A nicely detailed account of the Napoleonic Wars. This book details the strategies of different Admirals used to attain victory. It discusses some of the different vessels used during the war. Almost every page at least has one picture on it. The book covers several battles fought during the war. It also gives details on the life of some the men (Officers mostly) who fought in the war. Presents a view of the politics of the nations involved. While most of the book discussed the Bristish, French and Spanish, the final chapters covered other nations not directly involved in the war.

With this work Woodman is trying to fill the gap in history on the various British naval officers whose courage and ingenuity and seamanship were all that held revolutionary France at bay for years until the British army got its act together. It's not only a valiant effort, it is -- as Woodman points out -- long overdue.

I'm not sure if the chronological aspect of the telling doesn't do the stories an injustice. It lends a hit-skip atmosphere to the book, as we read about the heroics of one captain, only to find more about him several chapters down the line. After finishing the book I went to the index and collected all the pages on various captains and went back and read them together and I truly think most of the information about their battles would have been better grouped together.

Two HUGE problems with this book from my point of view though. One, the index needs some work. I hate being referred to pages where there is absolutely no mention of the topic/ship/person I am seeking. And two -- who the devil proofed this book? Because I don't think it was anyone accustomed to reading English! The typos and grammatical errors are overwhelming in number. I found this a serious distraction, and frankly, it is inexcusable. Woodman's work deserves better, because even though I would never count this book as one of the great histories of the Age of Sail, it is rather a one-of-a-kind book.

As for the detail content of the book, I've long wanted to read more details of some of the famous sea battles, detail such as how the ships were maneuvered in some of those one-on-one battles, and Woodman does supply this. I still want more, but I confess to some greed on my part there.

Oh, one other thing, the author does need to provide a bit more argument on some of the characterizations he draws of these captains. For example, he repeatedly refers to Edward Pellew's cupidity, but except for one incident committed by Pellew's son, Woodman never gives any examples where Pellew allowed this attribute to interfere with his duty. Sir Sidney Smith is drawn as boastful and vainglorious -- which he WAS -- but no real argument is made as to how Woodman arrived at this conclusion; a couple of brief examples would have helped make some of his statements look more fact than opinion.

I'll keep this book on my shelf, and will hope Woodman may someday consider a revised edition.

The book is more or less a recounting of the successes of British naval captains of the late 1700s and early 1800s. A period when Britain and France polarized Europe in war. While the ultimate outcome of the conflict bears out the fact that Britain's naval forces were superior, it is hard to believe that there were as few French naval successes as Woodman relates.

But that's a small complaint when taken in context with the overall quality of the content in the book. Woodman's descriptive talent focuses on the telling of the smaller battles. There are ample books relating the events of Trefalgar, this is not one of them, Woodman's narratives are of the frigate battles and smaller ship of the line battles, the cutting outs and ship to ship running fights. The tales of Captains Pellew, Cochrane, Willoughby and such. Stories no less entertaining than those of Forester's Horatio Hornblower. His terminology is accurate, and his research is excellent.

I purchased this book with the appetite of a shark after a seal. It is a very good book, but it has a couple of things that could have improved it beyound measure. 1. There are so many remarkable men in all navies and battles that the reader needs something to distinquish them after the years of war. 2. I wanted more details on the battles, perhaps some diagrams. 3. I would have liked to have known more about what happened to these men after the wars. Cochrane, as an example, died the year the american civil war started. But not to quibble, this is a good book that puts it all together. You just stay hungry.

Readers familiar with Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series will immediately recognize the source of many of those novels in Admiral Lord Cochrane's "Autobiography of a Seaman."

Admiral Lord Cochrane was born into a noble Scots family whose fortunes had declined by the time of his birth (1775). Through family connections, he secured a berth as a midshipman at the age of 17 on a British man-of-war in the early years of the Napoleonic Wars. Thereafter, he rose through the ranks of the British navy on the strength of several truly daring and remarkable attacks, capturing or destroying many French and Spanish vessels in a small sloop, and later, a frigate.

This book tells the stories of those triumphs.

The romantic aspect of the Napoleonic era is here too, and the tales abound with numerous examples of the dubious military notions of honor among combatants. Moreover, Cochrane moved in the highest circles of the navy and government, and it is surprising to see many prominent names in naval history, (e.g., Admiral Nelson, Captain Bligh) appear casually in these pages.

Lord Cochrane's exploits - at sea, in politics and in business - are clearly the source of O'Brian's Jack Aubrey. However, whereas O'Brian presents his tales in a highly-polished narrative style similar to Jane Austen, Cochrane croaks out his stories with bombastic self-apology, and delivers the narrative in a choppy and archaic military style, viz., by attaching copies of his despatches to superior officers to explain the events.

