In the 15th volume in the popular high-seas nautical adventure series featuring naval hero Thomas Kydd, an Admiralty summons to England cuts short Kydd's service in the Caribbean. While the crew of L'Aurore look forward to liberty and prize money, a shadow hangs over her captain: the impending court martial of Kydd's one-time commander, Commodore Popham, who led a doomed attack on South America. Following Nelson's death two years earlier, England is in desperate need of heroes and Kydd's Caribbean exploits are the talk of London. Feted by the king and a grateful country, Kydd is soon on detachment in the dangerous Dardanelles connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea and providing a route to India. The French have long coveted this route, knowing that it could be the key to toppling the British Empire in India. When they successfully whip up such strong anti-English sentiment that the British ambassador to Constantinople has to flee to L'Aurore , a deadly stand-off ensues. Meanwhile Kydd's closest friend, Nicholas Renzi, has assumed a new role that he can never make public. Sent under alias on a mission to Constantinople, Renzi must engineer a coup that will turn the tables on the French. But when he's taken prisoner, only Kydd's superb seamanship and sheer bravado can save the day. A rousingly exciting and delicious full-immersion in the perils of seafaring and society during the great Age of Sail! -- Dewey Lambdin, author of the Alan Lewrie series Period dialect and seagoing argot aplenty add credibility to the adventure, and the unworldly Kydd is an apt lens for the reader's journey. ― Publishers Weekly Comparable to C.C. Humphreys’s Jack Absolute series and the naval tales of the great Patrick O’Brian. ― Library Journal Well-written mixture of high-seas adventure and character-based drama . . . impossible not to enjoy. ― Booklist The vantage point of the common sailor gives the nautical novel a fresh twist. In Stockwin’s hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world. ― The Guardian Stockwin's writing is enriched by his own experiences in the Royal Navy, which gives scenes of fighting and tempest an authenticity to delight anyone who shares his passion for the sea. ― Daily Telegraph Elegantly plotted . . . the writing has the power of a broadside at close range. ― Oxford Times Stockwin's descriptions of the bloody reality of naval combat 200 years ago are memorably vivid, and reveal a profound respect for the seamen who were willing to sacrifice their lives to help save their country. ― Yorkshire Evening Post Written with authoritative detail by a gifted storyteller who is passionate about the Great Age of Sail. ― Western Morning News Likable Tom and his shipmates make a snug fit in that page-turning Forester and O'Brian tradition—thanks to retired Royal Navy author Stockwin. ― Kirkus Reviews Stockwin continues to display his talents in transporting his audience from the 21st century to the chaotic worlds of Kydd, Renzi, and their imperiled homeland. . . . [He] goes into action with swords drawn and cannons and carronades blasting. -- Historical Novels Review Online Stockwin deftly recreates time and place so readers become immersed in the intrigue and adventure that unfolds . . . Stalwart fans of Stockwyn and the Kydd series will find this an engrossing tale rife with unusual encounters and noteworthy action. ― Pirates and Privateers At the age of fourteen, Julian Stockwin went to TS Indefatigable , a tough sea-training school. He joined the British Royal Navy at fifteen before transferring to the Royal Australian Navy, where he served for eight years in the Far East, the Antarctic, and the South Seas. Retired as a lieutenant commander, he lives in Devon, England, with his wife and literary partner, Kathy.