HMS Surprise, aiding the fledgling Greek navy as a letter-of-marque, is vastly outnumbered and so runs before before brutal Turk invasions ravage the defenceless islands of Psara and Kasos. Doctor Simon Ferguson, left ashore, his fleeting study of island flora rudely shattered, flees across the mountainous interior pursued by Turk beserkers intent on his capture and death. Captain Patrick O'Connor devises an ingenious ruse to draw Turk warships away from their troop transport charges and subsequently fights to thwart their invasion of Samos.
The barky comes alive once more in the second in the series of "the continuing voyages of HMS SURPRISE" in a spellbinding tale of shipboard customs, practices and relationships between a long established band of brothers. After the introductory volume which is the first book in the series, the story gathers pace in dramatic battle scenes and the most emotional of aftermaths.