Under the Ensign of the Rising Sun

A false accusation ends Paul Swinburne's naval career at seventeen and a half. His cousin Bob Carr has directed suspicion towards him, but Paul refuses to expose Bob at his trial because he fears the effect on the aunt and uncle who raised him. Arriving in London with his future unsettled, he turns to his friend Ronald Gordon's father for advice. Harry Collingwood opens this adventure with a conflict between personal honour and loyalty to family.

The Russo-Japanese War provides the setting for a story that moves from disgrace to the immediate demands of service at sea. On a quiet night, Paul keeps watch aboard the destroyer Kasanumi and notices a submarine's periscope ahead of the vessels following him. He must assess its likely target and prepare his crew while accounting for unreliable torpedoes. The first-person account brings together a young officer's efforts to rebuild his prospects and the watchfulness required on dangerous waters. Readers of naval fiction will find technical detail woven into decisions made under pressure.