A young wig-maker is seized and sent aboard the Duke William where he learns the harsh realities of shipboard life fast. Through the danger, he falls in love with the life and, in a complete about face, becomes a true sailor and defender of Britain at war.

England, 1794. Thomas Paine Kydd and the crew of shipwrecked sailors have returned to England for the court-martial of the sole surviving officer of Her Majesty's frigate Artemis. As a result, Kydd and his mate Nicholas Renzi are forcibly shipped off to the Caribbean.

In this fifth adventure Kydd passes a tough examination for his lieutenancy but feels out of place among the high born officers. Later he is caught up in the intrigue surrounding the birth of the American Navy and must use quick wits and superior seamanship to survive.

"The seventh Kydd adventure finds Thomas Kydd with his own command at last: the brigsloop Teazer! But Kydd must race the clock to make her battle-ready to defend Malta against Barbary pirates. Soon peace is declared, and the young captain finds himself ashore on half pay. To make ends meet, he agrees to transport convicts to Australia and unexpetedly must offer passage to his friend Renzi as well. There, at the ends of the earth, they will be forced...

"In this ninth installment in the Kydd series, Lieutenant Thomas Kydd faces implacable enemies in high places as he reels from the death of his fianc©♭e and the loss of his brig, Teazer. Framed and unfairly dismissed from his ship, he and his friend Renzi struggle to survive in Guernsey while they attempt to clear Kydd's name. Then Renzi is hired by a mysterious nobleman and reluctantly engages in covert operations, while Kydd becomes captain of...

Napoleon Bonaparte continues planning for the invasion of England as Admiral Horatio Nelson and the Royal Navy patrol the seas, seeking out their elusive enemy. When convoluted political machinations in England lead to the impeachment of the head of the Navy, Commander Thomas Kydd is forced to choose sides. Eager to take on the real enemy, Kydd decides to join Nelsons squadron just before the Battle of Trafalgar, the greatest sea encounter of all...

Cape Colony is proving a tiresome assignment for Thomas Kydds daring commander-in-chief Commodore Popham: South Americas Spanish colonies are in a ferment of popular unrest. Rumors of a treasure hoard of Spanish silver spur him to assemble a makeshift invasion fleet and launch a bold attack on the capital of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate in Buenos Aires. Navigating the treacherous bars and mud flats of the river, the British invasion force wins...

"Word has come from the British ambassador Arbuthnot that the neutral Turks are being wooed by the French and if the ancient city of Constantinople falls into their hands, Napoleon's route to India will be completely unfettered and his plans for world domination a reality. Concerned for his safety, Arbuthnot is demanding a large fleet presence to take him off and bring the Turks to their senses. Braving treacherous currents, unreliable winds, and...

"Napoleon Bonaparte's ambitions for world domination are growing apace, when Captain Sir Thomas Kydd returns to take up command of his ship Tyger, he finds himself called to be part of a great armada on a mission of the utmost urgency. Britain is alone and isolated in Europe. If the kingdom is to thwart a deadly threat she must move very quickly to secure her position with neutral Denmark. A desperate decision is made by the Cabinet. It sends a sea...

1808. Parted from his new bride, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is called away to join the Northern Expedition to Sweden, now Britain's only ally in the Baltic. Following the sudden declaration of war by Russia and with the consequent threat of the czar's great fleet in St Petersburg, the expedition must defend Britain's dearly-won freedom in those waters. However Kydd finds his popular fame as a frigate captain is a poisoned chalice; in the face of jealousy...

1809. After his heroic actions during the retreat to Corunna, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is the toast of London society. Here he falls in with the legendary frigate captain, Lord Thomas Cochrane. So begins a relationship, professional and personal, that will be unlike any that Kydd has known: a relationship that will lead him, almost simultaneously, to first glory, then ruin. The French fleet is massing in the Basque Roads in a near impregnatable position....

'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' - Daily Express BALKAN GLORY, the next mesmerizing tale in the Kydd series.

"1812. Off the coast of Brazil, HMS Java, a proud British 38-gun frigate, is captured in battle by the American USS Constitution--signaling across the world's oceans a challenge to Britain's naval premiership that cannot be ignored. Back in England, Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is enjoying a moment of normal life with his wife and his newborn son. With his Thunderer in dock receiving some well-earned repairs he is, momentarily, without a command. It's...