I recommend as do others a naval series - Ellis K Meacham's trilogy about the Bombay Marine. It even has a sly Hornblower sighting in the first book. This trilogy dates from the 60's and 70's but was just released in eBook. The first book is
The East Indiaman
Thunderchild Publishing have reissued as e-books
UK price £2.00 US seems to be $2.99 (Amazon, Nook, Kobo)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0161WG2MA/
http://www.amazon.com/Percival-Merew...dp/B0161WG2MA/
This publisher also offers :-
The Fox series by Adam Hardy
Various series by Victor Suthren and by D. A. Rayner
Yankee Privateer by Andre Norton
Stand and Deliver by Andre Norton
And even SF
Thunderchild Publishing home page
http://www.ourworlds.net/thunderchild/