Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1973. dj. Hardcover first edition - Although best known for his famous 'Parkinson's Law' and other humorous (but very true) 'laws' of how things work, Parkinson was first a naval historian, who grew up in Guernsey, the birthplace of Delancy, the hero of this novel, and was himself a seaman. Set in the late 18th century just after the French Revolution, this is the first in the series of Delancy naval adventure novels. Wraparound dustjacket illustration by Victor Mays. ISBN: 0-395-154839.