In the summer of 1727, Quill and his friends are put ashore on a remote sea stac to harvest birds for food, and only the end of the world can explain why no boat returns to collect them.

Why did the American Revolution take place? It was about more than the dates and details we all know: war elephants charging a fort in India and high-stakes gambles of bankers in Scotland, among other events, also played a part in the "real revolution" in the minds of the entire population of what would become the United States.