Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55864 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-16
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Synopsis
Frigate Commander is based on the private journal of Lieutenant - and then Captain - Graham Moore, a naval officer serving during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Moore's journal gives a unique and detailed account of what life was like for a serving naval officer. In particular it reveals the problems an officer had in managing the crew of a frigate, maintaining discipline and turning his ship into an efficient man of war. Moore was one of the navy's 'star captain', serving continuously as a frigate commander between 1793 and 1804. His early career took him to Newfoundland, and then, as a captain, he served with Sir William Sidney Smith's squadron operating on the north coast of France. He was present during the Naval Mutiny at Spithead in 1797, and helped to destroy the French fleet off Ireland in 1798. His most famous action occurred in September 1804, when his squadron engaged and captured a Spanish frigate squadron carrying a fortune in treasure. The following year his frigate, HMS Indefatigable, was involved in the opening of the Trafalgar campaign.

From the Author
Graham Moore was an intelligent, educated naval officer, highly conscientious about his duties and deeply concerned about the welfare of his crews. His private journal gives us real insight into what life was like for a frigate commander, not only when he was on board ship - but also when he was on leave. Through Moore we see England as it was in the Georgian period and also experience the frustration and excitement of the naval war. Frigate Commander makes extensive use of Moore's own words to tell his story and in so doing, allows us to see him as a real, three-dimensional character. Only in Nelson do we come closer to a naval officer of the period.

Customer Reviews

A fascinating insight into life on board ship.
Graham Moore was regarded as what we would call today a "Star Performer" as he served aboard HM Frigates between 1793 and 1804. He was present during the Naval Mutiny of 1797 and helped destroy the French Fleet off Ireland the following year. Six years later he captured a Spanish Frigate carrying a fortune in treasure and as commander of HMS Indefatigable was involved in the opening stages of the Trafalgar campaign.

This book is based on his private journals written during his time as a Lieutenant through to Captain RN and gives modern historians a valuable insight into the problems associated with turning one of HM Frigates - with it's largely motley crew, into an efficient and effective fighting machine.

Tom Wareham was born in Portsmouth, the son of a serving Naval Officer and was, therefore, raised in an environment of Royal Navy culture, practises and traditions. In 1991 he was awarded a PhD by Exeter University for his research into the activities of the Royal Navy's Frigate commanders during the Great War with France. He is currently Curator of Docklands Museum, London.

Frigate Commander is a hardback book measuring approx 9½in x 6½in and is packed with over 280 pages of text with a small collection of relevant photographs set together in the middle. Beginning in 1784, the author takes the reader on a fascinating journey through Moore's life in which his own extremely readable narrative style is interspersed with direct extract from Moore's journal.

Altogether a well written and fascinating insight into life on board a series of Royal Navy ships and the life that went with them at one of the most interesting times in British naval history.

Wonderfully presented
I purchased this book having read all of the Patrick O'Brian series and wanted to further my knowledge of the real Royal Navy of the time, and get a flavour of the manner in which Captains progressed through their careers. This book was perfect for the job, it was really well researched and presented and was interesting to read from start to finish. I thoroughly recommend it.

A personal insight into a Star Captain's life.
A chance find during some routine research revealed an amazingly detailed personal diary of one of Britain's "Star Captains", Graham Moore, written during the Napoleonic Wars - all 37 volumes of it!
Tom Wareham carefully and sensitively edits the diary and fleshes out the narrative with pertinent background information. The result is not so much a tale of derring-do, but more an insight into the fears and insecurities that beset the average young man. These insecurities are tempered by by a deep personal need to succeed and a revulsion of the strutting of his peers and the excessive punishments meted out by his superiors.
Moore's conscience struggles with the conflict between his innate humanitarian instincts and the vital need to instill discipline, obedience and, more to the point, respect, in the crew in order to command an efficient fighting machine. This of course is essential if he is to achieve his goal of personal success - he doesn't give a fig for recognition or accolade, which gives the lie to the generally perceived image of dandy commanders parading their full-dress bullion and cockades, vying for promotion. His lust for promotion is solely to position himself into some serious naval action.
The background intrigue and the secretive machinations of the Navy Board are just as interesting as the action sequences, but what sets this above the norm are the revealing post-action comments, where Moore beats himself up; Could it have been done better? What if ...? The butcher's bill ... all of which reinforce the continuous thread of a caring, sympathetic attitude to men under his command and his dedication to the Service.
A wonderfully illuminating read. *****