Commander
The Life and Exploits of Britain's Greatest Frigate Captain
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Narrated by:
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Derek Perkins
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By:
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Stephen Taylor
About this listen
An incomparable seaman, ferociously combative yet chivalrous, Edward Pellew might have served as the model for Patrick O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey.
Edward Pellew, captain of the legendary Indefatigable, was quite simply the greatest British frigate captain in the age of sail. Left fatherless at age eight, with a penniless mother and five siblings, Pellew fought his way from the very bottom of the navy to fleet command. Victories and eye-catching feats won him a public following. Yet he had a gift for antagonizing his better-born peers, and he made powerful enemies. Redemption came with his last command, when he set off to do battle with the Barbary States and free thousands of European slaves. Opinion held this to be an impossible mission, and Pellew himself, leading from the front in the style of his contemporary Nelson, did not expect to survive. Pellew’s humanity, fondness for subordinates, and blind love for his family, and the warmth and intimacy of his letters, make him a hugely engaging figure. Stephen Taylor gives him at last the biography he deserves.
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Story
In July 1862, Confederate Captain Raphael Semmes took command of a secret new warship. At the helm of the Alabama, he became the most hated and feared man along the Union coast, as well as a Confederate legend. Now, with unparalleled authority, depth, and a vivid sense of the excitement and danger of the time, Stephen Fox describes Captain Semmes's remarkable wartime exploits.
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Wolf of the Deep
- By Sammi on 08-18-07
By: Stephen Fox
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The First Salute
- A View of the American Revolution
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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This compellingly written history presents a fresh, new view of the events that led from the first foreign salute to American nationhood in 1776 to the last campaign of the Revolution five years later. It paints a magnificent portrait of General George Washington and recounts in riveting detail the events responsible for the birth of our nation.
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A brilliant classic
- By Matthew on 03-27-09
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Last Flag Down
- The Epic Journey of the Last Confederate Warship
- By: John Baldwin, Ron Powers
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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As the Confederacy felt itself slipping beneath the Union juggernaut in late 1864, the South launched a desperate counteroffensive to force a standoff. Its secret weapon? A state-of-the-art raiding ship whose mission was to sink the U.S. merchant fleet. The raider's name was Shenandoah, and her executive officer was Conway Whittle, a 24-year-old warrior.
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Good all around
- By Rob on 01-19-08
By: John Baldwin, and others
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Jefferson's War
- America's First War on Terror, 1801-1805
- By: Joseph Wheelan
- Narrated by: Patrick Cullen
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Two centuries ago, without congressional or public debate, a president who is thought of today as peaceable, Thomas Jefferson, launched America's first war on foreign soil, a war against terror. The enemy was Muslim; the war was waged unconventionally, with commandos, native troops, and encrypted intelligence, and launched from foreign bases.
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A Great Read
- By Donald on 06-19-05
By: Joseph Wheelan
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Give Me a Fast Ship
- The Continental Navy and America's Revolution at Sea
- By: Tim McGrath
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 19 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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America in 1775 was on the verge of revolution - or, more likely, disastrous defeat. After the bloodshed at Lexington and Concord, England's King George sent hundreds of ships westward to bottle up American harbors and prey on American shipping. Colonists had no force to defend their coastline and waterways until John Adams of Massachusetts proposed a bold solution: The Continental Congress should raise a navy. Meticulously researched and masterfully told, Give Me a Fast Ship is the definitive history of the American Navy during the Revolutionary War.
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I learned so much
- By William on 05-08-17
By: Tim McGrath
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Rebels at Sea
- Privateering in the American Revolution
- By: Eric Jay Dolin
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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The heroic story of the founding of the US Navy during the Revolution has been told many times, yet largely missing from maritime histories of America's first war is the ragtag fleet of private vessels that truly revealed the new nation's character. In Rebels at Sea, Eric Jay Dolin corrects that significant omission, and contends that privateers, as they were called, were in fact critical to the American victory. Privateers were privately owned vessels that were granted permission by the new government to seize British merchantmen and men of war.
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If you can get over the narrator...
- By Toby Everett on 09-20-22
By: Eric Jay Dolin
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Broadsides: The Age of Fighting Sail, 1775-1815
- By: Nathan Miller
- Narrated by: David Rapkin
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In the late 18th century, it was widely thought that to be a sailor was little better than to be a slave. "No man will be a sailor," wrote Samuel Johnson, "who has contrivance enough to get himself into jail. A man in jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company." If that were true, historian Nathan Miller suggests, then the record of sailing in the age of tall ships would likely be distinguished by few heroes and fewer grand narratives.
