1745. War spreads across the Atlantic as New England forces and the Royal Navy descend on the mighty French fortress of Louisbourg.
Now the harbour burns, the guns of the fortress thunder against their own captured batteries, and the corvette Écho is the last French ship still free.
Gallant’s orders are simple: break through the British blockade, cross the Atlantic, and reach France with a desperate plea for reinforcements. But the sea offers no mercy.
Hunted across the ocean by Commodore Fitzsimmons and his relentless squadron, Gallant and the crew are driven into a deadly game of pursuit and survival stretching from the storm-lashed Atlantic to the Mediterranean coast. Outnumbered and outgunned, Gallant must rely on daring seamanship, audacious deception, and sheer nerve to keep one step ahead of the Royal Navy.
Because if he fails, Louisbourg will fall – and with it, France’s empire in North America.
From savage boarding actions and desperate escapes to naval bombardments and covert attacks behind enemy lines, The Black Cockade launches the epic Paul Gallant saga with a sweeping tale of courage, endurance, and war at sea.
