Events
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 […]
Month: July 2010
Life and Duties
Customs in Aubrey’s Royal Navy: The Wardroom
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.
Artifacts
Well Dressed Men Civilian Extant Garments Gallery
“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 […]
Artifacts
Well Dressed Ladies Extant Garments Gallery
“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 […]
02. Post Captain
Post Captain Discussion Questions Week 4
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 […]
Just For Fun
How To Make and Eat Hardtack
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,” […]
Actions and Skirmishes
Denmark’s War With England (2/2): Krigen
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 […]
02. Post Captain
Tally Ho! A Brief History of Riding To Hounds
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 […]
Actions and Skirmishes
Denmark’s War With England (1/2): The League of Armed Neutrality
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 […]
Sailing Techniques
British vs. French Shipbuilding During the Napoleonic Era
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 […]