The Devil Upon the Wave

Autumn 1671Sir Matthew Quinton is on a mission of vengeance, four years in the making. For in 1667, England suffered the worst defeat in her naval history, at the hands of the Dutch, who, not content with attacking and destroying British ships in their own waters, added insult to injury by towing away the flagship Royal Charles.The shame and humiliation is too much for this king's captain of the seas to bear. He must recapture the Charles and redeem his country's honour - but little does he know what fate awaits the rescue mission...The story details the drama of the Dutch attacks on the Medway and Landguard Fort, recounts the heroism of both attackers and defenders, reveals the shocking failings at the highest levels of Charles II's court, and sees Matthew confront a terrible dilemma - finding himself aboard an enemy man-of-war as it sails into battle against his own side. This timely novel commemorates the 350th anniversary of this event, through a witty and action-packed account, which remains to this day a cautionary tale for Britain's defenders to never be caught off guard again... Praise for J D Davies: "A series of real panache" - The Times"Hornblower, Aubrey and Quinton - a pantheon of the best adventures at sea!" - Conn Iggulden"Exciting, emotive and utterly convincing, the Quinton Journals lead the field in naval historical fiction"-Dr Sam Willis, TV presenter and author of Fighting Ships, The Fighting Temeraire, The Admiral Benbow & The Glorious First of June.'Finely shaded characters, excellent plotting, gut-clenching action and immaculate attention to period naval detail...these are superb books' - Angus Donald, author of The Outlaw Chronicles J D Davies won the Samuel Pepys prize for Pepys's Navy , his comprehensive study of the period, and is also the author of Kings of the Sea: Charles II, James II and the Royal Navy. He is Vice-President of both the Navy Records Society and the Society for Nautical Research, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. This is the eighth book in his bestselling series 'the Journals of Matthew Quinton'.