The Star Captains: Frigate Command in the Napoleonic Wars

Book Description
Novelists from C. S. Forester to Patrick O'Brian have glorified Nelson's dashing frigate captains, but how much of their story is true? The author of this new volume on the nature of frigate command argues that the legend was very close to reality. Based on detailed studies of the appointments, training, and promotion of the Royal Navy's officer corps, he contends that frigate commanders were an elite group whose careers followed separate paths from their contemporaries. They exhibited specific and highly prized skills that were rewarded with fast-track promotions and resulted in the creation of one of the most successful military cadres in history. Often facing daunting odds, these frigate captains won the vast majority of their battles and a place in maritime lore. This book is a fascinating contribution to the broader understanding of the workings of Nelson's navy and will appeal to enthusiasts and historians alike.

About the Author
Tom Wareham is a curator at London's Museum of Docklands.


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"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." As such this is a major contribution to the broader understanding of the workings of Nelson's navy.


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