of Flowers and DNA

Miscellany and meta:
hmsacasta_feed: Our Schedule
hmsacasta_feed: Post Labels

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read are reading The Ionian Mission, Chapter Five this weekend
hmsacasta_feed: Open Call to Writers
perfect_duet: esteven wishes everyone A happy Easter - Happy Spring Season

Rec of the Week:
Sharpe's Training by sharpiefan; Sharpe; U; Sharpe, Sergeant Bowaters; The first time Sharpe had fired a musket, he hadn’t known what to expect. On DW; on the AO3

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: Happy Valentine's Day, for those who celebrate. @-'-,----

Fanfic:
Swiftness and Courage by barefoot_bard; K+; Original; A seaman takes part in the cutting out of La Chevrette in 1801
Powder Smoke by barefoot_bard; K+; Original; A seaman witnesses the fall of one of his ship's officers.

Son et Lumière:
Fanart: Happy Valentine's Day by dreamboatdreamer70

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:
hmsacasta_feed: For the Doctor's muddy stockings
hmsacasta_feed: From the Doctor's desktop
hmscasta_feed: A letter to the Doctor
hmsacasta_feed: Midshipman Raley: His Log
austenblog_feed: Casting news for Love and Friendship movie
austenblog: Your Sunday Austen meditation
hmsacasta_feed: New Orleasn 2015: British Teaser

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read are reading Chapter Seven of the Surgeon's Mate this weekend


Rec of the Week:
Sharpe's Morning by Maevelyn; Sharpe; Gen; Richard Sharpe; On the morning of battle, Sharpe reflects upon his life.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: It's been kind of a long week here - hope you've all had a good one, though?

Fanfic:
The Nizam of Hyderabad Chapter Five by josbanks; Aubreyad; PG; Jack/Stephen; Stephen realises his long-awaited dream of naturalising in Tristan da Cuhna

Son et Lumière:

Of historical interest:
From hmsacasta_feed: Annoying the Enemy

Miscellany and meta:
From hmsacasta_feed: The Ship's Carpenter
From hmsacasta_feed: Awards
From hmsacasta_feed: Ill Tidings from the North American Station
From hmsacasta_feed: Trouble at New Boston

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read is reading Chapter Eight of Desolation Island

Rec of the Week:
Clean, Neat and Freshly Shaven by generals_best and le_russe_satan; Sharpe; NC-17; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley; Opposites attract and smut (almost literally) ensues.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: Wow - folks have been busy lately! Well done, all - keep it up!

Fanfic:
Everybody Hurts Sometime by feroxargentea and alltoseek; Aubreyad; PG; Jack/Stephen
To Sail as men by binz and sidhebeingbrand; Hornblower; NC-17; Hornblower/Bush; Written for kink_bingo Round Six, square: Fucking Machines
We All Stand Tall on the Quarterdeck, Son by justincase; Aubreyad; PG; Jack, Stephen
We All Stand Tall on the Quarterdeck, Son, Chapter 2 by justincase; Aubreyad; PG; Jack, Stephen
On the Repair of Ships and Men by binz and sidhebeingbrand; Hornblower; PG13; Usually it’s Hornblower who can’t shut his mind off, who balks at the darknesses his mind throws up to him. Today, on the Nonsuch, it’s his good solid Bush struggling with his hindbrain, and it’s up to Hornblower to take up the mantle of the wise sailor who knows that fantasies don’t change a man’s worth.
May They Never Meet byjustincase; Aubreyad; U; Jack; She heard a chaise in the lane; drying her hands on her apron, she walked to the front door.
The Man Who Felt Chilled by binz and sidgebeingbrand; Hornblower; NC-17; Horatio Hornblower/William Bush, Prowse; Years ago, then-Midshipman Bush brought a couple of embarrassing souvenirs back from shore leave. He's used to them and used to concealing them, and doesn’t think of them much, except when the weather turns cold. One night on Hotspur, Captain Hornblower discovers what he’s been hiding.

