Born in Edinburgh in 1944, David Donachie has had a variety of jobs, including selling everything from business machines to soap. He has always had an abiding interest in the naval history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The author of a number of bestselling books, he now lives in Deal, Kent with his wife, the novelist Sarah Grazebrook and their two children.

"In "The Perils Of Command" author David Donachie has once again written an riveting maritime novel that will enthusiastically engage the reader from beginning to end."--Midwest Book Review "The story is well researched, with strong character development, and exciting battle scenes. John Pearce is brave, reckless, opinionated, selfish and totally believable. The plot is fast-paced and brings alive life on board a warship at this period. It can be read as a standalone, although there are references to actions that have taken place in previous books. If you are a fan of the Master and Commander series, this is for you. I'm off to my local bookshop to find the rest of the series."--Historical Novels Review