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Commander: The Life And Exploits Of Britain's Greatest Frigate Captain (2012)

by Stephen Taylor(Favorite Author)

4.16 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0393071642 (ISBN13: 9780393071641)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

review 1: Sir Edward Pellew - later Lord Exmouth - is one of the great, relatively unknown heroes of the Napoleonic era. Born of common stock, he acquitted himself as a sailor, tactician and leader of men from an early age in the American Revolutionary War (or the War of Independence, as the other side referred to it) in a boat battle against Benedict Arnold's forces in Canada, and went on to be one of the highest prize-takers in the British Navy. Captured enemy ships were taken as "prize", with the Navy essentially purchasing the ships to be inducted into their own navy, and the proceeds being split between the captain, officers and crew of the successful ship.This success made Pellew both a very rich man and the toast of London; among his most ardent fans was none other than King ... moreGeorge III himself. But it also earned him the resentment of many of his fellow officers and more than a few dedicated enemies who would undermine his career at every opportunity. Remarkably, Pellew was held as high esteem by the French captains he defeated in battle, for his gallantry and the hospitality he afforded to them and their captured crews. A few even maintained warm correspondence through the course of the war and after.Overshadowed by his exact contemporary, Horatio Nelson, and denied the opportunity of dying in battle as his rival did, he nonetheless completed his seagoing career with perhaps the most audacious and remarkable sea-borne sieges in British naval history.Taylor presents a complete character, a man who was often brought down by his own deep flaws, but nonetheless was an extraordinarily capable sea-captain and admiral. Pellew had a talent building shipboard families, eliciting loyalty from the most cynical of sea-dogs, and recognising and raising talented up to his high standard. Dozens of men under his command went on to be boat and ship captains of good reputation. An eminently readable book about one of the unacknowledged heroes of the Napoleonic era.
review 2: Christmas present. My wife really loves me!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'm on page 99 now. It's a fascinating read. Despite the author's initial protestations that the Life of Edward Pellew, the "Commander" and subject of this book, formed the basis for O'Brian's Jack Aubrey, so far I see more parallels to Forester's Horatio Hornblower. It's like Forester stole Pellew's life and gave it to Hornblower. But that's OK. O'Brian is a poor writer when compared to Forester. I read O'Brian's "Master and Commander" and found it jarring and clumsy. I read all of Forester's Hornblower books and enjoyed them immensely except for only a few unfortunate and ill advised adventures on land.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I just finished reading the book a few minutes ago. Once I started reading about Pellew's dealings with Algiers I just couldn't stop. I had to finish! It seems that things have not really changed in that part of the world in these intervening two hundred years. That is very sad. But I really enjoyed finding out about a man who was just a name to me after reading Forester's Horatio Hornblower. I find I have come to agree with the author as well. Pellew was the greatest fighting sailor of his age. Nelson was a brilliant naval tactician who had the good fortune to die in the midst of his greatest triumph. Nelson was better suited to naval battles than private life at which he decidedly failed. Pellew's main faults were trying too hard to advance his sons and brother's careers. They did not have his ability or aptitude for the life of a ship's officer. But the Navy was all he knew and nepotism was the rule in the navy and not the exception so he cannot be faulted too heavily for that. Pellew did his job and his duty very well. He succeeded in almost every military endeavor he undertook. It was in dealing with his fellow officers and the Admiralty that he was not so successful. His bombardment of Algiers should have ended the Barbary problem. But England and the European powers dropped the ball on any lasting effects of his victory. They allowed the pirates to recover though they never were again quite the plaque on shipping that they were before. less

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