To truly gain a sense of the history of the United States Navy it is important to delve into the history, tales and personalities of the British Royal Navy from which many naval customs and traditions are derived. Aside from the United States Navy, many other navies have adopted and transformed British naval tradition; among them are the navies of Japan, Thailand, the Arab Gulf states, the Latin American nations, the list is endless.

When one thinks of the British Royal Navy, one thinks immediately of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. The period from 1790s to the 1814, marks a fascinating period in terms of naval history. It is during this time that England and France fought one another in global battle on the high seas beginning with the French Revolution to the rise and fall of Napoleon. This global battle engulfed the Americas and the major maritime powers were England, France, Spain, the Dutch, the Danes and Portugal.

This period of history was made famous by the fictional character Horatio Hornblower in the novels of C.S. Forester, which was made into a series on A&E television network and currently available in DVD. Patrick O’Brian is another famous novelist who has made popular the period of frigates and fighting sail. In 2003, one of O’Brian’s novels was made into Hollywood movie ‘‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.” If this genre of fighting interests you, then you will enjoy David Cordingly’s latest book on the life and times of Thomas Cochrane, one of those heroes of the British Royal Navy, whose decades at sea would also lead him to fighting war of liberation in Chile, Brazil and Greece. Cochrane is described by the author as being the real master and commander and presents a fascinating life from midshipman to admiral, to commander-in-chief of the Chilean Navy, and even after commanding the Chilean flotilla against the Spanish, he would fight in Greece against a combined Egyptian-Turkish Fleet, in the Battle of Navarino. Ironically, while Cochrane was in the employ of Greek forces, his own son fought in the employ of Egyptian forces on the opposing side.

Readers will learn of the ascent of Cochrane in a Royal Navy that imposed the lash for minor infractions, and naval skills were learned at sea on the job. His first test would be commanding a small raising sloop, the HMS Speed. Aboard this 14-gun sloop, with 54 men, he captured the 32-gun and 320-man Spanish frigate El Gamo. He used a flag of the United States to lure El Gamo into a trap. Cochrane captured 17 ships and burned many others, but lost HMS Speed to the French and he would face a court-martial. However, despite the court-martial, the senior officers would see his aggressive style and retain his career. HMS Speed would end her career in the Vatican Navy.

The British Royal Navy of the period was highly nepotistic and it was not until a relative entered the British government of Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger and knew the incoming First Lord of the Admiralty, that Cochrane was given command of the frigate HMS Pallas, a new warship with 32 guns. In 1808, in command of the frigate HMS Imperiuse he raided the French coast and led a Spanish guerilla force in the capture of a vital fort. His efforts at reinforcing Fort Trinidad delayed French designs to subdue Catalonia. Aboard Imperiuse, Cochrane would see his most famous battles, such as Siege of the Bay of Rosas and the Battle of the Basque Roads, whose tactics are detailed in the book.

Cochrane is not without controversy; he was convicted of stock exchange fraud in 1814 and would be removed from the naval list, but he was pardoned by Queen Victoria in 1832 and restored with full honors to the Royal Navy. While disgraced, he would fight in the Chilean War of Independence and then went to Brazil to fight in their war of independence against Portugal. He would have an extraordinary career, and it is recommended that you read C.S. Forester and Patrick O’Brian novels and watch movies such as ‘‘Master and Commander” before reading this book to gain a visual context.

The author, David Cordingly, was head of exhibitions at England’s National Maritime Museum for 12 years, and the author of the bestselling book ‘‘Under the Black Flag” (Harvest Books, 1997) about the reality of pirates in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, which was given a great review by no less than the late Patrick O’Brian, before his death in 2000.

Editor’s Note: Aboul-Enein also writes a regular book column for the Naval District Washington Waterline and Naval Training Center Great Lakes Bulletin He wishes to thank PS1 (AW⁄SW) David Tranberg, USN, president of the Pentagon Chapter of the First Class Petty Officers Association, for his insights and edits of this review.