For every naval officer, in fiction or reality, the frigate was the ideal and much sought-after command. As dashing as a modern destroyer, the frigate offered the excitement of independent service, and the prospect of glorious single-ship engagements as well as a possible fortune to be made in prize money. Their actions have been the stuff of history and sea fiction for generations, but the ships themselves are hardly documented at all. This book seeks to redress the balance and describe the design, construction, armament and fitting of individual classes; to look at the factors that influenced their development, and to analyse the way in which frigates were employed in the many roles they were expected to perform.