COUNTDOWN DAY 5 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.

On the morning of 20 July 1866 Tegetthoff ordered Austria’s armada into three divisions — his ironclads at the front, then unarmoured wooden ships, then smaller gunboats and auxiliaries. Ephraim readied his implements and bandages, then led prayers in the surgery with his assistant. Firing began and they went on deck. Seehund‘s orders were to stay on the fringes with the other smaller ships. After the crackle and boom of initial cannon fire, amid thick clouds of gunsmoke the two lines of ironclads closed, imperial Austrian black against Italy’s grim grey. In moments, Tegetthoff’s Ferdinand Max led his ships straight through a gap in the enemy line. Once through, each Austrian vessel turned to barrage the Italians broadside-to-broadside in rolling repeated roars.

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.