Sloop of War (Richard Bolitho, #6)

April 1778, English Harbour, Antigua. As the French enter the American War of Independence in earnest, young Richard Bolitho is given his first command: Sparrow--a fast, well-armed fighting sloop. At last he has the chance to prove his abilities as a junior captain. But he faces other challenges too, threats as real and deadly as the enemy itself.