Captain Horatio Hornblower again. Now in command of his first ship of the line the HMS Sutherland, Hornblower needs to add 250 landlubbers and seamen to his crew. Through his daring and audacity, he does create a strong and able crew prior to reaching the Mediterranean. Its May 1810, with Napoleon fighting in Spain; Hornblower goes off on five winning escapades along the French and Spanish coast until finally he and his crew face capture and defeat as they are forced to fight a fleet of four French ships with daring and crippling success.