The brilliantly told life of the real naval hero on whom Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey, C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower and Captain Marryat's Frank Mildmay were all basedPreviously unpublished papers reveal the real-life Dr Stephen Maturin and the poignant story of Cochrane's wife's love affairCochrane has the same high production values as Billy Ruffian, including maps, black and white pictures throughout and three 8-page colour inserts

'The real Master and Commander' Sunday Telegraph 'Cordingly is a brilliant historian' Daily Telegraph 'Intriguing and satisfying ... Cochrane packed enough drama and history to shame both Horatio Nelson and Sir Francis Drake ... O'Brian fans will find great satisfaction in smoking out similarities and differences between Cochrane and Aubrey' Washington Post 'By rights, Thomas Cochrane should be as well known today as Francis Drake ... Cochrane's adventures in Chile, Peru and Brazil are among the most amazing in naval history' Sunday Times

David Cordingly was Keeper of Pictures and Head of Exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum for twelve years, where he organised such exhibitions as 'Captain James Cook, Navigator', 'The Mutiny on the Bounty' and 'Pirates: Fact and Fiction'. His other books include Life among the Pirates, Heroines and Harlots and the highly praised Billy Ruffian.