In this conclusion to the Chronicles of Arundel, the year is 1812 and America has declared war on Britain. The American ship Olive Branch is waylaid by a British cruiser. In the ensuing fight, Captain Dorman is killed and his crew is taken prisoner, including the captain's pretty and strong-willed daughter, Corunna. With his keen eye to detail Roberts weaves a colorful tale of swashbuckling and sea battles. He portrays the bravery of American and French seamen, their sufferings at the hands ot the British the invention of the Gangway Pedulum, and the sailor's dangerous and dramatic escape from the prison hulks.