As Admiral Tovey struggles to stop heavy German units breaking out into the Atlantic, the first of three kings falls with the embattled garrison of Gibraltar. The last two, Malta and Suez, are now under threat of imminent attack.General O’Connor launches Operation Compass against the Italians only to be opposed by a dangerous new foe in the Western Desert, Erwin Rommel and his Afrika Korps. As British fortunes reach a desperate state, Volsky and Fedorov soon learn of two newcomers on the vast field of battle, and a triumvirate of powerful ships rises to the challenge, Three Kings of the sea to stand as mighty champions against a powerful combined Axis fleet.The war effort on every side is soon focused on the Middle East, and Admiral Volsky accompanies John Tovey to a fateful conference in Alexandria to meet with General Wavell. Like Three Kings of the West meeting on the field of battle, they plan the future course of the war and struggle to find some way to stop the relentless Axis juggernaut before its shadow darkens the world. Yet to do so they must also reckon with the Three Kings of the East, Sergei Kirov, Ivan Volkov and Vladimir Karpov.