This is my favourite collection of Bolitho stories, its the first I read, and contains arguably three of Kent's best stories. As far as I'm concerned, the stories were best early on in Bolitho's career when he served on and commanded small fast ships, sloops & frigates. Later on, as he advanced up the chain of command, the stories got stodgier as the ships he commanded got bigger & heavier. But these three and the following "Passage to Mutiny" are superb. Really gripping, plenty of sea salt in the air, highly recommended for all fans of the age of sail. ( )