At Drake's Command: The adventures of Peregrine James during the second circumnavigation of the world - Softcover

David Wesley Hill is an award-winning fiction writer with more than thirty stories published in the U.S. and internationally. In 1997 he was presented with the Golden Bridge award at the International Conference on Science Fiction in Beijing, and in 1999 he placed second in the Writers of the Future contest. Most recently, in 2011 Mr. Hill was invited to his third residency at the Blue Mountain Center, a writers and artists retreat in the Adirondacks. Mr. Hill studied under Joseph Heller and Jack Cady and received a Masters degree in creative writing from the City University of New York, as well as the school's highest literary honor, the De Jur Award. At various times he has been an executive chef for major hotels, a management consultant, and a website designer.

B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree

"Readers of nautical fiction shouldn't miss this book."
-- Historical Novel Society

"At Drake's Command, by David Wesley Hill, is a godsend to readers ..."
-- Awesome Indies

"I was privileged to receive an advanced copy of At Drake's Command, which tells the story of a young cook who joins an expedition under Francis Drake.... I highly recommend it."
--Reviewed by David Hayes in HistoricNavalFiction.com

"The reader is treated to several wonderful characters--some historical, others fictional--in this opening chapter.... Whether a main character or a secondary character, Hill has given the reader excellent first impressions of them all. Finally, the ending of this chapter is outstanding. It will definitely encourage the reader to turn the page." 
--The Book Connection, First Chapter Review

"Hill is in good company with C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brien"
--Adventures of Maritime History

"At Drake's Command is a choice pick for those who like the old seafaring adventures."
-- Midwest Book Review

" ... this is an absorbingly faithful reconstruction of what it must have been like to serve on one of the great Elizabethan voyages. If you're an established fan of maritime historical fiction then I've no doubt there's much here for you to enjoy; and, for those of us who only dabble in the genre now and then, there's an endearing and resourceful hero, and moments when you suddenly understand how thrilling it must have been, to sail in a time when the land over the horizon genuinely was terra incognita."
-- The Idle Woman

"The novel is English nautical history, but written for non-nautical types like me. I found it clever, entertaining, and never too difficult to understand. I don't know what that means for fans of C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brien — I understand those books are for hard-core nautical history geeks. But if you're not entirely sure the difference between a fathom and a firkin, but you like a good story of exploration, adventure and piracy, this is a good book to check out."
-- The Book Stop