In the tradition of C.S. Forester, ex-sailor Richard Woodman brings
history to life in a rousing tale of daring deeds and clashing
cutlasses. it is the summer of 1804 and Napoleon is massing his vast
army for the invasion of England. His powerful Combined Fleet is
preparing to meet Admiral Nelson's British Fleet in the Battle of
Trafalgar. In the annals of history this battle completely decimated the
Combined Fleet, ranking second in destructiveness only to the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor. Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater, newly appointed
commander of the frigate Antigone, is preparing for battle off the
French coast, as part of Admiral Nelson's highly effective blockade. As
the fleets draw together, Drinkwater is unprepared for the irregular
role destiny deals him when he becomes a prisoner of the French and
takes the brunt of the British bombardment in the orlop of an enemy
ship.