The Crimean War is remembered by most people as a military campaign. Yet, the valiant sailors of the Royal Navy performed feats of incredible daring and bravery. With their ageing wooden ships, they assaulted the stone fortress of Sebastopol’s harbour and, on shore, fought with their naval guns against the Russians. With the consummate skill of a naval historian and the artistry of a true storyteller, Vivian Stuart paints an exciting and authentic picture of the Crimean campaign. Superimposed upon this fascinating account is the author’s creation of a dashing young hero — Phillip Horatio Hazard — a rugged naval officer with all the gallantry and charisma of fiction’s redoubtable Hornblower.