BEFORE THE MAST

A dark but at times humorous, tale of the brutal life of a powder monkey in the 18th century Royal Navy. (The Adventures of Dan Leake. Book 1)

1719. Great Britain is at war with Spain. When his mother dies, fourteen year old Dan Leake finds himself alone on the mean streets of Bristol. Faced with starvation or the workhouse, he stows away on a British man-o-war, hoping to find his father who had been pressed into the Royal Navy years before. Falsely accused of theft, Dan is shunned by his shipmates and bullied by the sadistic bosun, as he endures the brutal life aboard an eighteenth century warship. He finally discovers the real thief, and his courage, at the bloody Battle of Cape St. Vincent. At his moment of triumph, he realises too late that his most dangerous enemies are on board his own ship, and Dan is cast adrift in the wide Atlantic Ocean. His despair lifts when a strange ship plucks him from the sea. But will it prove to be his salvation or his doom? Before the Mast is Book 1 of, The Adventures of Dan Leake trilogy.

Historical drama at its best

Colorful story line , witty humor , interesting characters good narrator, require more on this intriguing saga