Orphaned in 17th century Whitby, ten years old Carlyle sets off to London to seek his fortune, but is kidnapped by a pirate press gang along with five other street urchins to sail on the 'Black Prince' and learn the pirate ways under the leadership of the tyrannical Black Bert. On an epic voyage to the West Indies, he makes friends with another orphan called Woody and a wounded albatross he named Arnie. Carlyle will need all the skills acquired on his late father's fishing boat to survive life on a pirate ship. A mutiny on the 'Black Prince' left many dead, as Black Bert struggled to assert his authority. War the outcome hangs in the balance. What will become of Woody when he jumps ship in Nassau? Will Carlyle survive a Sea battles, cannon-fire, hurricanes and swordplay, are all elements of a pirate's way of life. The pirates become bolder, their fleet expanding. Attacks on ships sailing to the fledgling American Colonies, bring retribution. In a fierce battle with a British Man-o-shipwreck on the captured Spanish frigate 'Stella de Cadiz', renamed 'Pieces of Eight'? Will they ever see Old England's shores again?