Amazon.com:The story begins in 1651, just after the Battle of Worcester, the final conflict of the British Civil Wars.Eleven-year-old Matthew Junior and his twin sister, Henrietta, are exploring an abandoned corner of their family home when they discover the long-forgotten papers of their grandfather.But their findings are interrupted by the arrival of Roundhead troops intent on searching for their elder brother, the tenth Earl of Ravensden, who has been seriously wounded in the Cavalier cause.Gradually, the papers of the old Earl and of some of those who knew him – including the recollections of his wife, Matthew and Herry’s grandmother – start to paint a picture of a very different world.Dating back to the year 1598, they depict the world at the turn of the seventeenth century, when England was still fighting a seemingly endless war against Spain, when William Shakespeare was writing Henry V and Julius Caesar, and when the whole country was obsessed by the question of who would succeed the ageing Queen Elizabeth.The Rage of Fortune is set against the backdrop of a series of real historical events, depicting naval actions such as the affairs of Invisible Armada, and at the Battles of Castlehaven, Kinsale and Sesimbra Bay, as well as intrigues over the succession to the English throne.Epic sword fights and dramatic naval battles will delight readers of historical fiction, both those new to the Quinton series and especially those who have followed the series thus far.Praise for J D Davies‘Swashbuckling suspense, royal intrigue, and high seas naval action . . . an excellent series’ – Publishers Weekly‘Exciting, emotive and utterly convincing, the Quinton Journals lead the field in naval historical fiction’ – Sam Willis, TV presenter and bestselling author of 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 ChroniclesJ D Davies was educated at Llanelli Grammar School and Jesus College, Oxford, where he completed a doctorate in 17th century naval history. He taught History for thirty years, chiefly at Bedford Modern School, where he also served as a Deputy Headmaster. He won the Samuel Pepys prize in 2009 for his book, Pepys's Navy: Ships, Men and Warfare 1649-89, and is also a previous winner of the Julian Corbett prize for naval history. His acclaimed series of naval historical fiction, The Journals of Matthew Quinton, has been published in the UK, North America and Germany. David is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a former Chairman of the Naval Dockyards Society and Vice-President of the Society for Nautical Research.

A looming invasion. A doomed voyage... There's blood in the water.Philippe Kermorvant, unfairly dismissed from the French Revolutionary Navy, accepts command of a privateer from its enigmatic owner. Having ignored his early misgivings, the mission quickly takes a dark turn, endangering the lives of everyone on board.Meanwhile, the British prepare for an assault on the French mainland. Lord Wilden, Philippe's cousin, is charged with overseeing the mission.As the revolutionary forces savagely clash with the combined strength of the British naval power and the French royalist rebels still harkening for the return of the monarchy, defeat for either side will prove utterly devastating.And Philippe, stuck far away from the action, will have to contend not just with the impending destruction of his own future, but the risk of losing everyone he holds dear.An utterly compelling Age of Sail adventure told in...

The first in a brilliant new series of nautical adventure novels featuring Matthew Quinton, a Restoration-era 'gentleman captain' fighting for King Charles II.

Legendary warriors, devastating sea battles, and a chance, finally, for vengeance.After a daring escape from a British prison, Philippe Kermorvant returns to France and gains command of a frigate in the Mediterranean, where France is trying to rebuild its decimated fleet.Facing overwhelming odds, the fleet is forced to flee for refuge to a fortified bay. The prospect of an interminable blockade looms, but Philippe is given leave from his command to meet an enigmatic young general, who has a mission for him.What follows is a shocking murder, a siege, a whirlwind romance and a duel to the death on the high seas, as Philippe contends with threats from every side. And amidst all this chaos, a terrible face from his past threatens to uproot everything that he has built for himself.A fascinating naval adventure of the Age of Sail told from the French perspective, perfect for fans of Hornblower and Sharpe.

Winter, 1666. A second war has broken out between the English and the Dutch . . . Captain Matthew Quinton’s fifth mission for King and country is to the Swedish court at Gothenburg. Sweden is at the height of its military power, and Quinton is charged with securing crucial support in England’s new war against her old enemy, the Dutch republic. Accompanying him is the mysterious Lord Conisborough, who – unknown to his captain – is sworn to another, secret mission involving the notorious regicide John Bale, alone among peers of the realm to sign the death warrant of Charles I. Gothenburg proves to be a hotbed of dangerously conflicting loyalties, and Quinton and crew find themselves needing help from the most unexpected quarters.

1666. The Four Days' Battle. Once again Captain Quinton finds himself in the thick of the action, fighting the Dutch in one of the epic encounters of the age of sail. But the battle is a disaster: the fleet is mysteriously divided, with part of it sent to meet a French threat that never materialises, while thousands are slaughtered by the Dutch. As popular fury turns violent, the King decides heads must roll, and Quinton is sent to rebellious, pirate-infested Plymouth to root out the source of the false intelligence that cost so many British lives. It is an unenviable role – especially when all the evidence seems to point towards an old friend and boon companion. Then Quinton receives an urgent message from his wife, the usually level-headed Cornelia, begging him to come home to London at once...