The frigate, in its classical wooden sailing-ship form, was a fast scouting cruiser - the eyes of the fleet, in Nelson's words. But the frigate was something much more that a mere scout - it was a true fighting ship, lightly built but heavily-gunned for its size, designed for every naval task short of taking part in the great set-pieces between battleships. The author examines the frigate's evolution, the men who sailed in them and the most famous single-ship actions.