Anyone interested in naval warfare or anyone who likes a good adventure story should read this book. Napoleon's characterization of Cochrane as "le loup des mers" is well deserved. It is unfortunate, however, that Cochrane did not spend more time at sea. The last 100+ pages of this book (except for a trip to Malta) are tedious. Cochrane, perhaps at the peak of his career as a naval officer, became embroiled in reform politics, the court martial of a superior officer, and a stock fraud trial. These three episodes ended his career in Britain, (although he did go on to great success in Chile commanding its revolutionary navy.) Cochrane whines and complains about the most minute details of each case in an attempt to prove his innocence. As a practising litigator, I have represented a few clients who became obsessed with two or three facts which the client believes proves his or her innocence, in the face of dozens of facts which indicate guilt. It is difficult to listen to this type of complaining, but Cochrane takes it to new heights: this autobiography, written in 1865, spends a score of pages reviewing the 1814 testimony of witnesses on whether one stock-fraud participant wore a red or a green coat. Dreary stuff.

Readers who hope to glean some Freudian insight into his psychological make-up, or anyone hoping for a character like Diana Villiers will not enjoy this work. Although Cochrane says of himself, "my life has been one of the most romatic on record", (p.316), it is not the romance a modern reader might think. The section dealing with his marriage comprises three pages. His wife and mother are the only women mentioned, and only in passing.

Once again, a major flaw with this, like other nautical books, is the absence or inadequacy of maps. The action at Basque Roads would be much more comprehensible if the reader knew the position of the British fleet, the French fleet, Isle d'Aix, etc.

This book is a good read to the extent it focuses on Cochrane's naval actions, but that portion of the autobiography that focuses on politics and trials is no more interesting to readers now than it was when it was written.

The autobiography of Admiral Lord Cochrane was first published in 1860, the year Cochrane died at the age of 85. Richard Woodman has added an introduction to the present edition. Cochrane only covers the period of his life up through 1814 when he was 39. Consequently, he covers nothing of his later career in Chile, Brazil, and Greece; nothing of his reinstatement in the Royal Navy; and nothing of his immediate family other than a brief account of his marriage to Kitty Barnes (about 20 years younger than Cochrane) by whom he had 5 children.

Autobiographers always have a bias as the authors are presenting their side of the case (see, for example, Bligh's "Mutiny Aboard the H.M.S. Bounty"). While presenting the details of his early naval career, the main thrust is his campaign against corruption in the Admiralty Courts, the Royal Navy, and the Government in general. Some accounts are almost like comic opera, e.g., the Admiralty Court in Malta.

Cochrane's service commanding the Speedy from 1800 to 1801 has been fictionalized by Patrick O'Brien in the novel "Master and Commander" in which he replaces Cochrane with the fictional James Aubrey. All the major details are the same, but O'Brien added considerable color to the account.

Like many good military commanders, Cochrane lacked tact and was not a diplomat. He was promoted to command the Speedy at the age of 25 without having the experience to deal with the protocols of the Royal Navy. He could best be described as a loose cannon. He was unwilling to compromise when a little tact, a closed mouth, and a small amount of back scratching would have achieved major results. His lack of diplomacy caused others to reject well thought out plans simply because he proposed them. Cochrane damaged others around him simply by trying to be their champion, undoubtedly being responsible for Parker's ruin - people in power who Cochrane had offended would naturally take it out on his proteges.

While not great literature, the autobiography is both a good account of naval service from 1793 to 1809, and a good first-hand account of corruption within politics and the government. The writing style is somewhat like Churchill's history of World War II.

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This seafaring tale involves an interesting concept: a bet between two ships as to who can get that year's tea harvest to London the fastest. Riding on the bet is not only money and prestige but the hand in marriage of one of the captains' daughters. This is a cool idea, but it was nearly ruined for me by the author's inclusion of plot points I just couldn't believe in. Firstly, when her father the captain dies, Hannah takes over the ship. I can't conceive of this ever happening in the time period concerned: there is simply no way that sailors would have allowed a woman to command them. It's possible that Woodman could have made her takeover more believable by giving it a stronger foundation in the plot, but as it is, I just can't suspend disbelief for it. Secondly, Hannah falls in love with the captain of the opposing ship. This is someone she's barely ever talked to, has spent no time with and essentially doesn't know. I could accept her falling in lust with him, but at the end of the book she apparently intends to marry this person, and there's every indication that they'll live happily ever after. That doesn't sound realistic to me. What saves this book somewhat, despite the rather shallow characterizations and the implausible elements of the plot, is the occasionally excellent quality of the writing. The author describes ships and the ocean beautifully.

