This book is a compendium of 2 individual novels by Dan Parkinson:
- The Fox & the Flag - first published 1990.
- The Fox & the Fortune - first published 1992
The Fox & the Flag: As captain of the 18-gun Fury, ex-British naval officer Patrick Dalton escorts merchant ships through the treacherous colonial war zones, where English ships search for rebels and ruthlessly confiscate valuable cargo. Accused of treason by the Crown, Dalton is a man without a flag, relentlessly pursued by Felix Croney, who has vowed to bring him to justice. Now he and this sworn enemy are about to meet in a deadly duel of nerves and wit. But to save his freedom, Dalton will do whatever he must to win - even if it means taking Croney as his prisoner....
The Fox & the Fortune: Spring 1778: the initial skirmishing in the rebellion of the American colonies is now over. Aboard the Fury, Patrick Dalton and his crew find a derelict 3 master that the feared pirate Jack Shelby and his cut-throats have looted and set adrift, believing they have murdered the whole crew. But two hidden survivors can unmask Shelby's land-based spy in the Colonies, and a fortune of stolen booty. Dalton knows it is only a matter of time before the avenging Valkyrie seeks him out. Shelby's great predator ship will be pitted against Dalton's skill in naval combat in a furious sea battle that will spell disaster for the loser....