A Divided Command: A John Pearce Adventure

1794: Stationed in the Mediterranean, John Pearce finds himself entangled in a political plot and fighting against a superior force of Barbary corsairs.

David Donachie delivers yet another fun and fast naval yarn in the tradition of Forester and O’Brian, with the added interest of a hero struggling with his not-exactly-chosen career, and lots of fascinating insight on the workings of the Mediterranean Fleet in the 1790s.

1794: The Mediterranean is proving dangerous waters for John Pearce and his Pelicans. Having left his lover, Emily, the wife of his mortal enemy Ralph Barclay, in the Tuscan port of Leghorn, Pearce is detained in Naples. When he unknowingly delivers a letter promoting the shady and incompetent Admiral Hotham, Pearce finds himself entangled in a political plot that soon puts those closest to him at peril.

When reunited with Emily, John Pearce faces a losing battle to maintain her reputation. Emily sees no future for herself with Pearce and leaves while he is conveying private letters for Horatio Nelson to the British Ambassador, Sir William Hamilton. Learning of her departure, Pearce sets off in pursuit. At the same time, he takes on a superior Barbary corsairs force that has targeted the merchant ship on which Emily is traveling, the Sandown Castle.

Outgunned by a barbaric opponent, John Pearce’s chances of survival—and those of Emily and Pearce’s crew—are dubious. And even if they can win this fierce battle, another threat looms on the horizon, as Pearce is not the only one chasing Emily. Ralph Barclay has learned of his wife’s desertion and is on his way to recapture her.

• | Author: David Donachie
• | Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
• | Publication Date: May 01, 2023
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781493061815
• | ISBN-10: 149306181X