Artemis

In the great age of fighting sail, life ranging the seas for prey and prize money in the crack frigate HMS Artemis is fast and exciting. It is also a world away from the harsh experience of a man pressed aboard the old ship-of-the-line Duke William that was wig-maker Thomas Paine Kydd's brutal introduction to the sea.

Now a true Jack Tar, Kydd sails into Portsmouth Harbour and a hero's welcome after a ferocious battle against the French. However, his jubilation is cut short when a family matter threatens to take him from the life he has grown to love; he must return to Guildford.

But the sea beckons irresistibly and Kydd manages to ship out again in his beloved Artemis - a voyage that will take him to the fabled East and present him with fierce challenges, both personal and physical. Finally homeward bound, he faces death itself in the cruel waters of the Great Southern Ocean.

'Artemis' is based on dramatic real events and is classic storytelling at its very best - fast-paced and filled with exceptional characters.