When Wilfrid Gilmore is orphaned, he is welcomed in by the local clergyman, whose daughter takes notice and teaches him to read and write. When trouble arises in their small fishing village, Wilfrid leaves to join the Royal Navy. Wilfrid's ability to study, along with his determination and hard work, ensures that he is soon moving up in rank. Join Wilfrid and his friends, Tom and Dimchurch, as they share adventures battling pirates (in the West Indies), and the French (in several famous battles). Read on as they meet one of Great Britain's greatest naval heroes: Horatio Nelson. Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, this book includes more than two hundred geographical, historical, nautical and explanatory footnotes to aid the modern reader.