This is Douglas Reeman's 30th naval thriller. It is the year 1941. To theresidents and defence forces of the Crown Colony of Hong Kong, the war inEurope remains remote. Even the massive build-up of Japanese forces on theChinese border cannot dent their carefree optimism. Yet one man suspectsthe truth. Lieutenant-Commander Esmond Brooke, captain of HMS Serpent anda veteran of the cruel Atlantic, sees all too clearly the folly andincompetence of Hong Kong's colonial administration. To Brooke, attac..k byJapan seems inevitable. But, in war, there will always be some who attemptthe impossible, even in the face of death. This is the story of one shipand her company who refuse to accept the anguish of defeat and surrenderto a merciless enemy...