Son et Lumière:
From hmsacasta_feed: Flotilla Reenactment
From hmsacasta_feed; Royal Navy purser
From hmsacasta_feed: Darcy in Royal Navy
From hmsacasta_feed: Royal Navy Doctor at Tall Ships Brockville

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:
From hmsacasta_feed: July Business
From austenblog:In Which Giant Colin-in-the-Pond Moves the Editrix to Song
From austenblog: Things That Make You Go 'Hmmmmm'

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read will be reading The Mauritius Command Chapter Ten this weekend

Rec of the Week:
A long-time favourite fic of mine, this week. Recently reposted here to DW, I present Sharpe's Descent by farothiels_fic; Sharpe; PG13; Sharpe, Wellington, Richard Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: I would like to wish a very special Happy Birthday to our own dear esteven who is responsible for keeping a good deal of the AoS fandom going, and especially with starting mandc_read. I would also like to remind you all that if you want a link to your ficcage to be included in Despatches, you need to include a title and rating as well as what fandom it is for.

Fanfic:
Phobos and Deimos by josbanks; Aubreyad; PG; Sophie/Jack; Sophie considers the realities of motherhood in Ashgrove Cottage
Artem Armatorium by josbanks; Aubreyad; NC-17; Jack/Stephen; : Stephen invites Jack to the Crown for dinner and some long-awaited privacy

Son et Lumière:
Video: Battle Stations: HMS Victory posted by hmsacasta_feed
Video: Myths of Nelson's Navy posted by hmsacasta_feed

Of historical interest:
vanilla_elf posts Extraordinary 18th Century Sewing Box. Sew cute

Miscellany and meta:
hmsacasta_feed posts A campsite
From hmsacasta_feed: Lt. Ramsey's Summer Project
josbanks posts Blast from the Past: Quizilla: Which Aubrey-Maturin bookverse character are you?
vanilla_elf posts Audiobook: Damien O'Hare narrates 'Facts of Fiction' by Norman Collins

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read will be reading Chapter Three of The Mauritius Command this weekend.
feroxargentea posts All the Erudition in the World
esteven posts FFA to M&C Chapter 10 - Edited - Breaking News

Rec of the Week:
I try not to blow my own trumpet in this section and link to works by other people. Having said that, however, I would like to recommend one of my own works, which I linked to in the earliest issues of this newsletter. Sharpe's Marines by sharpiefan; Sharpe; PG; Sharpe, OCs; What did Sharpe and the Marines of HMS Pucelle really make of each other? (This is a multi-part fic and each part contains a link to the next.)

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: HOW late? I am sorry! Won't be so late next time!

Fanfic:
What It Really Is - Interlude #1 by mmejavert; Les Miserables/OTC; PG13; Grantaire, Jack Sparrow; July, 1832. Grantaire can't live in France anymore, and sets off to see the world, taste new kinds of alcohol, and try to forget. An unforgettable and irrepressible pirate captain crosses his path and helps him with that...

Son et Lumière:
Picspam: feroxargentea posts Pictures of Surprise in dry dock
Fanvid: Sailing by sharpiefan; General Age of Sail vid

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:
From hmsacasta_feed: To Our Ships at Sea
From hmsacasta_feed: Rules to Observe in Roasting
From hmsacasta_feed: food at Sea
From hmsacasta_feed: Ship's Bisket
From hmsacasta_feed: From the Surgeon's personal log, #24
From hmsacasta_feed: A Voyage to New South Wales, or, Mr Midshipman Raley's Adventures Begin

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read read Chapter Six of HMS Surprise last weekend (comments still welcome!)

Rec of the Week:
Sharpe's Respect by sharpiefan; Sharpe; G; Sharpe, Edrington; After Talavera, a new officer arrives to take command of the South Essex. Will he and Sharpe see eye to eye?

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: Please pardon the belatedness of this week's Despatches. Have a good weekend!

