The Star Captains: Frigate Command in the Napoleonic Wars - Softcover

Horatio Hornblower, Jack Aubrey - officers of Nelson’s navy have long been romanticised in fiction.

The officer corps of the Royal Navy during the long wars of 1793-1815 was one of the most successful military cadres in history, winning the vast majority of its battles, and often in the face of daunting odds.

The most glamorous and high-profile group were undoubtedly the frigate captains — often portrayed as the cream of their profession.

Because independent action and rugged individualism were essential to their stories, it is not surprising that naval novelists did much to foster this image.

But is it true?

This is the first book to look at the nature of frigate command, to ask important questions about how and why such officers were appointed, what was expected of them, and how they were rewarded.

The picture that emerges is one of conscious selection and ‘fast-track’ promotion — not merely young men serving an apprenticeship before moving on to the command of a battleship, but a real elite with specific and highly prized skills.

For the first time it reveals that the romanticised image portrayed in the novels of C S Forester and Patrick O’Brian was indeed close to the truth — frigate captains were outstanding officers, whose careers followed separate paths from their less talented contemporaries.

The Star Captains is a major contribution to the broader understanding of the workings of Nelson’s navy and brings to the fore previously neglected heroes of the Golden Age of Sail.

Praise for The Star Captains

‘Thoroughly recommended’ – Naval Review

‘...wide-ranging, well written and very useful survey of the operational careers of commanders of the vitally important lower-rated RN warships of the age of sail, such as Thomas Cochrane, William Hoste, George Mundy and their brother officers; highly recommended.’ – britishnavalhistory.com

Tom Wareham has worked as a curator at London’s Museum of Docklands and has written and lectured on the subject of frigate command. In the past he has undertaken work for the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and has contributed as adviser to the BBC’s Timewatch programme on Myths of Nelson’s Navy. This, his first book, is based on the research undertaken some years ago for his PhD thesis.