In Hostile Waters — William H. White

In 1813, United States Brig of War, Argus, commanded by W. Henry Allen, was tasked with carrying the U.S. Minister to France. Following the safe delivery of the minister, Argus was ordered to sail into British waters and become a commerce raider for as long as possible. Obviously, an open ended commission and one inherently perilous. Oliver Baldwin (The Greater the Honor, In Pursuit of Glory)_sails as 1st Lieutenant. Edward Ballantyne (When Fortune Frowns, Gun Bay) commands the British ship sent to stop them. White's well-known style of intermingling real historical characters with a few fictitious ones makes for a riveting read and, at the same time, enables the reader to learn a bit about one of the most heroic and little-known naval events of the War of 1812.