Jock MacNeil, the eldest son of a Highland Catholic family, leaves school at thirteen to follow his father's footsteps and become a blacksmith. But after a family tragedy changes his plans, Jock joins CSS Alabama and heads to the New World. He befriends the retired Royal Navy Surgeon, James Gunn, and David Llewellyn Assistant Surgeon of Alabama. Living among the seamen, Jock learns how to take responsibility - and how to defend himself. But can Jock survive the perilous journey, and what awaits him in the Civil War on the other side of the Atlantic?

1920's Mexico and the American Southwest hold many dangers, as the last Apache strongholds persist against the foreign invaders. Hard as nails, Confederate serviceman Jock MacNeil receives an unexpected invitation to guide runaways from a reservation to a stronghold in Sierra Madre. Facing both Mexican and American authorities, and the Apache Wars raging around them, Jock witnesses first-hand the terrors of war, and his own transformation from a man of faith to Apache spirituality. ★★★★★ - "I knew little about this time in America's history, but found this story to be completely gripping. The storytelling is first rate, and Jock is the perfect stand-in for the reader, both observer and participant in the tribes' adventures and heartbreak. Highly recommended." ★★★★★ - "Once again, Jim Ellis weaves a tale that showcases historical times and the people who lived them, this time in the American West. Great stuff."