Kydd by Julian Stockwin is the inaugural novel in the Thomas Kydd series, a gripping saga set during the Age of Fighting Sail. Published in 2001, this historical adventure introduces readers to Thomas Paine Kydd, a young wig-maker from Guildford, England, whose life is irrevocably altered when he is forcibly conscripted into the Royal Navy in 1793, as Britain enters war against Revolutionary France.   Kydd finds himself aboard the 98-gun line-of-battle ship Duke William, thrust into the harsh and unfamiliar world of naval life. Initially overwhelmed by the brutal conditions, strict discipline, and the complexities of shipboard existence, Kydd gradually adapts, guided by seasoned sailors and his own resilience. Through storms, battles, and the camaraderie of the crew, he transforms from a reluctant landsman into a competent seaman.