Thomas Kydd's ship, part of a makeship fleet from South Africa under Commodore Home Popham, invades Buenos Aires in hopes of a treasure of silver, only to find the local population, instead of rising against the Spanish, uniting against them.

"Word has come from the British ambassador Arbuthnot that the neutral Turks are being wooed by the French and if the ancient city of Constantinople falls into their hands, Napoleon's route to India will be completely unfettered and his plans for world domination a reality. Concerned for his safety, Arbuthnot is demanding a large fleet presence to take him off and bring the Turks to their senses. Braving treacherous currents, unreliable winds, and...

Young wig-maker Thomas Paine Kydd is impressed and forced to join the crew of a British battleship. He comes to admire the skills and courage of his fellow seamen. But can he accept the challenge himself to become a true sailor and defender of Britain?

Kydd is offered a new command but that ship is still under construction, so he decides to look up one of his old naval friends and enjoy some of the pleasures of London. This is cut short when he is summoned to Portsmouth to bear witness at the trial of Sir Home Popham for his actions at Cape Town and Buenos Aires. When his personal feelings about the way his old commander was treated become public, Kydd finds himself in hot water with the Admiralty....