Kydd

It is 1793. Europe blazes with war, and, to keep the French bottled up, Britain sends a naval squad to patrol the Channel. Press gangs roam the streets and Thomas Paine Kydd, a young wig-maker from Guildford, is seized. His ship, the ninety-eight-gun-line-of-battle ship DUKE WILLIAM, sails without delay and Kydd learns the harsh realities of shipboard life fast. Amidst the dangers of tempest and battle, he falls in love with the life and, in a complete about face, becomes a true sailor and defender of Britain at war. "Adventure and historical fiction fans will delight in this well-crafted yarn, the first in a planned series. " (Booklist)