Will Gilmore is a young man from a small village called Scarcombe, a place whose primary industries are fishing and smuggling. Rather than pursue either career, he joins the Royal Navy as a ship's boy. His rise in the navy begins rather quickly when he distinguishes himself in a battle against the French, and he is promoted to midshipman. This promotion begins a career which includes battles with pirates, being captured and escaping from the enemy no less than three times, and participation in both the Battle of Cape St. Vincent and the Battle of Camperdown. His final adventure involves him with none other than Admiral Horatio Nelson, where his resolve and persistence pay off.