Meet America's maritime guardians-a military branch smaller than the New York City police department-each one on a mission to save lives and protect their country.

Chief Warrant Officer Mark Prentice, a decades-long veteran, knows firsthand that the "Coasties" go out to sea in lethal weather that grounds helicopters. It's their job to disrupt transnational crime, fight terrorism, rescue shipwreck survivors, prevent cyber threats to our ports, keep our waterways safe, and deal with the constantly changing realities of melting polar ice caps.

In Prepare to Be Boarded, bestselling author Linda Haley Prentice shares an intimate look at the life of a Coast Guard. From Arctic grizzlies to shark-infested waters, from HAZMAT spills to waterway rescues to what happens after a life of service takes its toll on the body, the stories of courage and dedication shine through on every page. Because nothing stops the Coast Guard.