The Treaty of Amiens is signed and Nelson's navy languishes in port. Ramage is at home on half pay and suspects Napoleon will yet break the terms of the Treaty. He is then given secret Admiralty orders to survey a small island off the coast of Brazil. He sails in Calypso, but then encounters more danger than in previous exploits.

Nelson's crews are standing down and Ramage is on leave when he received secret Admiralty orders to inspect the small island of Trinidad off the coast of Brazil. Reaching the island's shores, Ramage and the crew of the Calypso fetch up in a battle to free several captive merchant ships—and a beautiful woman passenger—as they cross swords with bloodthirsty pirates.

The Calypso and her captain, Lord Nicholas Ramage, venture further into the French-dominated waters of the Mediterranean on an Admiralty mission to sink, burn, and destroy. Aiming to confuse and distract the enemy, Ramage and his men find themselves isolated and outnumbered as they take on the might of Napoleon's fleet.

Setting off on a sweep for freebooters in the waters off Jamaica, Ramage and the crew of the Calypso stumble upon a scene of carnage: a sinking British ship, her crew and passengers—men and women alike—ruthlessly murdered at the hands of a French privateer. Supported by his men in a thirst for righteous vengeance, Ramage ferrets out the brigand's name and sets sail to bring him in.

Captain Ramage sails to Naples in the frigate Calypso. It is not long after Trafalgar and the last thing he expects is an encounter with two French ships of the line. Adventure follows, as it does when he finally arrives in Naples and is ordered to sail to Sicily where the Saraceni - Barbary Coast pirates - have been attacking the local ports.

Ramage is suddenly caught behind enemy lines when on honeymoon in France, as the Peace of Amien unexpectedly ends. The story chronicles his escape and dashing adventures in true Ramage style; as an enemy ship is captured and a sub-plot develops involving a pursuit to the prison colony on Devil’s Island.

Kay Pope goes beyond a simple description of life as wife and confidant of a famous author sailor, and captures the atmosphere and idiosyncrasies of the places they visited and lived, along with the humanity of the people who crossed their paths. A gripping tale from a ‘first mate’ whose powers of observation and description will delight.