A self-contained community of 260 men and women make up the crew of "HMS Brilliant", a Royal Navy frigate, as it sets sail to resume duties in the Adriatic. Also on board is the author, who spent ten weeks closely observing them and gaining insight into life on a modern warship. The ship is in the fourth month of a seven-month tour of duty in Operation Sharp Guard - the enforcement of the UN arms embargo on all the countries of the former Yugoslavia. The political and military situation, however, serves only as a backdrop to the real focus of the book, which is concerned with describing the real experience of being at sea in a warship, both in a physical capacity and an emotional and psychological one. The book takes the form of a diary, describing various aspects of the ship's activities and focusing on the different characters on board. It also portrays the ship's company not just as so many sailors, but as a tight-knit community, who are on a specific mission and will achieve success only by joining ranks and working together.