His Majesty's Ship Sutherland - of two decks and seventy-four guns - is a humdrum ship of the line. But in command is none other than the heroic Captain Horatio Hornblower and, with his crew from the Lydia, look set to take on commando raids, hurricanes at sea and the glowering menace of Napoleon's onshore gun batteries -which Hornblower must deal with as he sails his ship to Spanish station.