A new angle on the perennially popular subject of Nelson's navy Covers some of the most amazing characters of the time The true-life heroes of Forester and O'Brian The officer corps of the Royal Navy during the long wars of 1793-1815 was among the most successful military cadres in history, winning the vast majority of its battles, and often in the face of daunting odds. But the general competence of the profession disguised the existence of officer specialisations, of whom the most glamorous and high-profile group were ...
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A new angle on the perennially popular subject of Nelson's navy Covers some of the most amazing characters of the time The true-life heroes of Forester and O'Brian The officer corps of the Royal Navy during the long wars of 1793-1815 was among the most successful military cadres in history, winning the vast majority of its battles, and often in the face of daunting odds. But the general competence of the profession disguised the existence of officer specialisations, of whom the most glamorous and high-profile group were undoubtedly the frigate captains. Over the centuries the idea grew up that these were not only different, but also better than the majority of their fellows. Because independent action and rugged individualism were essential to their stories, it is not surprising that naval novelists did much to foster this image. But is it true? This is the first book to look at the nature of frigate command, to ask important questions about how and why such officers were appointed, what was expected of them, and how they were rewarded. The picture that emerges is one of conscious selection and 'fast-track' promotion - not merely young men serving an apprenticeship before moving on to the command of a battleship, but a real elite with specific and highly prized skills. For the first time it reveals that the romanticised image portrayed in the novels of C S Forester and Patrick O'Brian was indeed close to the truth - frigate captains were outstanding officers, whose careers followed separate paths from their less talented contemporaries. This is a major contribution to the broader understanding of the workings of Nelson's navy and will appeal to a huge number of enthusiasts as well as to scholars and historians. TOM WAREHAM is a curator at London's Museum of Docklands. This his first book is based on the research undertaken some years ago for his PhD thesis.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. 0 x 0 x 0. Hardcover. Book Condition: Very Good. Jacket Condition: Very Good. Chatham Publishing, London, UK 2001. First Edition. 1st Printing. 256 pages. Nice Firm Clean copy! Light general wear. Size: 0 x 0 x 0. Military History: Britain Military History: Naval History: European 0418.
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"The Star Captains" is well worth reading for any military historian of the Napoleanic Wars or of the Royal Navy. It gives a great deal of background information for those whose only exposure to the subject has been the fictional exploits of Hoatio Hornblower, et al. Unfortunately, its a little long on tables of figures, but equally short on human details or anecdotal material. While Mr. Wareham's statistical compendia are no doubt the result of long and arduous research, the book would profit from a bit less of them, and some more details of the frigate cruises that form the basis of the book.
