At Drake's Command: The adventures of Peregrine James during the second circumnavigation of the world - Softcover

Hill, David Wesley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0983611726 ISBN 13: 9780983611721

Publisher: Temurlone Press, 2012

Synopsis

It was as fine a day to be whipped as any he’d ever seen but the good weather didn’t make Peregrine James any happier with the situation he was in. Unfairly convicted of a crime he had not committed, the young cook was strung from the whipping post on the Plymouth quayside when he caught the eye of Francis Drake and managed to convince the charismatic sea captain to accept him among his crew. Soon England was receding in their wake and Perry was serving an unsavory collection of sea dogs as the small fleet of fragile wood ships sailed across the deep brine. Their destination was secret, known to Drake alone. Few sailors believed the public avowal that the expedition was headed for Alexandria to trade in currants. Some men suspected Drake planned a raid across Panama to attack the Spanish in the Pacific. Others were sure the real plan was to round the Cape of Storms to break the Portuguese monopoly of the spice trade. The only thing Perry knew for certain was that they were bound for danger and that he must live by his wits if he were to survive serving at Drake’s command.

About this title

About the Author

David Wesley Hill is an award-winning fiction writer with more than thirty stories published in the U.S. and internationally. In 1997 he was presented with the Golden Bridge award at the International Conference on Science Fiction in Beijing, and in 1999 he placed second in the Writers of the Future contest. Most recently, in 2011 Mr. Hill was invited to his third residency at the Blue Mountain Center, a writers and artists retreat in the Adirondacks. Mr. Hill studied under Joseph Heller and Jack Cady and received a Masters degree in creative writing from the City University of New York, as well as the school's highest literary honor, the De Jur Award. At various times he has been an executive chef for major hotels, a management consultant, and a website designer.

Review

B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree

"Readers of nautical fiction shouldn't miss this book."
-- Historical Novel Society

"At Drake's Command, by David Wesley Hill, is a godsend to readers ..."
-- Awesome Indies

"I was privileged to receive an advanced copy of At Drake's Command, which tells the story of a young cook who joins an expedition under Francis Drake.... I highly recommend it."
--Reviewed by David Hayes in HistoricNavalFiction.com

"The reader is treated to several wonderful characters--some historical, others fictional--in this opening chapter.... Whether a main character or a secondary character, Hill has given the reader excellent first impressions of them all. Finally, the ending of this chapter is outstanding. It will definitely encourage the reader to turn the page." 
--The Book Connection, First Chapter Review

"Hill is in good company with C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brien"
--Adventures of Maritime History

"At Drake's Command is a choice pick for those who like the old seafaring adventures."
-- Midwest Book Review

" ... this is an absorbingly faithful reconstruction of what it must have been like to serve on one of the great Elizabethan voyages. If you're an established fan of maritime historical fiction then I've no doubt there's much here for you to enjoy; and, for those of us who only dabble in the genre now and then, there's an endearing and resourceful hero, and moments when you suddenly understand how thrilling it must have been, to sail in a time when the land over the horizon genuinely was terra incognita."
-- The Idle Woman

"The novel is English nautical history, but written for non-nautical types like me. I found it clever, entertaining, and never too difficult to understand. I don't know what that means for fans of C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brien — I understand those books are for hard-core nautical history geeks. But if you're not entirely sure the difference between a fathom and a firkin, but you like a good story of exploration, adventure and piracy, this is a good book to check out."
-- The Book Stop

About this edition

• Publisher: Temurlone Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0983611726
• ISBN 13: 9780983611721
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 424