In 1797 Thomas Kydd, once a press-ganged wig-maker, is a master's mate and a volunteer on a dangerous mission into the tumultuous final days of the Venetian republic. But arriving home, Kydd finds himself at the centre of the most extraordinary event of his young life - the Mutiny at the Nore.
Ten thousand men, one thousand guns and scores of ships hold the country to ransom. The government is near collapse; the economy on the brink of ruin. And Kydd is faced with a terrible choice. Abandon his friends and shipmates? Or join the rebellion and put his career - and his life - on the line?