''Yankee Mission is a jewel in Julian Stockwin''s crown as a master in naval fiction, with a ship-to-ship fight so vivid that the battle''s sounds and scents fly off the pages like lethal wooden splinters'' - Quarterdeck
1812. Off the coast of Brazil, HMS Java, a proud British 38-gun frigate, is captured in battle by the American USS Constitution - signaling across the world''s oceans a challenge to Britain''s naval premiership that cannot be ignored.
Back in England Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is enjoying a moment of normal life with his wife and his newborn son. With his Thunderer in dock receiving some well-earned repairs he is, momentarily, without a command. It''s a position the Admiralty does not leave him in for long, and he is soon given a mission: engage the young republic in a fair fight, frigate against frigate, and restore the Navy''s reputation. And they have just the ship and crew for him . . . Tyger.
