In this thrilling adventure full of danger, action and intrigue, the master who was the model for bestselling authors such as Clive Cussler and Bernard Cornwell returns to his longest-running series, taking fans back to the very roots of the Courtney family saga.

The son of pirate and merchant Sir Francis Courtney, Henry "Hal" Courtney grew up at sea. When the war between the English and Dutch empires began, his father, fighting for the English crown, attacked the fleet of the Dutch East India Company off the coast of Africa. This bravery was met with betrayal and Sir Francis was executed. His grief-stricken son witnessed his death and dedicated his young adult life to avenging his father's name.

Twenty years of war have now passed. It is now 1784, and a truce has been reached between the English and Dutch, ending years of naval battles. Hal has changed too. He became the captain of his own ship and will soon become a father himself. Leading his crew through the waves of danger, Hal pilots his ship, the Golden Bough, from the slave markets of Zanzibar to the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean in search of fortune and treasure.

But although the war is over, the final battle is not yet won. Hal will soon realize that the more one achieves, the more one has to lose. . . .

Filled with daring action and thrilling adventure, this magnificent novel breathes new life into one of Wilbur Smith's best-loved family sagas and confirms his status as our “best historical novelist” (Stephen King).