In Ramage, the young lieutenant and peer of the realm receives special orders direct from Nelson himself which bring news of a mission close to his own heart. In a daring foray, under the very nose of the French Mediterranean fleet, Ramage is to sail his tiny cutter close in to the Italian shore and rescue a party of stranded aristocrats from Napoleon's fast-advancing army.

• It's the year 1796.
• Corsica is British.
• Ramage is a board of the 28 gun Frigate Sibella.
• As the story begins, the captain, first and second lieutenant are dead. The master is also dead. Ramage is the senior surviving officer. From these facts it would appear that Ramage was the third lieutanent.

  This is significant, as later on in the series, it is said that Ramage was the fifth lieutenant, only added to this mission because of his knowledge of the italian language.

• Ramage is eight years at sea. So he went to sea in 1788.
• At the trial of his father, Ramage was seven years old.
  
• The late captain of the Sibelia was directed to "Torre Buranaccio".
• Just before the wounded crew members surrender the Sibelia, Ramage leaves in the boats with the rest of the Sibelias.

  In the later books, the members of the crews are called by the name of the ship they serve in. In this book they are simply called the seamen of the Sibelia.

• Ramage takes the gig to retrieve the passengers. The only other person appearing later in the books present and named in the gig is Thomas Jackson. The bosun, carpenters mate and a seaman called Wilson are sent of in the other boats to get help in Bastia.
• The gig with which Ramage landed at Torre Buranaccio had 6 rowers plus Jackson + Ramage. The only seaman named in the gig is seaman Smith.
• At the Torre Buranaccio, after a squirmish with the French, they pick up two passagers: The Marchesa di Voltera, and her cousin Count Pisano.
• In 1777 Ramage's father sailed to America where he is stationed. Ramage and his mother travelled to Italy. It is mentioned that he was only two years old then. This means that Ramage is now 21 years old.
• They went back to England in 1782 when Ramage was at the age of seven.
• In 1783 Ramages Fathers trial took place. The family went back to Italy for a few years, until just before Ramage's 13th birthday. When they went back to England, Ramage went to sea.

  Since Ramage is at sea 8 years (see above), it means that he is now 21 years old.

• Jackson is already going bald.
• Ramage spent two years as a midshipman in the Superb with Jack Dawlish and that fellow Hornblower who tried to teach him spherical trigoniometry.
• Nelson has been made Commodore just a few weeks before the book is set.
• When Ramage is summoned to the Trumpeter for his court-martial, he borrows a hat and a sword from Jack Dawlish.

  This is a bit odd, because nowhere is it mentioned that Ramage lost his sword or hat. It seems unlikely that he lost them, since he left the Sibella by a boat. And presumably Jackson would have thought of it to bring them.

• Just before the trial of Ramage in Bastia, the whole crew of the Sibella is transferred to the Topaze. Only the bosun, Jackson and the carpenters mate remain behind.

  To me this means that when in later books, William Stafford is telling others that he was there with Ramage to rescue the Marchesa, he is not speaking the truth (or that book was written in a parrallel univers). Only Jackson was there of the later crew.

• Captain Lord Probus tells Ramage about the sense of justice of the ordinary Seaman. Probus can tell when flogging that the flogee is guilty or not, just by looking at the rest of the crew.
• He gets command of the cutter Kathleen. The date of his commision is October 19th, 1796, Bastia.
• The master of the Kathleen is Henry Southwick, who is described as being middle aged.
• The masters mate is John Appleby who is a former midshipsman waiting for is 20th birthday so he can take his examination for Lieutenant.

  This means that Ramage cannot be a Lieutenant for more than one year.

• Cutters don't rate bosuns, they have a bosuns mate. On the Kathleen, the bosuns mate is called Evan Evans.
• Last one on the musterlist is Thomas Jackson. There is also a genovese on the muster list. Could this be a reference to Rossi who appears in later books?
• Just before leaving on his first mission with the Kathleen Ramage is given a pair of dualing pistols by the gouvenor of the island, Sir Gilbert Eliot. Sir Gilbert is an old friend of both the Blazey's and the Marchesa's.
• Below Ramgage's cabin on the cutter was the breadroom. Also below him was the [powder] magazine.
• After the rescue of the Belettes, Corsica is evacuated. Ramage is ordered to have onboard both the Marchesa di Volterra and Count Pitti and make for Gibraltar. This is covered in Ramage and the Drumbeat, which is the next book.