From Powder Monkey to Admiral    by Richard Philbrick
Price: $0.99 USD. 58380 words. Published on March 22, 2011. .
Orphaned and homeless young William (Henry) Rayner signs on to a Royal Navy frigate at the end of the 1700s in order to better his life. With his quick intelligence and devotion to duty he rises through the ranks from the foc'sle to command. The first of two volumes Book I tells of Henry's rise from serving before the mast to becoming a midshipman.