1812 & the fate of Europe lies in the hands of newly appointed Commodore Hornblower... Dispatched to northern waters to protect Britain`s Baltic interests, Horatio Hornblower must halt the advance of Napoleon`s empire into Sweden & Russia. But first he must battle the terrible Baltic weather: fog, snow & icebound waterways; overcome Russian political & commercial intrigues; avoid the seductive charms of royalty as well as the deadly reach of assassins in the imperial palace; & contend with hostile armies & French privateers. With the fate of Europe balanced on a knife edge, the responsibility lies heavy on a Commodore`s shoulders... This is the eighth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester`s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.