First published 2007
Captain Jeremiah Brown commands a makeshift fleet of four wooden vessels purchased on borrowed money by cash-strapped Texas revolutionaries in the 1830s. His small navy patrols the Gulf of Mexico as American settlers who moved to Mexican Texas battle for independence from an unstable government in Mexico City. Brown's ships face constant threats from Mexican forces, but the greatest danger comes from within. Texas politicians argue fiercely over whether the navy serves any purpose or wastes precious resources. Sailors go months without wages while their vessels rot from neglect. In April 1836, Brown leads a crucial naval engagement off Matamoros that helps prevent the collapse of the fledgling republic. Yet even as his crews fight to defend their new nation, they struggle against political infighting that threatens to destroy what they've sacrificed to build. The story follows these determined sailors as they navigate both enemy waters and the treacherous currents of Texas politics, knowing that their small fleet might be all that stands between independence and defeat.
Genres: historical-fiction, american, military-fiction, adventure, action, 19th-century, naval-history, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Texas, Mexico City, Matamoros, Gulf of Mexico
Period: 1830s
397 pages · Paperback · POTOMAC BOOKS