Patrick O' Brian C.S. Forester & Captain Marryat all based their literary heroes on Thomas Cochrane but Cochrane's exploits were far more daring & exciting than those of his fictional counterparts. He was a man of action whose bold & impulsive nature meant he was often his own worst enemy. Writing with gripping narrative skill & drawing on his own travels & original research Cordingly tells the rip-roaring story of a flawed Romantic hero who helped define his age.