COUNTDOWN DAY 6 to the 150th anniversary of the famous Battle of Lissa, and a chance to win a signed copy of the book about the ship’s surgeon who was there.

The Seehund sailed alongside large vessels, a small, single-gunned wooden warship nipping among the tall-masted frigates. Tegetthoff’s fleet hove into view. Painted sleek, threatening black, in total they were twenty-six ships, and seven of them were ironclads. Word came: bombarding of Lissa’s port had begun. Further word: the Italian flotilla was twice as big as Austria’s. Worse, twelve of these were modern ironclads, nine even had iron hulls.

For a chance to win a copy of The Extraordinary Dr Epstein, answer the quiz question on Wednesday 20 July 2016.

Excerpt from Chapter 20, Battle. Ephraim’s epic poem about the battle won him an award from Emperor Franz Joseph. Author great granddaughter still seeks that poem! Go HERE for a non-fiction page on the famous Battle of Lissa, why it was fought, what else it is famous for and what happened next.