Heart of Oak — David Cook

It is December, 1799, and Captain of Marines Simon Gamble has been sent behind enemy lines to capture an impregnable fortress called Dominance on the Maltese island of Gozo. Gamble must lead his lightly-armed men against the prime veteran soldiers of France, in a daring and brutal fight where there can only be one winner. Success means freedom for the Gozitans from their French oppressors; failure means the marines face an unmarked grave on foreign soil. A hero and a soldier to some, but certainly no gentleman, Gamble; battle-scarred and haunted by the horrific bloodshed at the Siege of Acre prior to this mission, must fight a new guileful enemy, even if the price means death or dishonour. This is Gamble's toughest fight yet, and one he knows he cannot afford to fail. For the ultimate battle will be for revenge. Heart of Oak, is an authentic historical story set during the liberation of the Maltese Islands, the second novella in The Soldier Chronicles series.