It was an age of empire, an age of contrast, and an age of dramatic
change--and one which would determine the destinies of nations as well
as of men.
Captain Philip Blackwood of the Royal Marines rejoins his ship, HMS
Audacious, in August of 1850, anxious to get back into action. "Per
Mare--Per Terram" is the marines' motto. In the torturous heat of
Africa, where they are sent to stamp out the remaining strongholds of
slavery, and later, in the bitter war of the Crimea, Philip Blackwood
and his men learn to obey it without question.
The first novel in an enthralling and colourful saga, spanning 150 years
in the history of a great seafaring family and the tradition in which
they served, Badge of Glory is a stunning new departure for one of
Britain's master storytellers.