Fanfic:
Sharpe's Descent - 3rd August 1809 part 1 by farothiels_fic; PG13; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Marquess Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.
Sharpe's Descent - 3rd August 1809 part 2 by farothiels_fic; PG13; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Marquess Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.
Sharpe's Descent - 3rd August 1809 part 3 by farothiels_fic; PG13; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Marquess Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.
Sharpe's Descent - 4-15th August 1809 by farothiels_fic; PG13; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Marquess Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.
Sharpe's Descent - 20th August 1809 by farothiels_fic; PG13; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Marquess Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.
Sharpe's Descent - 21st-22nd August 1809 by farothiels_fic; PG13; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Marquess Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.
Sharpe's Descent - 22nd August 1809 cont'd by farothiels_fic; PG13; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Marquess Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.
Sharpe's Descent - Epilogue: Asquerosa by farothiels_fic; PG13; Richard Sharpe, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and Marquess Wellesley; Sharpe acquires a father. Initially, neither he nor Sir Arthur are made terribly happy by this turn of events.
Sharpe's Descent: Gold by farothiels_fic; Sharpe; PG13; Wellington, Sharpe, Hogan; Wellington loses a bet
Five StC Fics I Am Not Writing by le_russe_satan; show the Colours; PG-13; Torrington/Hunter, some Sharpe/Wellesley

Son et Lumière:
From hmsacasta_feed: Images of Life at Sea #15
From hmsacasta_feed: Images of Life at Sea #16
From hmsacasta_feed: Images of Life at Sea #17
From hmsacasta_feed: Images of Life at Sea #18
From hmsacasta_feed: Images of Life at Sea #19
Something in the expression on this blue-footed booby seems familiar by josbanks

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:
From hmsacasta_feed: March Business
mmejavert links to An essay by a favourite author on her experience of re-reading Master and Commander

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read will be reading Chapter 4 of HMS Surprise this weekend

Rec of the Week: Just to prove that it's not just fangirls who are slightly crazy about their fandom, I present you with a performance of a piece of classical music. The Hornblower Suite was written after reading CS Forester's Hornblower novels. And for something more along the lines of fandom as we know it, have a 'traditional' fanvid: Everybody Knows (Hornblower vid to a McFly song)

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: Well, we're coming to the end of another week. I hope it's been a good one for all of you?

Fanfic:
The Flogging Profession by toft; Aubreyad; NC-17; Jack/Stephen; In which Stephen has a fancy for being flogged, and Jack is terrible at roleplay.
On Solitude by toft; Aubreyad; Gen; Jack/Stephen; Jack and Stephen accidentally become telepathically bonded, but Stephen still has to complete his mission in Minorca.
Birds of a Feather by toft; Aubreyad; R; Jack/Stephen; Stephen is briefly indisposed (viz., a penguin), but things change remarkably little.
Cabin Fever by heather_mist; Aubreyad; G; Sophie and Cecilia Williams; Sophie and Cecilia Williams get an insight into Jack’s ideas about interior decoration in the Great Cabin of HMS Lively

Son et Lumière:
Screencaps: chrsvg posts Farewell My Queen screencaps
Podfic: Formosi Peuri by ione read by luzula; Aubreyad; PG-13; Jack, Stephen, Diana; Jack Aubrey is sent out in another small ship in order to convey Stephen on a secret mission. He takes some of his old crew along, to the disgust of one of the non-coms.

Of historical interest:
From hmsacasta_feed: The Butcher's Bill Aboard HMS Amelia
From hmsacasta_feed: Don't let the Press-Gang Catch You
oursin posts 100 London Things 72: Georgian houses with shop-fronts and working gas lamps

Miscellany and meta:
From hmsacasta_feed: February Business

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read will be reading Chapter one of HMS Surprise this weekend.

Rec of the Week:
The Little War by orphan_account; Sharpe; R; Teresa Moreno, Blas Vivar, Michael Hogan, Patrick Harper, Richard Sharpe; When French soldiers raid her hometown in the summer of 1808, Teresa Moreno's life is destroyed in one single day. Building a new life for herself takes much longer and happens just as unexpectedly.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.