1793: As an Irishman, a Catholic, and a reputed Coward, Lieutenant George Markham is a Marine with something to prove - so when his commanding officer is killed at sea, Markham seizes his chance for glory. But Markham is a foot soldier, not a sailor, and he unwittingly finds himself at the helm of a creaky frigate, with a crew of malcontents and misfits under him, and a perilous job ahead.
First Markham must gain his crew's respect. Then he must teach them to fight together, instead of fighting each other, and lead them into the chaotic heart of revolutionary France - where survival and suicide are separated by a single thrust of the cutlass....