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Misleading description, solid historical summary
- By M J Mills on 08-10-14
By: Nathan Miller
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The Pirate Coast
- Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805
- By: Richard Zacks
- Narrated by: Raymond Todd
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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After Tripoli declared war on the United States in 1801, Barbary pirates captured 300 U.S. sailors and marines. President Jefferson sent navy squadrons to the Mediterranean, but he also authorized a secret mission to overthrow the government of Tripoli. He chose an unlikely diplomat, William Eaton, to lead the mission, but before Eaton departed, Jefferson grew wary of the affair and withdrew his support.
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Excellent Account
- By John on 07-11-05
By: Richard Zacks
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Sons of the Waves
- The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail
- By: Stephen Taylor
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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British maritime history in the age of sail is full of the deeds of officers like Nelson but has given little voice to plain, "illiterate" seamen. Now, Stephen Taylor draws on published and unpublished memoirs, letters, and naval records, including court-martials and petitions, to present these men in their own words. In this exhilarating account, ordinary seamen are far from the hapless sufferers of the press gangs.
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Navy Guy Recommends this Title
- By Lexcast on 06-17-20
By: Stephen Taylor
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To the Uttermost Ends of the Earth
- The Epic Hunt for the South's Most Feared Ship—and the Greatest Sea Battle of the Civil War
- By: Tom Clavin, Phil Keith
- Narrated by: Joe Knezevich
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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On June 19, 1864, just off the coast of France, one of the most dramatic naval battles in history took place. On a clear day with windswept skies, the dreaded Confederate raider Alabama faced the Union warship Kearsarge in an all-or-nothing fight to the finish, the outcome of which would effectively end the threat of the Confederacy on the high seas.
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description of battle
- By Amazon Customer on 10-26-24
By: Tom Clavin, and others
What listeners say about Commander
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Dennis
- 11-22-13
The Facts are just as interesting as fiction
Would you listen to Commander again? Why?
After awhile yes, it had alot of real information Facts that are interesting
What was one of the most memorable moments of Commander?
The battle for Algiers a real slug fest
Have you listened to any of Derek Perkins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
My first one and he did a great job
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Some of the incidents were very moving
Any additional comments?
I enjoyed hearing what the real RN captains did and how they had to overcome the war at sea and at home
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- Anthony Abby
- 12-10-22
Wonderfully rich
Stephen Taylor brought to vivid life a time period with many oversized characters, set within one of the world’s most turbulent times. With biographies it seems you roll the dice on whether it’s monotone and bland, or rich and vibrant. No doubt about this being the latter.
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- Rob
- 04-07-23
Remarkable
This is both an excellent biography and a grand adventure. A remarkable seaman who lived a life many men would romanticize for centuries, blissfully unaware of harsh, often wretched conditions of life at sea in the age of sail. Commander brushes over much of it. Still, its an informative and entertaining work.
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- Anthony Williams
- 02-04-23
Interesting, and well performed reading.
I loved every chapter and enjoyed learning about the real Hornblower and Jack Aubrey. The reader did an excellent job, and was never a boring monotone. I highly recommend this book.
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- Douglas A Alden
- 01-28-15
Well done
If you enjoy the history of the Royal Navy, you'll enjoy this book on Edward Pellew. What an amazing life and more amazing that he was comparable to Nelson at the same time in history though without all the fanfare. For readers, I think the most exciting part was his leadership at the Battle of Algiers - well written that I could picture the actions in my minds eye.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Wanderer
- 06-07-22
Outstanding
Vivid, entertaining, and informative, this biography provides a unique window into an extinct world. Considering the historical events described, there is little doubt that Pellew was a major inspiration for the character Jack Aubrey in the Master and Commander series. I found the opportunity to hear the real-life version of these amazing stories to be fascinating, and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about history, the age of sail, or true and inspiring tales of heroes. The world might be a better place if we had more people like Edward Pellew.
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- Patrick B. Shirley
- 04-03-20
Magnificent
A perfect biography. A very interesting man and even better story. The author brings the Age of Sail to life. The narrator is perfectly English. I learned a lot and enjoyed it even more.
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- J. Mar
- 09-17-22
Pellew was Awesome
It was so nice to hear and learn about another great sea Captain besides Nelson. Exmouth was so confident, daring and aggressive in his combat style which seemed typical of that age when the UK was a great and powerful nation and empire long ago. I loved this book. The narration by Derek was very good.
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- K. W. Regis
- 09-29-17
Better than Patrick O’Brian . . .
Because it’s real! The real Aubrey; and the narration is superb! I was engaged throughout. Well worth the price and time if you appreciate naval history.
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- peter
- 02-02-21
OK
There’s a technique of depicting historical figures based on their correspondence that seems to often miss the mark as far as giving an interesting narrative. This is one of those. Pellew was colorful and interesting enough to serve as a model for at least two famous fictional age of sail heroes - Jack Aubrey and Hornblower - but you could miss that fact in this sometimes boring description of his life and career. The story comes to life briefly in the second last chapter and offers some excitement. It’s not a bad book just not really as good as it’s subject deserves.
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1 person found this helpful