For a man who believed deeply that a mercantile fortune was greatly preferable to the glory of war, Jacob Fletcher was unlucky.

Second mate on the merchantman Bednal Green, captured by an American privateer, persuaded to sail on the US Declaration of Independence, escaping under fire to the safety of the British frigate Phiandra and finding himself aboard General Lord Howe's flagship on the glorious 1st of June - a day of terrifying battle with the French - it seemed war would follow Jacob interminably.

Neither were things easy on dry-land. Back in London, Samuel Slym, common thief with a bone to pick, was digging up the dirt on the absent Fletcher, while Lady Coignwood and her loathsome son Victor were plotting something sinister.

This follow up to John Drake's successful Fletcher's Fortune is an epic tale of exciting naval battles, raunchy encounters and murderous villains, told by a likeable rogue to rival Harry Flashman.

Fletcher's Glorious 1st of June is a gripping naval thriller from master author John Drake. It was previously published under the pen name J. C. Edwards.

'Broad comedy, high drama, plenty of action, a pinch of sex ... the genre has room for this cheerily debunking outsider' - Daily Mail

'Swashbuckling adventure on the high seas doesn't get much better than this. [...] John Drake writes beautifully, and you'll be torn between savoring the words and quickly flipping the pages. Any favorable comparison to Stevenson or Patrick O'Brian is totally justified.' - Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author

John Drake trained as a biochemist to post-doctorate research level before realizing he was no good at science. His working career was in the television department of ICI until 1999 when he became a full-time writer. John's hobby is muzzle-loading shooting, and his interests are British history and British politics (as a spectator), plus newspapers, TV news, and current affairs. He is married with a son and two grandchildren.