A compelling new historical naval adventure from a master of maritime storytelling. 1796: Nathan Peake, captain of the frigate Unicorn is sent with a small squadron into the Adriatic to help bring Venice into an Italian alliance with Britain against the French. He establishes a British naval presence, harrying the French corsairs that swarm out of Ancona in Italy and confronts the politics of "intrigue, poison and the stiletto" in Venice, but learns that Bonaparte is negotiating a peace deal with the Austrians--Britain's only remaining ally. Worse, the Spanish are about to ally with the French. Nathan returns to the Unicorn and rejoins Nelson for the decisive Battle of St. Vincent against the entire Spanish fleet.