When there is gold then there will be those who wish to take it. If the gold is aboard a ship then there will be pirates. Thomas is a former slave who has become a gunner on a Spanish galleon. His life is no less parlous than when he was a slave but through courage and determination, not to mention more than a little luck, he becomes successful and joins Francisco Pizzaro as the conquistador conquers an empire with less than 200 men.
I loved writing this book. It gave me the chance to look at the meeting of two worlds- Europe and the Incan Empire. I was also fascinated by the conquest of such a vast empire by less than 200 men. It beggars belief. Written through the eyes of an English gunner I have tried to be faithful to the period and the people.
