This is the next book in the series after Ben Brown and the Right of Passage. In this book, we find our hero returning wounded from the battle of Barque Roads, arriving home on the Hospital Ship, along with the other severely wounded men. He is attended by three of his men, who volunteered to bring him home. Although, suffering from a ghastly head wound and hard of hearing now, he makes a remarkable recovery when he arrives home amongst his family. Unfortunately, most of his family do not want him to go back to sea again, however, he has other ideas. The crisis comes when his ship arrives back in port and he finds it has to be decommissioned along with the officers going on half pay and the men going into receiving ships including his three servants. Using his family connections, he secures a position on an armed cutter. This is the tale of a cheeky young man growing into maturity, as this book progresses he is given more and more chances to take command and to prove his worth. He is mentored by his old Captain and sustained during this adventure by his men. Later in the book he is involved in a desperate fight that will make him assume the mantle of leadership.