What was life really like on a wooden warship? This book takes a look at life aboard the 42-gun frigate HMS "Doris" - launched from Bombay in 1807 and finally retired at Valparaiso in 1829. Vale concentrates on her service on the South American station under Sir Thomas Hardy as she protected British interests during the stormy years of South American Independence. The author covers in vivid detail the operations in Brazil, Chile and Peru, both from the political and military angle and from the perspective of the sailors, to give a fascinating account of the everyday concerns and routines of life on shipboard.