Hazard: The Mediterranean Years

Oliver Hazard Perry is the youngest lieutenant in the history of the United States Navy. The US has only recently won its independence and Barbary pirates prey upon American merchant vessels at will until President Jefferson has had enough and declares war. Hazard sails to the Mediterranean with orders to join an American squadron blockading Tripoli, only his captain is in no hurry to join the blockade, nor to engage pirates. Hazard's deeply ingrained belief of action over apathy lands him in trouble. At Gibraltar the English give him no hospitality, and he only escapes after he makes a new friend in an absurdly bombastic Scottish admiral.

Hazard and his frigate arrive on the blockade of Tripoli finally, and he promptly stumbles upon, and saves, a clandestine mission involving the very first US Marines. The newly promoted Commodore Preble, a man of action, selects Hazard for another mission, this time to storm a Tripolitan fortress. Hazard's support saves the day and the Barbary state of Tripoli sues for peace.

The Commodore rewards Hazard with command of the USS Nautilus, a schooner, and a secret scouting mission on the next Barbary sultanate, Tunisia. His mission is discovered by the Bey but when the Algerian ambassador almost kills the Bey's daughter Hazard saves her. At the same time Hazard discovers the ambassador has kidnapped his fellow Lieutenant and particular friend James Lawrence. The Bey offers Hazard help and confides that he is going to make peace with the US as well.

Hazard pursues the Algerian kidnappers 500 miles to Algiers where he balances his dual missions to rescue Lawrence and support a coup d'etat in adventures through the city's narrow alleys, squares, slave auctions, and finally the Bey's palace itself. In a climactic and violent confrontation with the Bey of Algiers himself, Hazard saves Lawrence and yet again plays a pivotal role in bringing this last Barbary state to peace with the United States.

When the commodore orders him home, Hazard thinks he's only stopping in Gibraltar briefly but trouble awaits him yet again. He finds himself across the Spanish border amongst a Napoleonic French and Spanish army preparing to attack the English. Hazard's final desperate adventure is to make his way back to Gibraltar, with help from his old friend the Scottish Admiral, to save, of all people, the English.

This Commercial Historical Fiction Action Adventure novel is approximately 85,000 words. It was inspired by Justin's award winning historical fiction screenplay "Hazard: The Mediterranean Years" which chronicles Hazard's first mission as a midshipman during the Quasi-war throughout the Caribbean.