This 1842 novel is a departure for Cooper. It represents a characteristic blend of naval adventure and historical romance, but concerns itself with British, rather than American history. Set in the mid eighteenth century, its protagonists are Vice Admiral Sir Gervase Oakes and Rear Admiral Richard Bluewater. At this point in history, Britain and France are at war. Oakes, a supporter ‘Bonnie’ Prince Charles, the heir of the deposed line of Stuart kings, finds his allegiance tested when Charles lands in Scotland and raises an army to take the throne. Alongside this central story of the political differences that threaten the two admirals’ friendship, a subplot centres on the disputed inheritance of the Wychecombe family. The centrepiece of the action is a spectacular, though fictitious, naval battle between the British and French fleets.