As the streets of Paris are overrun with revolutionary fervour, England prepares for the inevitable war with France. Along the south coast, the Royal Navy readies its fleet and its most capable officers. Lieutenant Charles Hayden is a man of undeniable ability. The son of an Englishman, his allegiance to the English Crown is beyond dispute. But, with a French mother, and without any influence in the Admiralty, he is seemingly overlooked for his first commission as Master and Commander. Instead, he is posted to an ageing frigate, the Themis, under the command of Captain Josiah Hart, a man known throughout the service as 'Faint Hart'. When the Themis takes to sea to hunt the enemy, Lieutenant Hayden is immediately caught between a tyrannical captain and a crew pushed to the verge of mutiny. Disaffection turns to violence, and Hayden is torn between honour and duty, as the magnificent Royal Navy engages the French in a centuries-old struggle for power.

Russell's encyclopedic command of nautical lore, joined to his rare ability to spin a ripping yarn, combine to place the reader right in the middle of the action, of which there is plenty. * Neal Stephenson *
Russell's encyclopedic command of nautical lore, joined to his rare ability to spin a ripping yarn, combine to place the reader right in the middle of the action, of which there is plenty. * Neal Stephenson *

Sean Thomas Russell is a lifelong sailor whose passion for the sea - and his love of nautical history - inspired the adventures of Charles Hayden. His latest book follows bestsellers A Battle Won, Under Enemy Colours and A Ship of War. Until the Sea Shall Give Her Up Dead is his latest novel. Sean lives on Vancouver Island.