Thomas Cochrane was born in Scotland in 1775. He was a descendant of several members of Scottish aristocracy and military men. He obtained title when his father died, becoming the 10th Earl of Dundonald. He was a crew member for several ships that belonged to the Royal Navy, before joining the Navy at 17. He developed a reputation for not being able to get along with his shipmates, and being insubordinate to his officers. He was, however, a very capable seaman, and did a lot to benefit the cause during the French Revolutionary War. He was back at sea, serving in the Napoleonic War, where he again proved himself to be a capable seaman. He also entered the political arena, serving on the House of Commons. He did get himself into some trouble though, involving the Great Stock Exchange Fraud. I won't ruin the book by giving away too many interesting details.

This is a great book for those interested in Naval service, or in British Naval service. I hadn't heard of this man before I was gifted this book by a friend who was in the US Navy. It was a pretty good book, and not very long either.