BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?

Subject: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 01 Sep 07 - 08:21 PM

This appreaed in the Telegraph online. I have read all of the O'Brian books now and it would seem I need to get hold of a biography of Lord Cochrane.

Lord Cochrane

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: The Walrus
Date: 01 Sep 07 - 09:42 PM

Shanghaiceltic,

I tried your link and got a 'Not Available' message. Could you please check the link.]

As to Lord Cochrane being the inspiration for O'Brian's "Jack Aubrey", it seems he was, as well as for Dudley Pope's Ramage Books and, more famously, for C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower.
It seems Lord Cochrane ran special forces more than a century and a quarter before the idea was formallised.

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 01 Sep 07 - 10:02 PM

Frank - the link comes up - Daily Torygraph- but NOT available to the Hoi Polloi !

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: The Walrus
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 08:24 AM

I found the article (at last) by going in through the Home page (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) and typing "Cochrane" into the search box.
The article address is http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/09/02/sv_lordcochrane0 let's hope this 'blicky' works.

W

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 12:02 PM

O'Brien made it quite clear that Cochrane was an important inspiration for Jack Aubrey.

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: EBarnacle
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 12:28 PM

McGrath said it first. EB

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Sep 07 - 07:06 PM

I've got in front of me this book Cochrane - The Life and Exploits of a Fighting Captain by Robert Harvey, published in 2000. On the front the flyer says "The model for bestselling novelist Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey."

Inside a note from Patrick O'Brian, writing in 1984: "Some ten or eleven years ago a...publisher suggested I should write a book about the Royal Navy of Nelson's time...I quickly produced the first of the series, a novel based upon Lord Cochrane's early days in command of the Speedy..."

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 03:18 AM

Thanks for the tip on the book. I will see if I can get a copy

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:38 AM

Shouldn't be too difficult - I seem to remember it being remaindered off a year or two ago. Mind you - I can't find my own copy of the damn thing!

Regards

p.s. Forester, of course, also used some of COchrane's exploits in the Hornblower series.

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 07:58 AM

It seems, among other things, that the US is lucky that Cochrane was not involved on the North American front----probably considered a sideshow--though a relative was. Of course, Gambier, it seems, had something to do with Cochrane's lack of opportunity at that point. And then of course there was the Stock Exchange mess. Framed?

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 09:03 AM

Being remaindered doesn't mean a book will be easy to find, just that if you can find it it'll be cheaper. But I shouldn't think you'll have much trouble - Amazon has it in stock.

Fascinating man - here is the last paragraph of that book, summing him up:

So the pieces of this most elusive of characters at last fit together. He was a brilliant man, a farseeing dreamer, military strategist and inventor of considerable talent; he was soft-spoken, well-mannered and extraordinarily protective towards those in his charge, as well as always affectionate, even when separated, towards pretty, strong-willed Kitty, doting of his children - but neglectful of their interests in his pursuit of greater things, a common trait in public figures. e was possibly the greatest individual sea-captain ever to have lived, and one who played a huge part in the creation of two new nations. He was a dogged fighter for the underdog, both in the Royal Navy and in society, with a streak of insubordination that caused the authorities to seek to expunge him from the official record - almost, but not quite, successfully.

I wonder if he features in any songs?

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 01:31 PM

Interesting point as to whether he turns up in song. You'd have to expect there's a broadsheet somewhere..... A cursory check on the Bodleian draws a blank.

Regards
p.s. I agree, of course, re remainders - it's just that they do tend to swill around certain bookshops for a few years after they've been pensioned off!

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 01:56 PM

I'd be surprised if there aren't any songs about him in Chile. Here is a youtube clip from a parade in his honour in Santiago, Chile this year - Lord Cochrane's Parade

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 02:50 PM

Lord Cochrane's life does make good reading, with plenty of debate among his biographers over details but they all agree that his life was fascinating. Cochrane also wrote his autobiography, when he was in his 70's, which also makes good readings and will give the reader a clear impression of his opinions of the other "players" in the historical drama he lived.

O'Brian also made use of the exploits of several other British naval officiers so it's probably best to view Capt. Aubrey as a composite literary creation.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:15 PM

And of course he's English, unlike Cochrane.

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 05:47 PM

And here is a free e-book of Cochrane's "Narrative of Services in the Liberation of Chili, Peru and Brazil"

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: Schantieman
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 11:48 AM

Cochrane was, famously, the inspiration for Hornblower. The siege of Rosas - almost comical in its defence - seems to be lifted almost shot for shot.

I've just finished reading a biography of Cochrane (can't remember if it's the one referred to above) and will soon start on his "Autobiography of a Seaman" of which a half-bound edition has been reposing on my bookshelves for some time.

A truly inspirational leader in the Nelson mould, and, at times, as popular. Some weird ideas, though, which is one reason why the establishment didn't like him.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 02 Jan 12 - 12:33 PM

Cochrane is the subject of a current exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland:

Admiral Cochrane, the Real Master and Commander

Subject: RE: BS: Lord Cochrane-O'Brians inspiration?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Jan 12 - 01:58 PM

Please, Terry.

hoi polloi.

Hoi is the close transliteration of teh relevant classical Greek definite article ("oi" with a rough breathing at the beginning).

So "The hoi" is "the the".