1796. The Mediterranean is falling beneath the shadow of Revolutionary France.

When the British frigate Sibella is shattered by a vastly superior French warship, Lieutenant Nicholas Ramage awakens amid smoke, blood, and wreckage to discover that every officer above him has been killed. Young, wounded, and suddenly in command, he must save his surviving crew from destruction - and outwit an enemy certain of victory.

But escaping the doomed frigate is only the beginning.

Secret orders reveal that a group of influential Italian refugees is trapped on the enemy-held Tuscan coast. With nothing more than an open boat and a handful of exhausted seamen, Ramage chooses to complete the mission.

Pursued by French cavalry and threatened by betrayal, he must carry out a daring rescue while protecting the formidable Marchesa di Volterra - and confronting the powerful enemies determined to destroy his naval career.

From desperate shipboard action to covert operations behind enemy lines, Ramage is a thrilling Age of Sail adventure of courage, ingenuity, and command against impossible odds.

Perfect for fans of C.S. Forester, Patrick O’Brian, and Alexander Kent, this is the unforgettable first voyage in Dudley Pope’s celebrated Lord Ramage series.