By the Mast Divided

Written by David Donachie

Narrated by Peter Wickham

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Soundings
• Release date: Oct 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9781407900308

David Donachie

Born in Edinburgh in 1944, David Donachie has had a variety of jobs, including selling everything from business machines to soap. He has always had an abiding interest in the naval history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The author of a number of bestselling books, he now lives in Deal, Kent with his wife, the novelist Sarah Grazebrook and their two children.

Reviews for By the Mast Divided

[Sue Bastian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful adventure! Fabulous characters and performed by the masterful voice of Peter Wickham.