By Force of Arms

As the War of Independence begins in earnest, American merchant seamen prepare to strike the first blows.

None strikes more deftly than Isaac Biddlecomb, captain of the Judea, whose smuggling activities are making a mockery of His Majesty’s Royal Navy. Pursued by HMS Rose, he sacrifices the ship he loved to the depths, together with the fortune he stood to gain, rather than surrender.

On the run fro...