
The Execution of Admiral Byng
“Any court-martial is a perilous thing, whether you are in the right or the wrong – justice has nothing much to do with it. Remember poor Vincent of the Weymouth: remember Byng – shot for an […]
“Any court-martial is a perilous thing, whether you are in the right or the wrong – justice has nothing much to do with it. Remember poor Vincent of the Weymouth: remember Byng – shot for an […]
Generally speaking the customs practised by officers were those of polite civilian society, with modifications to suit naval circumstances, plus other changes caused through historic development.
“Dr Maturin is waiting for you, Di,” said Cecilia. “He is walking his horse up and down in a fine new bottle-green coat with a black collar. And he has a new tie-wig. I suppose […]
“It was a good dress, a light, flimsy version of the naval blue, with white about it – no black, no concessions to Mrs Williams, for it was understood that at a ball any woman […]
Upon first starting this website I also started something I called The Aubreyad Press Gang to do a group read of the series. We got through the first and second novels before the project fell […]
Hardtack (or hard tack) is a flat hard biscuit made from flour and water (often saltwater) that was used as a staple food where fresh and perishable foods won’t survive. Also known as “pilot bread,” […]
After the Battle of Copenhagen, Denmark-Norway tried to avoid the European showdown, which headed by the British tried to stop the French expansion. The foreign policy of Denmark-Norway was a walk on the edge in […]
While at sea, the heroes of our beloved series hunt only the French and Spanish (oh, and the Americans when called for), but during the rare time they spend on dry land they engage in […]
Obviously, when speaking of the Napoleonic Wars, the rivalry of England vs. France tends to receive top billing. Yet it is important to remember that Napoleon’s goal was not simply to subjugate his own country […]
Throughout our beloved series, Patrick O’Brian makes many references to the apparent superiority of French ships and shipbuilding. Indeed, our own dear Surprise was originally French. O’Brian’s references are consistent with those of many historians, but they […]
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