The Rage of Fortune (Matthew Quinton s Journals)

Description

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 Chronicles J 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.