This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. In the wake of the Civil War, proud Confederate aristocrat Jeff Sharp is forced to confront a world that has defeated him, impoverished him, and left his old loyalties in ruins. A letter from William H. Seward—the Union statesman he has long regarded as an enemy—opens a path Jeff cannot easily refuse, even as it tests every shred of his pride. What begins as a bitter summons soon becomes a clash of honor, humiliation, and reluctant possibility, as Seward's warmth, wit, and wartime scars unsettle Jeff's certainty about friend and foe. Summoned to Washington, Jeff enters the heart of a reunited nation he still resents, only to find Seward urging him to rise above sectional bitterness and serve the larger American future. Seward frames public service as the true mark of a gentleman and reveals the real opportunity: a dangerous, high-stakes mission tied to Alaska, a territory rich in timber, minerals, fisheries, and strategic value. As Russian, English, and American interests maneuver for control, Jeff is drawn into a contest of diplomacy, corporate greed, and imperial ambition. At sea, a tense confrontation with an English vessel pushes him to a fateful decision, forcing him to choose between old hatreds and a new allegiance.

À propos de l'auteur

Marshall, Edison

Edison Marshall was an American novelist and storyteller whose career flourished in the early to mid-20th century, when adventure fiction and historical romance captivated a wide readership. Born in Indiana and educated in the Midwest, he went on to build a long writing life shaped by a gift for vivid settings, brisk pacing, and a strong sense of drama. Over the course of his career, he became especially known for his popular adventure novels, historical tales, and stories of exploration and frontier life, earning a loyal audience for fiction that combined excitement with a broad, accessible style. His work often drew on themes of courage, endurance, ambition, and the clash between civilization and wilderness, while also reflecting the era’s fascination with remote landscapes and larger-than-life characters. Though his books belong to an earlier literary age, they still resonate today in their attention to resilience, risk, and the human desire to test oneself against an uncertain world. Marshall’s legacy rests in his ability to entertain while evoking the spirit of adventure that shaped American popular fiction, and readers who enjoy fast-moving historical narratives, rugged settings, and classic storytelling with a sense of momentum will find his work especially rewarding.