This literate and witty novel profiles the complex character of John Paul Jones as he navigates the military, political and romantic battlefields of Revolutionary America and France. Rousing sea battles and daring military manoeuvres, along with a cast of vivid characters ranging from arrogant aristocrats to prostitutes, activate insightful and richly imagined depictions of life on sea and land at the birth of two nations. The tale is enlivened by racy historical cameos of such figures as Benjamin Franklin, Benedict Arnold, and the Marquis de Lafayette.