Product Description

The life of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, later 10th Earl of Dundonald, was more extraordinary than that of Nelson, more far fetched than that of Hornblower or Patrick O'Brien's Jack Aubrey. Born the son of an eccentric and indigent Scottish peer, he entered the Royal Navy in 1793. In a series of outstanding and heroic actions, often against seemingly overwhelming odds, he made his name fighting Napoleon's navy as one of the most dashing and daring frigate captains of his day, before embarking on a career as a mercenary admiral.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75074 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
This is a reprint of Thomas's 1975 biography of the sea-captain he calls "the supreme romantic hero". Thomas has a reputation as a literary biographer: His Swinburne is the standard life of that poet and his Robert Browning: A Life Within a Life was runner-up for the Whitbread Biography Award. But his biography of Cochrane reads like C.S. Forster's Hornblower or Patrick O'Brian's Blue at the Mizzen. Indeed, as Thomas puts it himself, if Cochrane's life was written as a novel readers would disbelieve it. To begin with he enjoyed a distinguished career as a naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars--seizing over 50 French vessels and destroying much of the French fleet with fireships, so that that Napoleon himself dubbed Cochrane "England's Sea Wolf". After the war he entered Parliament as a Radical politician and democrat. His enemies plotted against him, forging material to discredit his naval achievements and convict him as "one of the principal movers of the greatest Stock Exchange fraud of the century". He was imprisoned, and escaped and went off to command the Chilean navy. He became a mercenary Admiral and commanded in turn the Brazilian and Greek navies. In his old age he returned to Britain and vindication. He proposed secret weapons against the Russians in the Crimean War ("under cover of the clouds of gas from Cochrane's "stink vessels", the port of Cronstadt could be seized ...") and was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in 1855. Thomas does justice to this rip-roaring story; the tale rattles along as good as any novel. --Adam Roberts

About the Author
Donald Thomas is an author of historical fiction and non-fiction. He is also a poet and a university teacher. He lives in Bath.

Customer Reviews

Excellent Naval Biography
This book was first published in 1978 but has now been re-released to the benefit of all who enjoy a fast-paced historical account. After reading this book I am amazed that it has taken nearly twenty years to be re-released. What a great story Mr. Thomas tells of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, later the 10th Earl of Dundonald. From his birth through to his death covering all his exploits in numerous sea battles and actions, so many in fact that you find it hard to believe that he survived.

The book covers Cochrane's battles during the Napoleonic Wars during which, on many occasions, he sent his ship in action against overwhelming odds. It was during this period that he was recognized, as one of Britain's most daring and successful captains. It was also during this period that he made many enemies, although he pressed hard in every action and took many risks, he always considered the well being of the men under his command. This later led to his single-handed campaign against corruption in the Admiralty.

Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 Cochrane commenced an extraordinary career as a mercenary admiral. He subsequently commanded the navies of Chile and Brazil and launched campaigns against their protagonists, Spain and Portugal. After finishing his 'little wars' in South America he took command of elements of the Greek navy in their war against the Turks. In all these campaigns Cochrane again showed that he was one of the best naval commanders of his time.

The narrative flowed along smoothly and although I have no great knowledge of maritime history I had no problems in following this story. In over 350 pages of text along with a number of black & white plates and a few maps Mr. Thomas tells a wonderful and exciting story. This is the type of book, which I am sure any person who has a love for history or who enjoys the novels of C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brien will just love. A must for any serious student of naval tactics or Napoleonic warfare.

The Original...
Having read all the Hornblower novels and recently started on the Aubrey ones, it is with amazement that I've been reading the biography of Cochrane. "Master and Commander", especially, *is* Cochrane's early adventures as commander of the "Speedy", including the attack and capture of the "El Gamo", even substituting the ship's doctor, Mr. Guthrie, for Stephen Maturin taking the ship's wheel as the rest of the crew were all involved in the boarding!
Donald Thomas has written a fantastic book, which does read as a novel in many respects and Cochrane comes across as a man worthy of real respect and honour. And I can only agree with the earlier reviewer who said the corruption in the Admiralty made his blood boil.

Source for all 1800's sea warfare stories
When I read this book, I found myself comparing it to all the stories about Jack Aubrey, Hornblower and their ilke and realising they had all been written by authors who knew Thomas Cochrane's adventures. When Bernard Cornwell wrote Sharpe's Devil he brilliantly inserted Sharpe into Cochrane's adventures in Chile. But Thomas Cochrane does not need Sharpe to fill out his deeds. This was an excellent read and I finished it in one session.