The Thirteen-Gun Salute (Aubrey/Maturin No. 13)

Captain Jack Aubrey sets sail for the South China Sea with a new lease on life. Following his dismissal from the Royal Navy (a false accusation), he has earned reinstatement through his daring exploits as a privateer, brilliantly chronicled in The Letter of Marque. Now he is to shepherd Stephen Maturin―his friend, ship's surgeon, and sometimes intelligence agent―on a diplomatic mission to prevent links between Bonaparte and the Malay princes which would put English merchant shipping at risk.