By the Mast Divided

London: 1793. Young firebrand John Pearce on the run from the authorities is illegally press-ganged from the Pelican tavern into brutal life aboard HMS Brilliant a frigate on her way to war. In the first few days Pearce discovers the Navy is a world in which he can prosper. And he is not alone; he is drawn to a group of men who eventually form an exclusive gun crew the Pelicans with Pearce their elected leader. During an action-packed two weeks as HMS Brilliant chases a French privateer across the English Channel these disparate men form friendships that will last a lifetime.