Ramage is appointed to the Dido, a 74 gun ship of the line and is sent to the West Indies to blockade the French island of Martinique, scene of earlier adventure with the Calypso. Several successful actions ensue and the book ends with suspense over what his next orders will be.

Ramage finally gets a ship of the line with his Calypso crew as a bonus. All he has to do is find another 200+ crew and is off to fight the French in the Caribbean, Excellent series, sometimes based upon actual events. Always a good story with interesting characters, puzzling quandaries, and sometimes quirky solutions. Age of sail tyros should read early in their literary questing for his knowledge and insights into fighting, sailing, and British Navy life during these quite fascinating times. Many set in the Caribbean where Pope lived for most of his writing career enabling him to provide very helpful maps, not often found in fiction, for his scenarios. ( )

Their Lordships of the Admiralty have seen fit to make Lord Nicholas Ramage the youngest captain of a ship of the line since Nelson himself. His new vessel is the most formidable war machine in the British Navy, carrying enough weight of metal to sink a frigate with a single broadside, and arms capable of cutting down enemy seamen like a scythe through grass.
Accompanied by his faithful old crew, Captain Ramage sets out for the West Indies. But before he reaches the Carribean he runs into a storm of trouble. The Dido is a powerful weapon: if he is to survive his first mission as a captain, he must learn to use her destructive capabilities to the full