There is a fine line between privateer and pirate, between friend and foe.
The life of the world’s greatest modern artist by one of Britain’s greatest artists. 'Positive, original, diverting and highly effective.’ – Sunday Times ‘This biography achieves that rare distinction of never having a dull page.’ – Independent on Sunday
In this, the first of Patrick O’Brian’s much lauded Aubrey–Maturin novels, discover a vibrant world conjured by a master storyteller, rich with detail and character.
The adventure continues . . .
On Desolation Island, with the known world out of reach, uneasy alliances are sometimes forged…
Whether close to home or far away, there are no safe harbours while Napoleon seeks to dominate the known world.
How far will a man go in the name of revenge, honour, love or simple survival?
Loving someone, in a time of war and divided loyalties, can be the greatest risk of all.
To whom does one’s true allegiance lie?
Can Captain Jack Aubrey and his crew defy the odds, and outmanoeuvre the French, to take two small but vital islands in the Indian Ocean?
Britain and America are newly at war, and Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are caught in the very thick of the action.
Whether on land or at sea, can Jack Aubrey stay one step ahead of his enemies?