Glory — David O'Neil

Jonathon Hope, a galley slave on a Spanish ship, saw the opportunity to escape while unloading cargo in Ajaccio. With fellow slave Midshipman Andrew Fox-Gilbert, he leads the escape from their captors. Followed by the entire group of slaves they break for freedom.  Recovering a captured English Cutter, in Ajaccio harbour, they sail to Gibraltar, Taking a damaged galley as a prize on the way. An encounter with a female agent, leads to further contacts in association with intelligence agents through Glory's career.  Thus begins the saga of HMS Gloire (Glory- a captured French Corvette) the story of Jonathon Hope and his rise to command Glory in action from the Baltic, to the Caribbean and the American continent. His crew composed mainly of the freed galley slaves he led in the escape. The story of Glory highlights sea warfare in the era from 1750 to 1800