Peter Raven is the new midshipman on board HMS Torren, a Royal Navy ship battling with the French, led by General Napoleon Bonaparte. From the outset the thirteen-year old finds himself bound to Commodore Beaumont, an intrepid British spy. When unexpected events at sea plunge the pair into a dangerous intrigue on shore, they discover an extraordinary plot by France to create a new empire by taking control of the recently formed United States. Soon its a race against time to the pirate-filled waters of the Caribbean to save an entire nation, and a spirited American girl who has captured their hearts!