Books by John Danielski

Deep within each man, lies the secret knowledge of whether he is a stalwart or a coward. Three years an un-blooded Royal Marine, 1st Lieutenant Thomas Pennywhistle will finally "meet the lion," protecting HMS Bellerophon at the Battle of Trafalgar. Not only will Pennywhistle be responsible for the lives of 72 marines aboard Bellerophon but their direction will fall entirely on his shoulders since his fellow Marine officers consist of a boy, a card shark, and a dying consumptive. If he has what it takes to command, it will take everything he's got. In the course of the battle, he will encounter marvels and terrors; from valiant foes to women performing miracles, from the skill of acrobats to the luck of the ship's cat, from a dead man still full of fight to a coward who has none. He and his Marines will meet enemy élan will with trained volleys and disciplined bayonets. Most of all, he will meet himself; discovering just how dark his true nature really is. Europe will be changed forever by Trafalgar, and so will Pennywhistle.

It's the summer of 1814, and Captain Thomas Pennywhistle of the Royal Marines is fighting in a New World war that should never have started, a war where the old rules of engagement do not apply. Here, runaway slaves are your best source of intelligence, treachery is commonplace, and rough justice is the best one can hope to meetor mete out. The Americans are fiercely determined to defend their new nation and the Great Experiment of the Republic; British Admiral George Cockburn is resolved to exact revenge for the burning of York, and so the war drags on. Thanks to Pennywhistle's ingenuity, observant mind, and military discipline, a British strike force penetrates the critically strategic region of the Chesapeake Bay. But this fight isn't just being waged by soldiers, and the collateral damage to innocents tears at Pennywhistle's heart.As his past catches up with him, Pennywhistle must decide what is worth fighting for, and what is worth refusing to kill forespecially when he meets his opposite number on the wrong side of a pistol.

1810: The Royal Navy of Great Britain is all that stands between Napoleon and absolute domination of Europe. Royal Marine Captain Thomas Pennywhistle is assigned to HMS Active, part of a small squadron of frigates in the Adriatic Sea. It''s considered a sideshow theatre of the war, but on those waters, one of the greatest naval battles of the age will be fought.As a Marine, Pennywhistle fights on land and sea. He leads his handful of men first against a battalion of Napoleon''s Army and finally against the French fleet in all its terrible grandeur, always leading from the front, fighting not only with weapons but by using his wit - cool and analytical where others are blinded by passion. Pennywhistle''s own passions will be aroused by the beautiful and fiercely independent Carlotta, and he will be tested by conflicts that make him question his deepest principles. HMS Active will take Pennywhistle''s measure. Will he measure up? "This is not just a rousing, edge-of-your seat nautical tale; it is also a powerfully passionate and winningly romantic love story. It is a pleasure to see a heroine who is well rounded, not a mere cipher who exists simply to be put in jeopardy and then rescued. The chemistry between hero and heroine is wonderful to behold." -Sandi Lindstrom