In an era of Empira and an age of change, tradition meshes with new technology to shape the destiny of men and nations. As the Age of Sail gives way to the power of steam and battleground muskets yield to sharp-shooting rifles, Captain Philip Blackwood eagerly takes command of his old vessel, the H.M.S. Audacious, in the summer of 1850. Sent out to Africa to eliminate the last strongholds of slavery, then on to the Crimean War, Blackwood and his men battle brutal heat and bitter opposition to uphold the Royal Marines' motto-Per Mare-Per Terram. The first volume in Douglas Reeman's stirring story of the Blackwoods, Badge Of Glory begins a vivid saga that spans a century and a half in the life of a great seafaring family and their enduring British heritage.