The first chapter looks at the Phaeton incident of October 1808, where a military ship – HMS Phaeton came to Japan and stayed in port temporarily, and its overt impact, despite no violence occurring, which lead to a more xenophobic Nagasaki and greater tension with Britain.

The 3rd chapter studies the Naval Bombardment of Kagoshima in 1863 and the military and naval action of Shimonoseki in 1864. There have been four Victoria Crosses awarded for valour in Japan: Duncan Boyes, Thomas Pride, William Seely and Robert Gray.