Upon a Sea of Stars — A. Bertram Chandler

The fifth omnibus edition of the classic science fiction of A. Bertram Chandler's John Grimes books and stories in this renowned SF space-faring saga. Contains Into the Alternate Universe, Contraband from Otherspace, The Rim Gods (1969) -- a story collection, The Commodore at Sea (a.k.a. Alternate Orbits, 1971) -- four novellas.

Pipe-smoking, action-loving spaceship commander Lieutenant John Grimes (think Captain Kirk with more of a navy, salty attitude) moves out of the Federation navy and finds his true calling adventuring along the spaceways of the galactic rim.

Number five in the collected adventures of the legendary John Grimes of the Galactic Rim series, including four novels:

Into the Alternate Universe (1964)
Contraband from Otherspace (1967)
The Rim Gods (1969)--story collection
The Commodore at Sea (a.k.a. Alternate Orbits, 1971) -- four novelets