The eighth volume of the Honor series, which follows the career of an American naval intelligence officer, Commander Peter Wake, is set in 1886. The story begins in New York City, where a meeting with naval historian and rising politico Theodore Roosevelt sets in motion a chain of events that take Wake to Cuba, where he risks his life trying to put a lid on revolutionaries operating between Cuba and Florida. Faithful readers might recall that, with the seventh entry in the series (The Honored Dead, 2009), the author switched literary gears, shifting from third-person to first-person narrative. He continues that approach here, presenting the story as though it were written by Wake himself, years after the events. This device removes the element of immediacy (we know the story took place nearly a decade ago, so reducing suspense) but adds depth to Wake’s character, allowing us to see more of what goes on beneath his surface. A solid entry in this popular series.

– Booklist

My advice is to sign on early and set sail with Peter Wake for both solid historical context and exciting sea stories!

– Admiral James Stavridis, Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander (2009–2013) and dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (2013–2018)

At last we have an American character the equivalent of Hornblower or Aubrey.

– John Prados, author of Safe for Democracy: The Secret Wars of the CIA

Macomber is the O'Brian of the Caribbean.

– Randy Wayne White, author of the bestselling Doc Ford series

The Peter Wake novels are more than just gripping stories about life at sea—they offer a carefully rendered, historically accurate imagining of America's naval history in the second half of the 19th century.

– Clay Risen, author of The Crowded Hour: Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders and the Dawn of the American Century

Macomber is today's foremost practitioner of a fascinating subgenre—historical fiction of the nautical variety. Building his series on the imagined autobiography of Peter Wake, he's given readers a vivid, multi-dimensional hero. Macomber makes the remarkable times he portrays glow. . . . History comes alive.

– Philip K. Jason, Professor Emeritus, United States Naval Academy, and author of Acts and Shadows: The Vietnam War in American Literary Culture

Robert Macomber writes well and inspiringly so—giving voice to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps and its officers and enlisted men (ratings) now lost to memory. . . . Does Wake work? Yes, in many ways he captures the essential—which is, no doubt, why he has so many followers on both sides of the Pacific and Atlantic.

– The NAVY

Peter Wake continues to emerge as an American hero worthy of his counterparts in naval fiction.

– George Jepson, Tall Ships Books