This is the first of a series of stories based on the fictional life of Michael Orrick North, one of King George III's most successful sailors. It is 1799 and Britain is at war with France. A few days after Napoleon takes over the government in Paris by force, Michael North can be found as the First Lieutenant of the frigate Phoenix in the Bay of Biscay. After a battle and the capture of a French frigate, North returns to London and becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving rival fur trading companies in Canada to assist an invasion by the French. Promoted to post captain and given command of a 74 gun ship which is not supposed to exist, he leaves behind the woman he loves to undertake a secret mission to Canada to break the plot. A French attempt to ambush his ship is foiled and two French 74s are captured. In Montreal the conspirators are confronted; the French have sent a powerful squadron to invade. North then joins with ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia to engage the French in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. This is by no means the end of North's use to the Admiralty. Having proved himself he is given a small flotilla and sent to Diego Garcia to conduct operations against French privateers and then to Morocco to rescue hostages from Barbary pirates. North by Polaris offers a no-holds-barred description of life on one of George III's sailing ships at war. This is a strongly-researched story based on true events of the period, both political and social, and paints a meticulous picture of naval practices and men in power. Michael North's adventures continue with North to the Baltic Sea.