Commander

Edward Pellew, captain of the legendary Indefatigable, was quite simply the greatest frigate captain in the age of sail. An incomparable seaman, ferociously combative yet chivalrous, a master of the quarterdeck and an athlete of the tops, he was as quick to welcome a gallant foe into his cabin as to dive to the rescue of a man overboard.

Pellew’s humanity as much as his gallantry, fondness for subordinates and blind love for his family, the warmth and intimacy of his letters, make him a hugely engaging and sympathetic figure. In Stephen Taylor’s magnificent new life he at last has the biography he deserves.