Why was I not taught about the greatest sailor in Britain's history at school? I stumbled on this on You Tube and thought I would share. What a man he must have been.
Went to a bar in Bulgaria called The Sea Wolf, had a bar shaped like a ship and a very nice battered shark and chips.
Anyway, I agree - why were we taught about corn laws and the like rather than cool bits of history (and, admittedly, all the bad bits where Britain acted in a very dodgy way and we never get taught!)?
My theory is that he was a bit anti establishment so not the type to be lauded a hero like Nelson was. Then that status passes through history. Loved it that he peed off the admiralty and they gave him a poxy little boat and he created havoc with it.
The saving the dog from the fireship, attacking the castles etc... I thought Hornblower was a bit far fetched but if you wrote a story about this bloke's life you would be accused of stretching credibility to the limit.
Just watched it......Christ alive, what a character, what a life, what a warrior. Some of the stunts he pulled off were beyond belief. Thanks for the tip Muttley.........a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an hour on this miserable day in lockdown.
I think the bloke deserves people knowing about him. TBH, he deserves a column like Nelson. As he was Scottish maybe they ought to do something. I might write to Nicola Sturgeon.
Very interesting film - but, boy, is that soundtrack irritating, with obtrusive music and a commentary which sounds as though it's being read by a computer!
Its only a fictional story for the most part but Sharpe's Devil covers the period when Cochrane managed to help Chile get Independance from the Spanish.
Cochrane also tried to free Napoleon from St Helena, found a lookalike and took him to the island where they planned to swap the two people - Only failed because they found Napoleon towards the end of his life when they arrived so didnt bother
Bit of a remarkable "What If" had they succeeded - No doubt Napoleon would have tried to conquer much of South America from the Spanish
Its only a fictional story for the most part but Sharpe's Devil covers the period when Cochrane managed to help Chile get Independance from the Spanish.
Cochrane also tried to free Napoleon from St Helena, found a lookalike and took him to the island where they planned to swap the two people - Only failed because they found Napoleon towards the end of his life when they arrived so didnt bother
Bit of a remarkable "What If" had they succeeded - No doubt Napoleon would have tried to conquer much of South America from the Spanish
In fact the author's note says that he actually had to convince his publisher that it was factual as initially got turned down for being too unbelievable!
Its only a fictional story for the most part but Sharpe's Devil covers the period when Cochrane managed to help Chile get Independance from the Spanish.
Cochrane also tried to free Napoleon from St Helena, found a lookalike and took him to the island where they planned to swap the two people - Only failed because they found Napoleon towards the end of his life when they arrived so didnt bother
Bit of a remarkable "What If" had they succeeded - No doubt Napoleon would have tried to conquer much of South America from the Spanish
In fact the author's note says that he actually had to convince his publisher that it was factual as initially got turned down for being too unbelievable!
I've not read Sharpe's Devil for a while, its probably my least favourite of the series seeing its after the Napoleonic Wars but never recall reading that part in his Author's Note at the end... Cheers
Cochrane didn't try to free Napoleon. The rumour when investigated had timeline fallacies. The rumour seems to have come from his wife gossiping. You wouldn't be surprised Cochrane discussed it over port with the boys, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence barring his gossiping wife. As financially dodgy as he was, he couldn't have been so strategically loopy to think O'Higgins and Pedro I would have accepted a physically infirm Napoleon as S.American Emperor: Especially Pedro, whose family had to flee Napoleon's invasion of Portugal.
You wouldn't want to invest or do business with Cochrane. Get your share of prize money before he pissed everyone off.
My theory is that he was a bit anti establishment so not the type to be lauded a hero like Nelson was. Then that status passes through history. Loved it that he peed off the admiralty and they gave him a poxy little boat and he created havoc with it.
The saving the dog from the fireship, attacking the castles etc... I thought Hornblower was a bit far fetched but if you wrote a story about this bloke's life you would be accused of stretching credibility to the limit.
Nelson won the battle of the Nile and most importantly the battle of Trafalgar which established British Naval supremacy for decades to come and ensured there could be no successful invasion of Britain by Napoleon. For all his adventures, skill and personality, Cochrane never commanded more than a flotilla or won a battle of anything like the significance of Trafalgar or the Nile.
I didn't mean to demean Nelson in any way. It is just you look at what this man did against massive odds and wonder why we don't know about him. He succeeded with what he was given and had an opportunity to be part of something of great magnitude and significance not happen because of the uselessness of Lord Gambier.
He couldn't have achieved what he did against the odds without the love and loyalty of his men. I don't think anybody could say he didn't have balls of steel.
My theory is that he was a bit anti establishment so not the type to be lauded a hero like Nelson was. Then that status passes through history. Loved it that he peed off the admiralty and they gave him a poxy little boat and he created havoc with it.
The saving the dog from the fireship, attacking the castles etc... I thought Hornblower was a bit far fetched but if you wrote a story about this bloke's life you would be accused of stretching credibility to the limit.
Nelson won the battle of the Nile and most importantly the battle of Trafalgar which established British Naval supremacy for decades to come and ensured there could be no successful invasion of Britain by Napoleon. For all his adventures, skill and personality, Cochrane never commanded more than a flotilla or won a battle of anything like the significance of Trafalgar or the Nile.
That’s very true Jints......but would you have bet against him doing the same......some way or another.😏
I think his family weren't popular his dad, from memory invented gas street lights, but the authorities said no. Then took his ideas a while later and did it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU-kFUJoJEU
Comments
Anyway, I agree - why were we taught about corn laws and the like rather than cool bits of history (and, admittedly, all the bad bits where Britain acted in a very dodgy way and we never get taught!)?
The saving the dog from the fireship, attacking the castles etc... I thought Hornblower was a bit far fetched but if you wrote a story about this bloke's life you would be accused of stretching credibility to the limit.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
Some of the stunts he pulled off were beyond belief.
Thanks for the tip Muttley.........a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an hour on this miserable day in lockdown.
Thank you for the link @MutltleyCAFC
Remarkable story of someone who I was unaware of.
Cochrane also tried to free Napoleon from St Helena, found a lookalike and took him to the island where they planned to swap the two people - Only failed because they found Napoleon towards the end of his life when they arrived so didnt bother
Bit of a remarkable "What If" had they succeeded - No doubt Napoleon would have tried to conquer much of South America from the Spanish
You wouldn't want to invest or do business with Cochrane. Get your share of prize money before he pissed everyone off.
More about T.C. here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cochrane,_10th_Earl_of_Dundonald
He couldn't have achieved what he did against the odds without the love and loyalty of his men. I don't think anybody could say he didn't have balls of steel.