I literally couldn't put this book down! I read it in a day and a half. It is the story of Hannah Kemball, 21 years old, who has to go with her captain father who she barely knows, on his ship to China in the tea trade, because her mother has just died. It is a wonderful look into the life and ships of the Victorian tea trade. She meets Munro, who has definate feeling for her, as she quickly picks up the sailing jargon and ability. In China her father makes a bet with a fellow captain over who will make it back to England first- and the wager is her hand in marriage! It is a great story of Hannah's independence, determination, and strength, without giving too much away. The only problem I had with it were all the sailing terms, which I know nothing about. But those aren't hard to get through, or at least brush over if you don't know them. This is an amazing story, and I would definately recommend it to anyone who wanted a good read.

7th in the series, Capt. Drinkwater's action takes place in the Baltic as Napoleon rolls up the Russians in 1807. Ostensibly carrying gold to the British ally, the Tsar, Drinkwater's cruise is episodic and nearly aimless at first, but concludes with an exciting rush under the eye of an ancient nemesis and the guns of the French. I get less of a sense of adventure and curiosity than with O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, whereas the larger political context of alliance building against Napoleon is clearer here. However, the shipboard world of H.M.S Antigone thereby becomes less central and important. Except for some pro forma sail handling, unfamiliar terms are rare, even the regular cursing. This Sheridan House book has lesser art, better paper, and double the price of Warner's series.

This is book 7 in the Drinkwater Series. I have previously read number 10, but the U.S. publisher has not been reprinting the books in the order they were written. To fully appreciate the book, you need to read the previous books in the series. Otherwise you will feel at points as if you have walked in on the middle of a story. In this particular episode, Drinkwater is off on a special mission to the Baltic, only to have his orders changed via a message sent through diplomatic channels in Sweden, and by the request of an agent picked up in Russia. Things are complicated by an unreliable lieutenant aboard the ship. Events lead to the diversion of a cargo of gold, and Drinkwater's participation in an intelligence gathering operation. One of Drinkwater's old enemies (from books 2 and 3) is reintroduced. Part of the plot seems a little contrived, but overall it is an interesting story.

Richard Woodman is perhaps the most underrated writer of naval action novels. His Nathaniel Drinkwater series, of which Baltic Mission is the seventh, combines realism, action, excellent characterization, and a gothic thread running through it. Drinkwater, who is a very decent man although not simplistically so, has to face various levels of human evil and depravity. Drinkwater has had three nemeses woven in and out of the series; the vile Morris from his first ship, the evil but cunning Edouard Santhonax, and his own wayward brother Edward. In Baltic Mission Drinkwater deals with two out of the three.

The time is 1807 and Napoleon has been checked but not defeated at Eylau. Only Csar Alexander of Russia is able to stand against Napoleon and Drinkwater is sent to the Baltic to provide encouragement/assistance to the Russians. However, Alexander may be tiring of his fight against Napoleon and Drinkwater must be sure that he doesn't enrich a potential enemy. A mission to find out the status of the combatants is in order. Along the way Drinkwater has to deal with his irascible First Lieutenant Sam Rogers who is descending into alcoholism.

Drinkwater is now in his 40s and suffering from his wounds. Series regulars Mr. Q. and Tregembo are back. Tregembo is now described as an old man although his age before was never specifically mentioned. I had the impression that Tregembo was a few years older than Drinkwater but he seems to have reached old age in one novel.

Much of Baltic Mission takes place on land so it doesn't have the same level of naval action that other novels in the series have although the rousing conclusion is in keeping with earlier series entries. This one is more cloak and dagger with continued gothic elements and suspense. While Baltic Mission doesn't have the same intensity as Eye of the Fleet or sense of grand tragedy as 1805 it's still an entertaining read and perhaps a bit of a change of pace. To this point there have been no bad entries in the series and given Woodman's writing ability I doubt there will be.

The plot and setting of this novel have a lot of potential interest. Unfortunately, the author's writing style, particularly his very strange sense of drama and timing, dilute the impact considerably.

Privateersman is set just before the American Revolution. A Liverpool shipowner, Captain Kite, discovers that his business partner has been cheating him. Simultaneously, he loses his wife and son to cholera. He reestablishes his business on the far side of the Atlantic, finds (rather quickly and easily) new love, and becomes involved in a conflict with high-handed colonial rebels who commandeer one of his ships. I found it interesting that the colonists are the "bad guys"; this is a fresh new viewpoint, and as such creates interest.

The time period, the unusual merchant shipping (rather than naval) setting and the plot line here all promise interest. However, Woodman's timing is off. Dramatic events pass by with little fanfare -- but purple prose sneaks in at other moments. Few of the characters seem more than one-dimensional. Part of the problem is the exposition-heavy nature of the text, which tells much more than it shows. Excellent moments such as Tyrell's death and the taking of the Wentworth aren't enough to save this novel, which, in the final analysis, is rather boring.